The first two weeks of the AFLW season are done and dusted, and with just ten rounds during the home and away season, that means that already we are getting a decent idea of who will be competing for spots in the finals in a couple of months, and who is set for a season in the doldrums. There were a couple of standout performances last weekend, perhaps most notably the Hawks, who have had a brilliant first fortnight, while at the other end of the spectrum the Bulldogs further established themselves as this year’s cellar dwellers with a second consecutive heavy defeat at the hands of a team not exactly expected to be competing for silverware this year. They kick off Round 3 with a home game against the Eagles to continue a very soft start to the year which they have not been able to take advantage of, while later in the round, highlights include a Crows vs Hawks clash in Adelaide on Sunday afternoon, and a big clash which unfortunately will be played at exactly the same time between the Demons and the Kangaroos. Take a look at our detailed previews for all nine games set to take place in Round 3 below.
AFLW 2024 Round 3
Western Bulldogs vs West Coast Eagles
It could hardly have been a worse start to the year for the Bulldogs. They were given a cushy draw by the powers that be, faced with the Giants, Power and then Eagles to start the year, but rather than giving them an early leg up, the first two of those games have only highlighted how far off the pace they are. After being pumped to the tune of 63 points by the Giants in Round 1 they weren’t much better last Friday night, failing to kick a goal in a 46-6 loss at the hands of the Power. They have booted just a solitary goal in two weeks now, and sit at the bottom of the ladder with a woeful percentage of just 12.7%. The Eagles in Melbourne should theoretically present them with a chance to be a little more competitive, but based on how they have played the past two weeks it’s hard to see that happening, particularly given that West Coast have actually been pretty decent to start the year.
They secured an enthralling and rare victory in Round 1, beating the Tigers by a point, and while they were not able to back it up last weekend they were still relatively competitive in going down 41-25 at the hands of the Bombers. Success has been very, very limited for this team over the past few years, but this is a brilliant opportunity for them to go 2-1 and put themselves inside the top eight three weeks into the season. Of course, that does not necessarily mean much and they probably won’t stay there, but for a team which has struggled as substantially as they have over the past four seasons, you take what you can get. The Bulldogs are impossible to tip at this point and it’s concerning to think what might happen when they actually face some teams of substance, but even against the Eagles they look likely to be on the receiving end of another comfortable defeat.
Predicted Squads
Western Bulldogs: FB: L. Ahrens, I. Grant HB: J. Fitzgerald, E. Bennetts, E. Georgostathis C: M. Gorham, D. Carruthers, R. Wilcox HF: B. Gutnecht, J. Smith, D. Berry FF: S. Hartwig, A. McKee Fol: A. Edmonds, E. Blackburn, I. Pritchard IC: J. Borg, B. Barwick, E. Grigg, K. Weston-Turner, C. Buttifant
West Coast Eagles: FB: J. Rentsch, B. Schilling HB: G. Cleaver, C. Thomas, B. Smith C: S. Goranova, I. Lewis, J. Britton HF: E. Swanson, K. Gibson, M. Western FF: A. Franklin, J. Hosking Fol: L. Wakfer, E. Roberts, A. Drennan IC: A. Bushby, Z. Wakfer, S. Bakker, S. Lakay, J. Harken
Brisbane Lions vs Collingwood Magpies
After enduring a disappointing start to the season when they lost by 44 points to the Kangaroos in a rematch of last year’s Grand Final, the Lions bounced back in a low-scoring affair against another contender in the Demons last weekend. Goals certainly didn’t come easy for the reigning Premiers in that game, but they were able to hold the Dees to just two of their own to ultimately run out 33-15 victors. That was an impressive defensive performance from one of the Premiership favourites, and up against a team with a little less firepower this weekend they will be looking to take their record to 2-1 with an emphatic victory.
There were a few unknowns about the Magpies coming into this season, but it looks as though they are going to seriously have their work cut out for them if they are to even challenge for a spot in the eight. There is no doubting that they still have some top end talent, but they have not clicked as a collective over the first couple of weeks of the season. They were competitive enough in their opening game of the season, going down by 15 points to the Swans, but last weekend they were comprehensively beaten by a Hawks team that looks like it might be the most improved of the season. Collingwood lost that game by 47 points, and now having to head to Queensland for probably the toughest trip in the league, they could be destined for yet another hefty defeat.
Predicted Squads
Brisbane Lions: FB: J. Dunne, P. Boltz HB: B. Koenen, N. Grider, J. Ellenger C: O. O’Dwyer, A. Anderson, S. Conway HF: L. Postelthwaite, C. Hodder, R. Svarc FF: T. Smith, D. Davidson Fol: T. Hickie, I. Dawes, C. Svarc IC: E. Hartill, S. Campbell, E. Hampson, K. Lutkins, C. Mullins
Collingwood Magpies: FB: S. Sansonetti, S. Livingstone HB: L. Cronin, R. Schleicher, J. Allen C: L. Brazzale, M. Cann, S. Rowe HF: B. Davey, S. Frederick, G. Campbell FF: E. Morris, A. Porter Fol: I. Barnett, B. Bonnici., E. James IC: A. Schutte, C. Blair, C. Remmos, E. Fowler, S. Karlson
Sydney Swans vs Richmond Tigers
There is a good chance that, come season’s end, both the Swans and the Tigers will be competing for similar spots in the top eight, which means that this Round 3 clash could ultimately have plenty of repercussions. As it stands they occupy 8th and 9th spots on the ladder, both having split their first two games of the season. For the Swans, 2024 began with a 15-point defeat over the Magpies up in Sydney, but they failed to fire last weekend up against the Saints and ended up going down by 16 points in a game in which they scored just 26 of their own.
The Tigers, meanwhile, were handed a pretty straightforward first fortnight from a fixturing perspective, and will be disappointed not to be sitting right up the top of the ladder with a 2-0 record. The reason they aren’t is their first round loss to the Eagles, who beat them by a point, but they did at least bounce back with a win over the Giants last weekend. Still, they were not exactly emphatic in that victory, only knocking over GWS by 11 points, but the Giants were coming off an impressive Round 1 victory and perhaps won’t be quite as easy to knock off this year as they were last. This is a tough game to tip and one which both teams are more than capable of winning, but up in Coffs Harbour the Swans might just be able to sneak over the line.
Predicted Squads
Sydney Swans: FB: A. Mitchell, B. Tarrant HB: K. Hillier, E. Heads, J. O’Sullivan C: L. McEvoy, L. Gardiner, S. Hurley HF: B. Lochland, R. Privitelli, C. Hamilton FF: G. Davies, M. Beruldsen Fol: A. Morphett, M. Ham, T. Kennedy IC: L. Hausegger, S. Grunden, H. Bullas, E. Vale, L. Szigeti
Richmond Tigers: FB: G. Seymour, R. Miller HB: B. Lynch, J. Hicks, L. Graham C: M. Shevlin, E. McKenzie, K. Dempsey HF: A. Dallaway, K. Brennan, S. Hosking FF: C. Greiser, E. Yassir Fol: P. Kelly, G. Egan, M. Conti IC: L. McClelland, I. Bacon, C. Ryan, M. Ford, T. Lavey
- The Bulldogs have scored just one goal all season, and have lost their opening two games by 40+ points each against opponents not expected to be particularly good this year.
- As good a team as the Crows are, the Hawks have been as good as anyone over the first two weeks of the year and currently sit atop the AFLW ladder after two big wins.
- Though the Tigers have split their first two games with a win and a loss, they haven’t been particularly impressive, losing to the Eagles and just beating the Giants.
Multi of the Week
| Legs | Odds |
| Eagles 25+ | $2.60 |
| Hawks +14.5 | $1.88 |
| Swans to win | $2.00 |
| Bet $10 for $97.76 with PlayUp | |
Carlton Blues vs Geelong Cats
The Blues and the Cats have been no strangers to close games to start the year, with three of the four games that the two of them have played combined being decided by two points or less. The Blues’ Round 1 clash was the only one either team has played which wasn’t – in that, they were beaten soundly by the vastly improved Hawks, who knocked them off 66-28 in a less than ideal start to the season for Carlton. But they were able to bounce back in a thriller last weekend, holding off the Suns by just a point to notch up their first victory of the season. And given that they take on a Cats team that will be desperate for a win this weekend, that one point may well end up keeping them from a 0-3 start.
The Cats’ beginning to the year has been enthralling to watch, though ultimately pretty disappointing for a team with top four aspirations. They lost their first game of the season up against the Demons – a pretty high quality hitout – by just two points, before last week drawing 36 apiece with the Kangaroos. But given North Melbourne had beaten the reigning Premiers by 44 points the week prior, that draw was a pretty solid result. The Cats have had a really difficult fixture to start the year and have actually played really well, and clearly stand out from the teams around them down in 15th place. Securing just a draw from their opening two games in a ten-game season means that they are right up against it to make the top four from here, but their draw does get a little easier after that tough start. They will invariably start to make their way up the ladder over the coming weeks, and can start their ascent with a comfortable win on Saturday afternoon at IKON Park.
Predicted Squads
Carlton Blues: FB: G. Lawson-Tavan, H. Cordner HB: G. Pound, K, Peterson, M. Guerin C: D. Finn, J. Good, C. Moody HF: K. Sherar, M. Austin, T. Brown FF: D. Vescio, K. Skepper Fol: B. Moody, M. Hill, A. McKay IC: L. Keck, J. Dal Pos, L. Beatty, M. Anthony, L. Goss
Geelong Cats: FB: C. Emonson, C. Gunjaca HB: R. Webster, M. McDonald, A. Kennedy C: Z. Friswell, G. Prespakis, M. Bowen HF: J. Crocket-Grills, J. Parry, K. Surman FF: A. Moloney, K. Kenny Fol: K. Darby, A. McDonald, N. Morrison IC: B. Plummer, G. Featherston, S. Scott, A. Kennedy, D. Moloney
Port Adelaide Power vs Fremantle Dockers
Ten of the league’s 18 teams have split their first two games with a win and the loss, and these two have had two of the more diverse fortnights of results in that time – certainly the Dockers have. The Power started their year with a 14-point defeat to the Crows before absolutely pumping the Dogs last week, though despite those contrasting results they will overall be pretty content with their start to the year. After struggling in their first couple of seasons in the league, that loss to the Crows was the closest that they have ever got in a Showdown, while their win over the Bulldogs – in which they did not concede a single goal – demonstrated the gap that they have built on the bottom teams – or at least the bottom team, given the Bulldogs have been easily the worst performed side in the league over the first fortnight.
The Dockers, meanwhile, would be thrilled with their first week and humiliated by their second. They were electric in the first round of the season, absolutely pumping the Bombers in what loomed as a close game by 43 points. Unfortunately, they couldn’t back it up against a superior opposition last week, managing only six points against the Crows en route to a 33-point loss. The Dockers have higher aspirations than the Power this year, but based on the first fortnight there is no doubting that Port Adelaide have improved. This will be a great test for the home side – already they have played the worst team in the league and one of the best, so it will be good for them to test themselves against a side currently occupying the mid-table category which Port themselves are trying to join. Expect this to be a competitive affair and the home side to give the Dockers a genuine scare, but Fremantle, after a poor performance last weekend, should be too strong.
Predicted Squads
Port Adelaide Power: FB: M. Brooksby, A. Borg HB: T. Germech, E. O’Dea, J. Cuthbertson C: C. Hammond, M. Moloney, S. Goody HF: K. Lamb, J. Mules-Robinson, G. Houghton FF: A. Saint, J. Teakle Fol: M. Scholz, A. Dowrick, S. Syme IC: P. Window, A. Foley, O. Levicki, E. Boag, C. Wendland
Fremantle Dockers: FB: J. Flynn, E. O’Driscoll HB: A. Brazill, G. O’Sullivan, M. Scanlon C: J. Low, H. Miller, E. Antonio HF: A. Tighe, A. Mulholland, A. Runnalls FF: G. Newton, L. Pugh Fol: M. Strom, A. McCarthy, D. East IC: P. Seth, M. Kauffman, O. Lally, J. Cregg, T. Kikoak
Adelaide Crows vs Hawthorn Hawks
Sunday is the best day of action this weekend, and kicks off with a really intriguing clash between two of the remaining four undefeated teams. The Crows have handled their first couple of weeks with aplomb, though they have not yet faced a team of the quality that the Hawks appear to be this year. In the opening round of the season, Adelaide did what they needed to do against their undoubtedly improved cross-town rivals, winning the Showdown by 14 points, before they really flexed their collective muscle against the Dockers last weekend. They conceded only six points in that game, booting 39 of their own to give themselves a big early season percentage booster and move into 3rd on the ladder.
Neither of the two teams sitting ahead of them would necessarily have expected to be there, but the Hawks have been as impressive as anyone and a fortnight into the season deserve to be sitting pretty on top of the ladder. They were always expected to improve this year, but few could have predicted just how impressive they would be to start the year. They demonstrated that they have flown past the Blues with a comfortable 38-point win to start the season, while last weekend they were even more impressive when beating the Magpies by a casual 47 points. Neither of those teams are world beaters but they aren’t complete bottom feeders either, but this will be the Hawks’ biggest test of the season to date by some margin. If they can find a way to knock off the Crows – in Adelaide no less – they will establish themselves as a genuine top four and potentially Premiership contender, but that is a mighty tough ask. Expect Hawthorn to be really competitive in this game, but the Crows in Adelaide is one of the toughest trips in football, and the home team can take their record to 3-0 and potentially jump to the top of the ladder by the end of the round with a tight win.
Predicted Squads
Adelaide Crows: FB: S. Allan, Z. Prowse HB: S. Goodwin, C. Biddell, S. Thompson C: N. Kelly, A. Hatchard, K. Kustermann HF: R. Martin, C. Randall, M. Newman FF: E. Jones, C. Gould Fol: J. Allan, E. Marinoff, D. Ponter IC: B. Boileau, H. Munyard, T. Levy, B. Tonon, D. Varnhagen
Hawthorn Hawks: FB: T. Lucas-Rodd, E. Everist HB: T. Smith, J. Richardson, A. Kemp C: M. Williamson, J. Fleming, K. Ashmore HF: G. Bodey, B. Hipwell, A. Gilroy FF: A. McDonagh, C. Baskaran Fol: L. Wales, M. Breed, E. West IC: L. Stone, M. Eardley, H. McLaughlin, C. Sherriff, J. Vukic
Melbourne Demons vs North Melbourne Kangaroos
Speaking of teams expecting to finish right up the pointy end of the ladder this year, both the Demons and the Kangaroos will be disappointed with anything less than a Premiership in 2024, and with plenty of teams hoping to vie for spots in the top four this game could, in hindsight, have a lot to do with where these teams finish and ultimately, their Premiership aspirations. The Dees could hardly have been handed a rougher draw to start the year, facing the Cats, Lions and now the Kangaroos in the first three weeks, and so far they have split their games one apiece. They will be mighty thankful to have snuck over the line by two points against the Cats in Round 1, because last weekend they struggled against the Lions when booting just two goals to lose by 18 points, and they could easily be staring down the barrel of a 0-3 start had they not earned those points in Round 1.
The Kangaroos were the most impressive team of Round 1, embarrassing the reigning Premiers who beat them on Grand Final Day last year with a 44-point win. They were unable to back that up in Round 2 though, although they did avoid their first loss of the year – instead drawing with the Cats to keep their record undefeated but fall behind the three top teams. They have had the exact same start to the season but in reverse, with an opening fortnight against the Cats and the Lions no easy start, so to find themselves siitting in 4th spot at this stage in the season is a sound effort. They are absolutely no guarantee to beat the Demons, but that opening round win saw them establish themselves as the Premiership favourites, and even though they could not back it up with a second win in a row last weekend, they are still looking ominous early in the season. This should be a quality game, but the Kangaroos can keep their record undefeated and send the Dees to a 1-2 start with a win on Sunday afternoon.
Predicted Squads
Melbourne Demons: FB: G. Colvin, T. Gillard HB: M. Chaplin, S. Heath, P. Paxman C: E. McNamara, S. Lampard, B. Mackin HF: A. Bannan, L. Mithen, M. Fitzsimon FF: A. Pisano, E. Zanker Fol: G. Campbell, T. Hanks, K.Hore IC: G. Hill. R. Watt, S. Goldrick, R. Wotherspoon, G. Beasley EMG: D. Taylor, G. Campbell, G. Gall
North Melbourne Kangaroos: FB: L. Birch, J. Ferguson HB: E. Kearney, S. Wright, N. Bresnehan C: T. Gatt, J. Garner, T. Craven HF: B. Eddey, V. Wall, J. Bruton FF: T. Randall, K. Shierlaw Fol: K. Rennie, M. King, A. Riddell IC: L. Burke, R. Tripodi, A. Smith, E. King, N. Martin
Essendon Bombers vs St. Kilda Saints
The Bombers started the year really poorly in Round 1, failing to give much of a whimper against the Dockers as they went down 64-21. Fortunately for them, that loss was followed by a home game against the Eagles, and as they should have the Bombers got themselves on the board in season 2024 in that game. They were far from emphatic, but they did what they needed to do en route to a 16-point victory to take their record to 1-1. They now have an important clash against the Saints to try to get their win/loss ledger in the positive, but based on St. Kilda’s performance over the first couple of weeks of the season, earning a second win in a row for the Bombers here will not be easy.
The Saints are one of just three teams with a 2-0 record, having knocked off a couple of mid-tier teams in the Suns and the Swans to start the year. But it’s not just the wins that have been impressive – it is the nature of them, particularly the first. The Saints were completely dominant in Round 1, smashing the Suns around in what was supposed to be a close game and ultimately running out 74-20 victors. They were not quite as emphatic last weekend, but they were still too good in what was a pretty tight game against a decent Swans team. They ultimately were able to run out 42-26 winners in that one to take their record to 2-0, and another win here would put them in a great position from which to challenge for what would be an unexpected top four finish. The Saints are a rung below the best of the best but are trying to establish themselves as a team capable of doing some damage in the finals. A win against the Bombers alone wouldn’t do that, but a loss would do plenty of harm to their push to gain that respect. There is plenty on the line for both teams in this Round 3 clash, but the Saints should be too strong.
Predicted Squads
Essendon Bombers: FB: A. Van Loon, G. Clarke HB: A. Morcom, M. Gay, S. Van De Heuvel C: E. Keaney, M. Prespakis, A. Radford HF: B. Walker, J. Vogt, D. Bannister FF: S. Alexander, E. Gough Fol: S. Wales, S. Cain, G. Nanscawen IC: A. Gaylor, M. Dyke, L. Williamson, K. Jacques, C. Adams
St. Kilda 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, N. Xenos FF: E. Friend, A. Richards Fol: S. Nalder, O. Vesely, T. Smith IC: A. Burke, N. Exon, R. Caris, J. Anderson, C. Simpson
Greater Western Sydney Giants vs Gold Coast Suns
Wins might not be all that easy for the Giants to come by this year, but they started off the year with an emphatic one against the hapless Bulldogs. The Giants won that game 72-9, but they were unable to back that up last weekend against stiffer competition. They were still competitive against the Tigers though ultimately went down 38-27, but they have a good chance to get themselves back to a positive win/loss record against the 16th placed Suns this weekend – not that the ladder position two rounds in is particularly reflective of where Gold Coast is at.
Certainly the Suns have had a poor start to the season. Their first week in particular was nothing short of a disaster – in what was supposed to be a relatively close game against the Saints, they didn’t fire a shot and ended up losing by nine goals. They were a hell of a lot better last week against the Blues, but the end result was the same. They lost that one by just a solitary point, and competitive as they might have been the reality is that they are now 0-2 in just a ten game season. They need to turn things around immediately if they want to compete for the finals, and this is a decent opportunity to do just that. They were much improved last weekend even if they lost, and while the Giants don’t necessarily look like complete easy beats this year, the Suns can get onto the winners’ list for the first time this year in the last game of Round 3.
Predicted Squads
Greater Western Sydney Giants: FB: P. Randall, K. Smith HB: T. Evans, C. McCormick, E. Pease C: N. Barr, A. Eva, M. Brazendale HF: G. Garnett, M. Pauga, I. Huntington FF: C. Ransom, Z. Goldsworthy Fol: E. O’Dowd, R. Beeson, A. Parker IC: J. Grierson, M. Gaffney, K. Srhoj, C. Murphy, H. Zreika
Gold Coast Suns: FB: D. D’Arcy, C. Wilson HB: N. McLaughlin, K. Lynch, W. Randell C: G. Clayden, L. Single, C. Fitzpatrick HF: J. Membrey, J. Stanton, E. Barwick FF: T. Bohanna, J. Dupuy Fol: L. Bella, C. Rowbottom, C. Whitfort IC: A. Kievit, D. Davies, E. Maurer, E. K. Smith, K. Bischa
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