AFLW is back for its second season, beginning on Friday night with a repeat of last year’s packed-out season opener between traditional rivals Carlton and Collingwood at Ikon Park.
As in 2017, games will be free to attend (with the exception of the Fremantle v Collingwood clash at Perth’s new stadium in round two, which has a $2 entry fee) and the season will run for seven rounds, followed by a grand final to be contested between the two top-placed teams on 24 March at the minor premier’s choice of venue.
For free-to-air viewers, games are televised on the Seven network (largely on 7mate) and often only to the capital cities most relevant. Fox footy or Fox Sports 3 will broadcast most games live nationally. They will also be available to stream via the AFLW official app.
While an expansion of the competition was announced last year, there will be no new teams introduced for the 2018 season, with Geelong and North Melbourne to join in 2019, and Richmond, St Kilda, West Coast and Gold Coast to join in 2020.
There will, however, be some key rule changes. With the AFL worried about low scoring and high congestion, a last-touch rule has been introduced. The rule, which operates in the South Australian National Football League, means a free kick is paid against a team if a kick or handball goes out of bounds without being touched by an opposition player (excepting when a player who does not have possession shepherds the ball over the boundary line to the benefit of their team). When in doubt, umpires will bounce the ball.
Bench sizes have also been reduced from six to five (although 16 players will stay be on the field per team) and a two-minute time on period has been introduced at the conclusion of each quarter.
Adelaide Crows
Leadership: Erin Phillips and Chelsea Randall (co-captains), Sally Riley and Angela Foley (vice-captains) and Courtney Cramey.
Coach: Bec Goddard.
Best and fairest prediction: Erin Phillips. Despite having stepped away from the game she loved at 16, Phillips looked in a different league to her peers in 2017. The basketball star recently retired from her adopted sport to focus on AFLW, which is a scary proposition for opposition teams.
Player to watch: Sarah Perkins. Second only to Darcy Vescio on the goal-kicking leaderboard, Perkins was one of the faces and favourites of AFLW season one. Her forward pressure is a standout attribute, distinguishing her from other key forwards in that she hunts the ball (and opposition) on the ground. Will only improve after an emotional rollercoaster of a debut season, and is worth watching just for her trademark goal celebrations.
New face: Jessica Allan, an Under-18 All-Australian ruck, will join her sister Sarah at the Crows. Sarah played in the club’s inaugural premiership.
2017 finish: Premiers.
In 2018: The Crows expect to be the “hunted” after a surprise premiership in 2017. Look for opposition sides to target the premiers, although Goddard has publicly stated that the Crows are “starting from zero” and will take nothing for granted in 2018. Adelaide are blessed with two “elite” ranked players in Phillips and power forward Perkins, inexplicably overlooked by all teams in her home state, but do lose marquee forward Kellie Gibson to homesickness and WA. They will rely again on excellent team performances, and a special bond forged between a talent pool drawn from two states, again forging an unlikely alliance with the Northern Territory.
Brisbane Lions
Leadership: Emma Zielke (captain), Leah Kasler (vice-captain), Emily Bates, Sabrina Frederick-Traub, Sharni Webb and Kate Lutkins.
Coach: Craig Starcevich.
Best and fairest prediction: A toss-up between marquee forward Frederick-Traub (who, at only 21, will be a star of the game for the next decade) and captain courageous Zielke, who was No1 for clearances and tackles for her club in 2017. Zielke will need to prove her fitness, however, after fracturing three ribs and puncturing her lung representing the All Stars in September’s State of Origin. She was told the ribs would take at least 12 months to recover, and has only just begun contact work, but is reportedly feeling “good”.
Player to watch: Jess Wuetschner. The energetic small forward was one of only six players to finish the 2017 season with at least five goals and five assists. She kicked two in the grand final, and loves the big stage. Also rates above average for tackles and pressure points. The kind of team-mate you love to play with.
New face: Nat Exon crosses over from Carlton, giving the Lions further midfield depth after she surprised as a rookie last season.
2017 finish: Runners-up.
In 2018: The Lions were one of the biggest surprises of 2017, going undefeated (with one draw) for the season and losing by only a goal to eventual premiers Adelaide. What a shame they couldn’t play on their home ground at the Gabba. They have lost an important pillar in marquee Tayla Harris who at 21 could be anything. Frederick-Traub will have to deal with a higher volume of forward entries as a result, but she’ll have Wuetschner at her feet, while both will benefit from the delivery of elite midfielder, All-Australian Bates.
Carlton
Leadership: Brianna Davey (captain), Lauren Arnell and Sarah Hosking (vice-captains).
Coach: Damien Keeping.
Best and fairest prediction: Darcy Vescio. Vescio topped the goal-kicking for the competition in its inaugural season and there’s no reason why she can’t repeat that feat, although she did sustain a PCL during the VFL season, which thankfully didn’t require surgery. Vescio, a graphic designer who works at the club, had a hand in designing the team’s away guernsey, which is covered in quotes, stories and symbols from the club’s first season.
Player to watch: Tayla Harris. All eyes will be trained on former Brisbane Lions marquee forward Harris after the Blues (in a complicated deal) effectively gave up promising rookie Nat Exon, forward Bella Ayre and their No1 draft pick from 2017, Bianca Jakobsson, to secure her. Harris is bursting with raw talent, but has so far been unable to deliver consistently. If the move home settles her, she will be a star of the competition.
New face: Nicola Stevens arrives from rival Collingwood in a coup for the recruiting team; Stevens was the Magpies’ best and fairest and reportedly wanted more time in the midfield.
2017 finish: Fourth.
In 2018: The Blues have recruited well, with Harris and Stevens considerable acquisitions. Davey has been promoted to captain, somewhat of a surprise given the respect Arnell commands, but 22-year-old Davey is reigning best and fairest, a wonderful communicator and team-mate. Both are born leaders, and together will give everything to achieve even further heights with a star-studded team.
Collingwood
Leadership: Steph Chiocci (captain), Brittany Bonnici and Emma Grant (vice-captains), Emma King, Ash Brazill and Christina Bernadi.
Coach: Wayne Siekman.
Best and fairest prediction: Jess Duffin (nee Cameron). Collingwood relied on an even-spread of performers in 2017, even if form was inconsistent as a whole. In the absence of last year’s best and fairest winner, Duffin is a safe pick. Like many women in the competition, Duffin is an elite dual-sport athlete, but has taken a break from her elite cricket career to focus on AFLW. It paid off with a nomination in the 2017 All-Australian squad, after an elite assist rating and 1.4 contested marks averaged per game.
Player to watch: Chloe Molloy. The Diamond Creek star arrived at the Magpies with their first pick in the national draft, after she starred in the VFL competition against existing AFLW stars. In 2017, Molloy shared the goalkicking award with Bulldogs captain Katie Brennan. Uncle Jarrod Molloy played for the club, with Chloe growing up a black and white tragic.
New face: Jamiee Lambert. Lambert crossed over from the Western Bulldogs during the trade period and is a wonderful pick-up for her new club. She struggled with a hip injury in 2017, but was the Bulldogs’ first pick in the inaugural draft, and winner of the Susan Alberti award for 2016’s AFL women’s exhibition series.
2017 finish: Fifth.
In 2018: The Pies will look for a fit and firing Mo Hope to take them up the ladder after a disappointing first season in black and white. She has reportedly lost 8kg and will spend more time in the midfield rather than up forward. Lambert is a valuable pick-up, as the Pies were No1 in the ruck hitout differential last season, but just fourth for clearances.
Fremantle Dockers
Leadership: Kara Donnellan (captain), Kiara Bowers and Amy Lavell (vice-captains).
Coach: Michelle Cowan.
Best and fairest prediction: Kara Donnellan. Donnellan has been retained as captain for a reason – she ranked in the top five in the competition for kicks, clearances, tackles and inside 50s per game.
Player to watch: Kiara Bowers. Bowers was picked as one of Fremantle’s marquee players in 2017, but missed the season after she ruptured her ACL in the WAWFL final series. She remained off-field vice-captain in season one, and has been re-instated in the role.
New face: Adelaide’s loss is Fremantle’s gain, with their marquee forward Kellie Gibson returning home to WA for the 2018 season. She’s a premiership player, and had 11 uncontested possessions in the grand final, as well as kicking a stunning goal within the first minute. If a return home can inspire Gibson’s best form, she will be one of the recruits of the year.
2017 finish: Seventh.
In 2018: It’s hard to believe the Dockers were premiership favourites last season; by the conclusion of round seven they had won just one game and drawn another. Those predictions were largely based on the strength of women’s football in WA, and the fact that Fremantle did not have to compete with another WA-based side for home talent. Should be hungry after a disappointing debut season.
Greater Western Sydney Giants
Leadership: Amanda Farrugia (captain), Alicia Eva (vice-captain), Jessica Dal Pos, Emma Swanson and Tanya Hetherington.
Coach: Alan McConnell.
Best and fairest prediction: Jessica Dal Pos. Arguably the success story of the Giants’ inaugural season, Dal Pos averaged 13.9 disposals, seven tackles and four clearances per game, earning her an AFLW All-Australian jersey and club best and fairest award. She also finished fifth overall in the AFLW best and fairest.
Player to watch: Renee Forth. Originally a marquee selection, Forth has spent 18 months recovering from a knee injury which ruined her first season, and recently said she had “forgotten” what it was like to play football. Spent the season as an assistant coach.
New face: Alicia Eva. Eva was vice-captain at Collingwood and has been elevated directly to the same position at her new club – indicating the esteem she is held in. Was runner-up and top-ranked midfielder at the Magpies, and is a ferocious tackler.
2017 finish: Eighth (last).
In 2018: The Giants have installed a new coach in McConnell, who was the Giants’ men’s forward coach in 2013 and is the club’s director of coaching. This reflects the club’s philosophy of integrating its men’s and women’s teams. McConnell has 30 years coaching experience, and from all reports his appointment has reinvigorated his charges, and may be the key to a marked improvement on 2017, although the club is a victim of the state nomination policy in place for the women’s competition (where players can nominate the state they would like to be drafted to, given it is not a fully professional competition).
Melbourne
Leadership: Daisy Pearce (captain), Melissa Hickey and Elise O’Dea (vice-captains).
Coach: Mick Stinear.
Best and fairest prediction: Karen Paxman. A controversial selection, given Pearce is the more highly-acclaimed, but Paxman finished second in the overall AFLW best and fairest (on 10 votes), behind only Erin Phillips. Paxman was ranked elite for contested possessions and marks, while she and Pearce were No2 and No1 for disposals in the competition respectively. Has unbelievable skills in close, while her endurance capacity will be a standout if the game speeds up as predicted with the last-touch rule introduced.
Player to watch: Melissa Hickey. Hickey has stood out on the track over summer and – at peak fitness – is in line to move from defence to the midfield. Playing as a key defender in 2017, she made All-Australian and is ranked elite for her kicking and disposal efficiency. A veteran at 33-years-old, she is widely respected for her finely-honed leadership skills and is a coach-in-training.
New face: Melbourne did well to take Bianca Jakobsson off Carlton’s hands, helping them secure Tayla Harris in the process. Jakobsson is an outside forward who, at 24, has plenty of upside. The Demons were also thrilled to land 183c, ex-netballer Eden Zanker, at No6 in the draft and will look to introduce her early.
2017 finish: Third.
In 2018: Melbourne were incredibly unlucky to miss out on the grand final in season one, and their absence was a good case in point for the introduction of a longer finals series. The Dees hit form at the pointy end of the season, and if not for their inferior percentage, could easily have been premiers. They are short-priced odds to top the competition this year, and with an All-Australian midfield of Pearce, O’Dea, Paxman and Hickey, they will be tough to beat.
Western Bulldogs
Leadership: Katie Brennan (captain), Ellie Blackburn (vice-captain), Hannah Scott and Nicole Callinan.
Coach: Paul Groves.
Best and fairest prediction: Katie Brennan. The Bulldogs were robbed of their captain and star forward due to injury in 2017, but with Brennan back fitter than ever, look for her to star. Still just 25 years old (hard to believe given her maturity), she topped the VFL goal-kicking with 35 majors, and was the league’s best and fairest. The heart and soul of the club, her fortunes should mirror the team’s.
Player to watch: Ellie Blackburn. Last year’s dual best and fairest (with Emma Kearney) finishing equal-second in the AFLW’s best and fairest with Melbourne’s Karen Paxman. She is ranked elite for disposals, metres gained, contested and uncontested possessions, clearances, inside 50s and score involvements. She also averaged three shots per game at goal, impressive for a midfielder. If she can improve her scoring accuracy, she will be almost the complete package.
New face: Isabel Huntington. The Dogs surprised some by taking Huntington at pick No1 over the much-hyped Molloy, but the versatile young leader can play in any position on the ground and has plenty of upside after she sat out 12 months with an ACL injury in September 2016 (following a broken leg in 2015). Known for her intelligence, Huntington is studying to become a doctor, and has impressed all at the kennel over the off-season.
2017 finish: Fifth.
In 2018: The Bulldogs were early premiership favourites in season one, and were considered to have a disappointing season as a result. Nonetheless, the absence of Brennan cannot be overstated, while the Bulldogs fell short by less than seven points on three occasions (to Collingwood, Carlton and Brisbane respectively). The acquisition of Deanna Berry from Melbourne should help their forward-line depth, while a strong draft-hand that also included dual-athlete Monique Conti (a WNBL Boomer) shows they are building for the future.
