The last round of the AFLW home and away season is upon us. If it’s felt as though it’s flown by, that’s because it has, with the league whipping through a ten-round, 11-game-per-team season in the blink of an eye. After last weekend’s action, a lot has already been decided in terms of who will finish where, but there is still plenty that can change over the course of the final round. Four teams are fighting for the final two spots in the top eight, while the Dockers and the Tigers sit just outside the top four with a chance still to snatch a double chance if anyone above them slips up. There are numerous big games set to take place over the course of the weekend, kicking off with the 10th placed Cats trying to give themselves a chance to play finals against the 4th placed Crows, who will be looking to lock up a top four spot, while Sunday afternoon will play host to perhaps the most enticing matchup of the round when the Hawks take on the Tigers. Below, we preview all nine games set to conclude the home and away season.
AFLW 2024 Round 10
Geelong Cats vs Adelaide Crows
The Cats are finishing their season with a wet sail, having given themselves to play finals after a disappointing first few weeks of the year. They have now won three of their last four games, the latest of which was a comfortable 33-point defeat of the Eagles, to put themselves into 10th spot. They’re still a full game outside of the top eight, but an excellent percentage means that if they win and both the Demons and the Bombers lose, they will play finals. Unfortunately for them, those two sides play two of the worst teams in the league in Round 10 so the chances of them both losing is very slim, but nonetheless the Cats will be eager to at least keep themselves in the ball game with a victory on Friday night.
The Crows, however, have plenty to play for too. They are hanging on to their spot in the top four by percentage alone, though few would begrudge them the double chance. They have lost three games this season, but the first two of them were each by just two points while last weekend, they played a Kangaroos team that no one has beaten all season and that had a percentage of over 300% and got to within 8 points of them. That was a gallant effort and showed that they are more than capable of matching it with the Premiership favourites, but we all know how difficult it is to compete for a flag from outside the top four. A loss this weekend would mean that is more than likely what the Crows will have to do. This should be a really good quality game – the Cats have been in excellent form of late and even if they likely won’t play finals, have been playing like a finals team and will want to keep themselves in the mix. The Crows, meanwhile, are right in the Premiership mix, and this weekend’s result could have a major impact on their chances. This one could very easily go down to the wire, but the Crows have proven very tough to beat all season, and even against an in-form Cats team can sneak a pivotal win to all but lock up a top four spot.
Predicted Squads
Geelong Cats: FB: M. McDonald, A. Kennedy HB: R. Webster, R. Kearns, C. Emonson C: Z. Friswell, N. Morrison, G. Rankin HF: M. Bowen, A. Moloney, K. Surman FF: J. Perry, S. Scott Fol: K. Darby, J. Crockett-Grills, G. Prespakis IC: C. Gunjaca, B. K. Smith Amy McDonald, Abbey McDonald, M. Bragg
Adelaide Crows: FB: Z. Prowse, C. Biddell HB: K. Mueller, C. Randall, S. Goodwin C: M. Newman, A. Hatchard, N. Kelly HF: D. Ponter, S. Allan, T. Charlton FF: C. Gould, R. Martin Fol: J. Allan, E. Marinoff, S. Thompson IC: H. Munyard, T. Levy, J. Waterhouse, A. Boyle-Carr, B. Tonon
Narrm Demons vs Collingwood Magpies
Like the Cats, the Demons had an unexpectedly slow start to the season and for all intents and purposes looked out of the finals hunt a few weeks ago. Four wins on the trot, however, put them right back on the edge of the top eight. Unfortunately, that winning streak came to an end last weekend at the hands of a rampant Hawks unit, though the Demons were hardly embarrassed in their efforts, losing by just a kick to a team that has been beating teams with ease for fun all season. But gallant or not, it was a pivotal loss in the context of the season and means the Demons are relying on other teams – namely the Bombers – to lose if they are to play finals. The Dees, of course, have to hold up their end of the bargain, but they shouldn’t have any problems doing that against likely Wooden Spooner in the Magpies.
Collingwood have had a dreadful season, their only win coming by just three points against the team keeping them company in the bottom two in the Gold Coast Suns. They very nearly managed a second last weekend against the hapless Blues, but ultimately went down by four points. They have the worst record and the worst percentage in the league and would be a worthy Wooden Spooner, and it’s hard to see them beating the Demons to avoid it. This game will be far more about the Demons, with a win meaning they will finish ahead of the Bombers if they lose. A win would also get the Dees level on points with the Power, but they would need a percentage turnaround which would require around a 160-point aggregate winning margin for the Demons and losing margin for the Power, which is unlikely. Really, the Dees just need to get the job done here and then cross their fingers the Blues can cause an upset against the Bombers, and they should have no problem rounding out their home and away season with a comfortable win.
Predicted Squads
Narrm Demons: FB: D. Taylor, T. Gillard HB: M. Chaplin, S. Heath, S. Goldrick C: B. Mackin, T. Hanks, E. McNamara HF: L. Mithen, R. Wotherspoon, E. Zanker FF: A. Bannan, G. Gall Fol: L. Pearce, S. Lampard, O. Purcell IC: R. Watt, S. Taylor, M. Fitzsimon, L. Johnson, G. Campbell
Collingwood Magpies: FB: L. Cronin, S. Livingstone HB: A. Schutte, L. Butler, R. Schleicher C: S. Rowe, T. White, J. Allen HF: E. Morris, J. Ivey, A. Porter FF: E. Fowler, G. Clark Fol: I. Barnett, B. Bonnici, M. Cann IC: M. Atkinson, S. Frederick, C. Remmos, L. Brazzale, I. Evans
Sydney Swans vs Waalitj Marawar Eagles
The final round of any season invariably brings with it a few dead rubbers, and this is the first of this weekend. The Swans have not had a particularly good record, something which a 2-8 record speaks to. Having said that, they could very easily have snatched a few more wins and even put themselves in finals contention, with a four-week stretch in which they lost three games by four points or less proving costly. But still, last week’s 68-point loss to the Lions and the 10-goal defeat at the hands of the Roos two weeks before that are indicative of a side a long way off the pace, and the 15th place in which they currently find themselves is probably a relatively good representation of where they are at.
The Eagles, meanwhile, have shown dramatic improvement in their first season under new coach Daisy Pearce, though unfortunately they have been unable to maintain the rage for the full 11 games. They were right in the finals mix a few weeks ago, but four consecutive losses have seen them fall right off the pace and their 33-point defeat to the Cats last week stamped their papers and resigned them to another season watching the finals from the sidelines. These teams come into this game without a win between them for a month and with nothing to play for, so don’t expect the greatest exhibition of footy, but in a tight encounter the Eagles can round out a season which they have got something out of with a 5th win of the year.
Predicted Squads
Sydney Swans: FB: M. Collier, A. Mitchell HB: L. Steane, B. Tarrant, A. Whelan C: E. Heads, T. Kennedy, L. McEvoy HF: C. Hamilton, R. Privitelli, B. Lochland FF: P. McCarthy, S. Grunden Fol: A. Hamilton, S. Hurley, L. Gardiner IC: J. O’Sullivan, G. Davies, M. Ham, P. Sheppard, B. R. Smith
Waalitj Marawar Eagles: FB: Z. Wakfer, B. Schilling HB: C. Thomas, E. Swanson, G. Cleaver C: J. Britton, E. Roberts, C. Rowley HF: K. Gibson, M. Western, A. Franklin FF: L. Wakfer, J. Hosking Fol: S. Lakay, A. Bushby, I. Lewis IC: S. Bakker, A. Drennan, V. Simmons, R. Roux, O. Di Donato
- The Giants have lost four games in a row by at least five goals
- The Kangaroos have won half of their games this season by at least 50 points
- The Swans have not won a single game since Round 4, and that was by just three points against the Giants.
Multi of the Week
| Legs | Odds |
| Power -29.5 | $1.88 |
| Kangaroos -49.5 | $2.35 |
| Eagles to win | $2.35 |
| Bet $10 for $83.06 with PlayUp | |
North Melbourne Kangaroos vs Gold Coast Suns
It’s hard to imagine a more lopsided matchup than this. The Kangaroos have been far, far and away the best team in the league this season and unless they somehow lose this game, will finish on top of the ladder. Their percentage has exceeded an incredible 300% for much of the season, only dropping very marginally below it after last week’s tight game against the Crows, but there is a good chance it will return to the 300s following this game. The Kangaroos have scored more points than every other team in the league and conceded less than everyone else, and will head into the finals series as the odds on favourite to go one step better than they managed last year and win the 2024 Premiership.
The Suns’ position is a little different. They have actually generally been reasonably competitive throughout the course of the season, but the fact remains that the four-point win they managed over the Swans a fortnight ago was their first and only of the year. They returned to the losers’ list with a 34-point drubbing at the hands of the Power last weekend, and will more than likely finish the season in the 17th position on the ladder which they currently occupy. Their percentage is comparable with many other teams in the bottom seven, which is something to hang their hat on, but there is a good chance that it will take a significant hit this weekend. The Kangaroos don’t need to win by any particular margin to lock up top spot, they just need to win, but even with their eyes closed they would be winning this game by a big, big margin. Expect them to notch up a big win as they gear up for the finals.
Predicted Squads
North Melbourne Kangaroos: FB: L. Birch, J. Ferguson HB: N. Bresnehan, S. Wright, T. Craven C: T. Gatt, J. Garner, N. Martin HF: J. Bruton, B. Eddey, V. Wall FF: T. Randall, K. Shierlaw Fol: E. King, M. King, A. Riddell IC: E. O’Shea, R. Tripodi, A. Smith, K. Rennie, A. O’Loughlin
Gold Coast Suns: FB: M. Girvan, C. Wilson HB: C. Fitzpatrick, K. Lynch, N. McLaughlin C: G. Clayden, D. D’Arcy, A. Kievit HF: T. Olvier, T. Bohanna, E. Maurer FF: E. Barwick, J. Dupuy Fol: L. Bella, C. Rowbottom, C. Whitfort IC: D. Davies, M. Brancatisano, W. Randell, J. Stanton, K. Fullerton
Carlton Blues vs Essendon Bombers
If either of the Demons or the Cats do their job and win their respective games, then the Bombers will enter this matchup outside of the top eight. But regardless of what happens in those other matches, the situation is simple for Essendon; win and they’re in. After a belting at the hands of the Kangaroos a fortnight ago, the Bombers bounced back pretty strongly against the Tigers last weekend but couldn’t quite get the four points, instead having to settle for two after a 42-all draw. Had they managed a solitary extra point they would have been all but assured a finals spot, but as it is they will likely need to win this to make. Fortunately for them, they are playing one of the worst teams in the league.
The Blues have somehow managed to nearly win as many games as they have lost this year, with their four wins better than or equal to half the teams in the league, but that record masks the reality of their season. A couple of their wins have admittedly been impressive, but they have all been by slender margins – their defeats, on the other hand, have not. They have regularly been pummelled from pillar to post, leaving them with a pitiful percentage of just 51.3% - incredible given that they are 4-6. That’s a worse percentage than everyone in the league with the exception of the bottom-placed Pies – who the Blues, incidentally, just crept over the line against last weekend. As it is, they could theoretically still finish as high as 10th if they win this game, but that’s hard to see happening. The Bombers will play finals if they win and probably won’t if they lose, and with so much riding on it, surely they can dispose of the Blues on Saturday night.
Predicted Squads
Carlton Blues: FB: G. Lawson-Tavan, H. Cordner HB: A. Velardo, K. Peterson, M. Hill C: M. Austin, A. McKay, K. Skepper HF: K. Sherar, C. Fitzgerald, J. Halfpenny FF: D. Finn, B. Moody Fol: J. Good, M. Guerin, L. Goss IC: T. Ortlepp, C. Moody, T. Brown, G. Pound, M. Robertson
Essendon Bombers: FB: A. Van Loon, M. Gay HB: A. Morcom, G. Clarke, M. Busch C: B. Keaney, G. Nanscawen, A. Gaylor HF: D. Bannister, S. Alexander, G. Gee FF: B. Toogood, E. Gamble Fol: S. Wales, M. Prespakis, S. Cain IC: J. Vogt, B. Walker, A. Clarke, B. Brown, A. Radford
Euro-Yroke Saints vs Brisbane Lions
The Saints’ season started with so much promise, three consecutive wins to start it out putting them clear on top of the ladder at that point in the year. Unfortunately, the wheels have fallen off since, with just one more win coming in the ensuing seven games. They have lost their last three in competitive fashion – by 14 points to the Demons, 15 to the Power, and last week just one to the Bulldogs – but regardless of how they lost them, they now find themselves a game and a half out of the eight with a game to go and out of the finals race. That was a heartbreaking one-point loss to the Bulldogs last weekend, and fronting up for a very difficult clash against a quality team with plenty to play for will not be easy this Sunday.
The Lions bounced back from just their second loss of the season a fortnight ago with an emphatic performance against the Swans last weekend, beating them 78-10 to solidify their position in the top four. Theoretically they could still lose it with two teams just a game behind, but with a huge amount of percentage separating them and the Dockers, that’s not even worth considering. They could feasibly fall to 4th with a loss, but they will be more focused on the flip side of that coin. If they win they will move to level on points with the Hawks, with whom they have a similar percentage and who are far from guaranteed a win against the Tigers. If the Lions pass the Hawks, of course, they will earn a home Qualifying Final – something which would be a major coup in their hunt for a second consecutive Premiership. The Hawks will enter that game as favourites and it is unlikely they lose, but it’s very possible and the Lions will be desperate to ensure they are there to take advantage if that does transpire. Up against a Saints team which has barely won in two months and which will be reeling after last week’s loss, the Lions should be able to win this one reasonably comfortably.
Predicted Squads
Euro-Yroke Saints: FB: N. Stevens, S. Watson HB: H. Priest, P. Trudgeon, B. Jakobsson C: M. McDonald, J. Lambert, D. Guttridge HF: G. Kelly, J. Wardlaw, J. Anderson FF: N. Exon, A. Richards Fol: R. Ott, O. Vesely, T. Smith IC: A. Burke, R. Caris, C. Simpson, H. Stuart, N. Plane
Brisbane Lions: FB: J. Dunne, P. Boltz HB: B. Koenen, N. Grider, J. Ellenger C: C. Mullins, A. Anderson, O O’Dwyer HF: S. Conway, T. Smith, L. Postlethwaite FF: S. Campbell, C. Hodder Fol: T. Hickie, I. Dawes, C. Svarc IC: E. Hartill, S. Davidson, D. Heslop, E. Long, R. Svarc
Richmond Tigers vs Hawthorn Hawks
Perhaps the biggest game of the round comes when the Tigers take on the Hawks on Sunday afternoon, a game which could have major ramifications for plenty of teams inside the top eight. The Tiges have been in or around the top four all season long, but a 13-point loss to the Dees a fortnight ago followed by a draw with the Bombers last weekend has seen them fall back to 6th. They’re still just half a game outside the top four though, and if both the Crows and Bulldogs lose – which is unlikely but not impossible – then they could theoretically earn themselves a double chance if they win this game. But that, of course, will not be easy at all.
The Hawks have been brilliant all season, losing just one game to lock themselves into 2nd spot behind the Kangaroos for much of the year. But with the Lions hovering frustratingly just behind them, they are still not yet guaranteed a top two spot and the home final that comes with it. More than likely the Hawks will be playing the Lions for a spot in the Preliminary Finals in the opening week of the finals, and if they win this game it will be played in Melbourne. Lose it, however, and there is every chance that they will need to head to Brisbane for what would be a much, much tougher proposition. The difference between 2nd and 3rd might on paper not be a lot, but it could be really significant in the context of the Premiership race, so there is plenty riding on this game for the Hawks. The Tigers should be able to keep it competitive, but they have not been at their best over the past two weeks, and even if they do recapture something resembling that, the Hawks will be extremely tough to beat.
Predicted Squads
Richmond Tigers: FB: G. Seymour, R. Miller HB: B. Lynch, I. Bacon, L. Graham C: M. Shevlin, E. McKenzie, K. Dempsey HF: G. Egan, K. Brennan, S. Hosking FF: C. Greiser, E. Yassir Fol: P. Kelly, E. Sheerin, M. Conti IC: M. Ford, J. Hicks, T. Lavey, A. Dallaway, L. McClelland
Hawthorn Hawks: FB: A. Kemp, M. Eardley HB: L. Elliott, J. Richardson, T. Lucas-Rodd C: K. Ashmore, M. Breed, M. Williamson HF: L. Stephenson, A. McDonagh, A. Gilroy FF: B. Hipwell, C. Baskaran Fol: L. Wales, E. Bates, E. West IC: H. McLaughlin, J. Fleming, C. Sherriff, T. Smith, J. Vukic
Yartapuulti Power vs Greater Western Sydney Giants
The Power have shown dramatic improvement this season, and the reward – barring a complete disaster – is going to be an inaugural finals appearance. Even if they lose they will play finals unless they are absolutely pumped, the Demons win by about 100 points and the Bombers win, but with a win they can potentially jump inside the top six and earn themselves an unexpected home Elimination Final. It would be well-deserved, too – the Power have won five games on the trot heading into this one, last week disposing of the Suns easily to take their record to 6-4, and they should be confident in their ability to make it six in a row against the Giants on Sunday afternoon.
In contrast to the Power, the Giants have struggled mightily this year. They were competitive enough early and should really have had more to show for it than a win and a draw, but they did not and gradually, those tight losses appear to have taken their toll. Those competitive losses have been replaced by, well, non competitive ones, and over the past month they have not got within five goals of any opposition, last week’s 55-25 loss to the Dockers their closest in that time. With nothing to play for and up against an opposition in brilliant form and with a potential home final to play for, it’s hard to see that changing this weekend. This game should see their losing streak extend further and the winning streak of the Power grow to six as they enter their first ever AFLW finals series.
Predicted Squads
Yartapuulti Power: FB: M. Brooksby, A. Borg HB: T. Germech, E. O’Dea, C. Hammond C: S. Goody, M. Moloney, E. Boag HF: J. Miller, J. Mules-Robinson, J. Stewart FF: A. Saint, G. Houghton Fol: M. Scholz, A. Dowrick, P. Window IC: K. Lamb, K. Pope, S. Syme, O. Levicki, C. Wendland
Greater Western Sydney Giants: FB: P. Randall, K. Smith HB: C. McCormick, I. Huntington, E. Pease C: H. Zreika, A. Eva, M. Brazendale HF: T. Evans, G. Garnett, M. Pauga FF: Z. Goldsworthy, B. Mowbray Fol: E. O’Dowd, R. Beeson, A. Parker IC: M. Gaffney, A. Newman, J. Grierson, C. Ransom, F. Davies
Walyalup Dockers vs Western Bulldogs
The final game of the home and away season may well have plenty riding on it, though that will depend on how other results play out over the course of the weekend. The Dockers jumped up to 5th position last weekend courtesy of a strong five-goal win over the Giants and with the Tigers failing to get the job done against the Bombers, and with the Crows also losing, the Dockers are now within reaching distance of the top four. They are behind the Crows on percentage alone, though that gap is significant, meaning that essentially, if Adelaide beats the Cats the Dockers will need an extraordinarily big win to catch them. If the Crows lose, however, 4th spot is Freo’s for the taking if they can beat the Bulldogs.
Doing that is not as easy a task as it was earlier in the season, with the Bulldogs having recovered impressively from their woeful task to actually put together a pretty decent season. They ended the finals hopes of the Saints last weekend with a one-point win, making it two on the trot after they beat the Blues easily the week prior, and taking their record to 4-6 – something which would have seemed impossible a couple of weeks into the season. They have still put in a few really poor performances since then, but there are signs of what they are trying to do and certainly reason for optimism moving forward. If they play like they have the last couple of weeks the Dockers cannot afford to take them lightly, but still; with a loss potentially moving them as low as 7th but a win guaranteeing them at worst a home Elimination Final, and at best a Qualifying Final appearance, the Dockers should prove too good.
Predicted Squads
Walyalup Dockers: FB: A. Brazill, L. Pugh HB: J. Flynn, E. O’Driscoll, J. Low C: S. Verrier, G. O’Sullivan, O. Lally HF: SA. Runnals, A. Hetherington, G. Biedenweg-Webster FF: M. Kauffman, E. Antonio Fol: M. Strom, A. McCarthy, G. Newton IC: T. Kikoak, J. Cregg, P. Seth, A. Mulholland, D. East
Western Bulldogs: FB: C. Buttifant, K. Kimber HB: I. Grant, E. Georgostathis, M. Gorham C: R. Wilcox, J. Fitzgerald, E. Bennetts HF: S. Hartwig, B. Gutknecht, H. Woodley FF: A. McKee, K. Weston-Turner Fol: A. Edmonds, D. Berry, I. Pritchard IC: D. Carruthers, N. Ferres, E. Grigg, B. McFarlane, J. Smith
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