The 2019 AFLW season begins this weekend with a move away from the traditional Friday night opener in Melbourne. The start to the competition’s latest iteration will be a Saturday night double feature in Geelong and Adelaide – just one of a host of alterations the AFL has made to the women’s competition for its third year.
Replacing the previous seven-round-plus-grand final format, the AFL has introduced conferences and a brief finals series. The team that finishes top of Conference A – containing Western Bulldogs, Melbourne, Adelaide, Fremantle and North Melbourne – will take on the second-placed team in Conference B – Brisbane Lions, Greater Western Sydney, Collingwood, Carlton and Geelong – and vice-versa. The winners will then play for the premiership in the grand final.
Despite the addition of new teams Geelong and North Melbourne, the fixture remains at just seven rounds, much to the chagrin of fans who expected at least nine games for each club in the now-10 team competition. Notably, the Cats and Kangaroos will not play each other unless they meet in finals – a shame as the highly touted expansion sides look to be exciting outfits this season.
Both fared well in their recent practice matches and considering the reduced fixture, these preseason outings provided a valuable insight into what we can expect in 2019.
North were dominant against Melbourne with former Collingwood key forward Moana Hope kicking two goals while Britt Gibson (former Lion) and Kate Gillespie-Jones (Carlton) also impressed.
Last year’s MVP and premiership-winning former Bulldog Emma Kearney will captain a cavalcade of stars at North this year and on paper, the Kangaroos certainly look primed for instant success with recruits such as Kaitlyn Ashmore (Brisbane), Emma King (Collingwood), Jasmine Garner (Collingwood), Danielle Hardiman (Carlton), Jasmine Grierson (Melbourne) and Tahlia Randall (Brisbane) on board.
Melbourne, despite being overpowered by North, still look a quality side and may have been boosted by the new finals structure, having narrowly missed grand final berths the past two seasons. Shelley Scott and Elise O’Dea take on the roles of co-captains while Daisy Pearce sits the season out during her pregnancy.
Former Giant Phoebe McWilliams was a clear standout for Geelong in their preseason hit-out, booting four goals, and 2018 No 1 draft pick Nina Morrison’s work rate across the field was impressive. The Cats were dealt a blow in losing defender Elise Coventry for the season with a ruptured ACL and will also be without forward Richelle Cranston (recruited from Melbourne) for two weeks after she was suspended for rough conduct.
Newly appointed captain and former Demon, Melissa Hickey, did not play but remains confident of leading her new team out in round one after recovering from an ACL injury.
Carlton skipper Brianna Davey was back on the field and slotted four goals on return from her own ACL rupture. New coach Daniel Harford moved Davey up the ground and it could herald a damaging new forward line for the Blues along with goal specialists Darcy Vescio and Tayla Harris. Maddy Prespakis (taken No 3 in the 2018 draft) will also be one to watch as the Blues try to move past their wooden spoon last time out.
The reigning premiers, Western Bulldogs, have to deal with the loss of last year’s leading goal kicker Brooke Lochland, who will miss most of the season with a fractured fibula. Fitness clouds also remain over 2017’s No 1 draft pick, Isabel Huntington who, after spraining her reconstructed right knee in December, might not take to the field until late in the season.
But Bulldogs captain Katie Brennan will return after the controversial ban that prevented her from playing in last year’s grand final. The overturning of that suspension now allows her to play in round one alongside newly appointed co-captain Ellie Blackburn and the Bulldogs look set to mount a strong defence of their flag.
Collingwood have much to improve on and have a host of stars to replace through trade and injury. Many eyes have been on former Australia netball international, Sharni Layton, who played in the ruck during the preseason hit-out but looked to still be finding her feet in the game.
Adelaide’s form looks good despite losing their first choice rucks in Rhiannon Metcalfe to a season ending ACL injury and Jasmyn Hewett to an ankle knock. Dayna Cox and basketball recruit Jess Foley were exciting to watch alongside new recruits Renee Forth (GWS) and Sophie Li (Carlton). Powerhouse co-captains Erin Phillips and Chelsea Randall lead the charge again at the Crows under new coach Matthew Clarke, who replaces premiership winning coach Bec Goddard.
Brisbane are looking determined to make good on two failed attempts at a flag with Leah Kaslar taking the captaincy, but they were thwarted by a strong GWS outfit in their practice match, losing by 47 points. Fan favourite, the Irish import Cora Staunton, kicked three goals and GWS looked dangerous even without Alicia Eva and Jacinda Barclay participating.
Kiara Bowers has finally been able to get back on the park for Fremantle after three years on the sidelines, but the Dockers still seem to have a lot of work to do. Eyes will be on new coach Trent Cooper to see how he approaches the new season, particularly as one of the men, along with Clarke, to replace the two departed female coaches.
2019 will be the first season with no women in head coach roles following the exits of Bec Goddard and Michelle Cowan. Their exits last year continue to drive the conversation around opportunities for women in women’s professional sport.
But with four more clubs due to enter the AFLW in 2020, more opportunities will hopefully present themselves and the AFL’s head of women’s football, Nicole Livingstone, said on The Outer Sanctum show on ABC Radio on Saturday she believed Goddard might be moving to Queensland. “If you think about our expansion in 2020, that’s an interesting concept...”
