An intriguing Round 7 is now complete and just three rounds remain in the AFLW home and away season, but there is still plenty of water to go under the bridge before we know who will be competing in this year’s finals series. The Demons were the big winners to come out of last week’s action, winning two pivotal games – including a thrilling two-point win over the Crows – to put themselves right back in the finals hunt, while a surprise loss to the Dockers and a thumping defeat for the Eagles have really tightened things up in the middle section of the ladder. Normal transmission continued at the top of the ladder, meanwhile, with each of the runaway top five picking up victories – though the Crows, as mentioned, also had a loss in a two-game week for them. The ladder is now split into pretty clear segments – there is a standout top five and a pretty notable bottom five or six, too, with each of the teams 13th and lower losing in Round 7. That leaves a middle group of seven or eight teams fighting for three spots in the top eight, and with a few of those teams matching up against one another this weekend, Round 8 will have a big say on which sides play finals. After a month of extended rounds, it’s back to regular programming this week, with the round kicking off on Thursday night and each team playing just once. Without further ado, let’s dive right into those nine games.
AFLW 2024 Round 8
Carlton Blues vs Western Bulldogs
Season 2024 has not gone to plan for the Blues – not by a long shot – but they showed plenty of fight in the final term of their clash with the Dockers last week to keep their slim finals hopes alive. Sitting at 2-5 and with the worst percentage in the league heading into that game it was hard to give Carlton much of a shot against Freo, and trailing by ten points and having not kicked a goal since the first quarter at three-quarter time, they looked destined for yet another loss. Instead, they held the Dockers scoreless while booting two goals of their own to snatch a thrilling four-point win, moving them to within a game of the top eight. With a percentage of 47.5%, however, that might as well be two games, so they will likely need to win their last three games to give themselves a chance of playing finals. This week, at least, they look like a good chance of at least keeping their hopes alive.
The Bulldogs abrupt turnaround which saw them win two games on the trot after losing their first four is well and truly over, with the team which was clearly the worst in the league in the early stages of the season putting their name back in the ring for that ignominious title over the past fortnight. They have now failed to kick a goal for two consecutive weeks, following their 59-4 drubbing at the hands of the Kangaroos with a 26-3 loss to the Bombers last week. In a three-game stretch which included those two victories, the Bulldogs averaged over 43 points per game – in their other five games this season, which includes their first three and their most recent two, they have scored a total of less than that number at an average of under 9 points per game. The Blues are not exactly an offensive juggernaut either – they have scored the third least points in the league this year, with the Bulldogs having scored the least – so don’t expect the scoreboard to be peppered to heavily in this one. But the Blues, for all their woes this year, finally resembled a half-decent team last week. They can keep their finals dreams alive with a win in a low-scoring affair on Thursday night.
Predicted Squads
Carlton Blues: FB: M. Robertson, H. Cordner HB: G. Pound, K. Peterson, M. Hill C: M. Austin, A. McKay, K. Skepper HF: K. Sherar, D. Vescio, T. Brown FF: D. Finn, J. Good Fol: B. Moody, M. Guerin, L. Goss IC: T. Ortlepp, M. Anthony, L. Keck, C. Fitzgerald, G. Lawson-Tavan
Western Bulldogs: FB: M. McFarlane, K. Kimber HB: I. Grant, E. Georgostathis, M. Gorham C: R. Wilcox, J. Fitzgerald, E. Bennetts HF: B. Barwick, B. Gutknecht, H. Woodley FF: S. Hartwig, K. Weston-Turner Fol: A. Edmonds, D. Berry, I. Pritchard IC: D. Carruthers, C. Buttifant, E. Grigg, Z. Farquharson, J. Smith
Port Adelaide Power vs St. Kilda Saints
Friday night will see a pivotal game take place at Alberton Oval, with the 9th placed Power playing host to the 8th placed Saints. Port Adelaide have improved dramatically this season and continued on their merry way with a third consecutive win last weekend, and though it wasn’t exactly the most convincing – an eight-point defeat of the 17th placed Magpies – it did nonetheless move them up to within a spot of the top eight. A win this Friday night would guarantee them a spot inside that top eight at the conclusion of this round, and could theoretically see them move as high as 6th. They are riding a wave of momentum, and while they sit behind their opponents this weekend on the ladder, the respective form lines of the two teams are vastly different.
The Saints did actually manage a win last week, but in a round in which they played two games they followed that victory up just a few days later with their fourth defeat in their last five games. They looked solid in victory against a Giants team which has generally been pretty competitive this year on Tuesday night to keep themselves in the top eight, but were overrun late by the Demons on Sunday and the 14-point final margin probably flattered them – the Saints booted 5.0 to the Dees’ 6.8. The Saints are struggling and while they still find themselves inside the top eight, it feels like only a matter of time before they lose their hold on that position. That time may very well be this Friday night. This should be a close encounter between two teams with plenty on the line, but the Power are playing solid footy at the minute, and on their home turf, they can pick up a fourth win in a row to jump inside the top eight for the first time all season.
Predicted Squads
Port Adelaide Power: FB: M. Brooksby, A. Borg HB: T. Germech, E. O’Dea, A. Foley C: S. Goody, M. Moloney, E. Boag HF: G. Houghton, J. Mules-Robinson, C. Wendland FF: A. Saint, J. Teakle Fol: M. Scholz, A. Dowrick, P. Window IC: C. Hammond, K. Pope, S. Syme, K. Lamb, J. Stewart
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, J. Anderson FF: E. Friend, A. Richards Fol: S. Nalder, C. Simpson, T. Smith IC: A. Burke, K. Whiley, O. Vesely, R. Caris, N. Plane
Hawthorn Hawks vs Greater Western Sydney Giants
The Hawks are looking more and more impressive with each and every week. They picked up yet another victory last weekend, taking their record to 7-1, and they could hardly have been more emphatic in doing so. The Eagles are no world beaters but are vastly improved under Daisy Pearce this season and have established themselves as a genuine finals contender, but Hawthorn made them look like the bottom feeders that they have been over the past few seasons with a dominant 74-8 victory. That took their percentage to a robust 190.6%, leaving them behind only the Kangaroos on the AFLW ladder. With the Tigers just a game behind in 5th, the Hawks can’t afford to rest on their laurels and are still not guaranteed a spot in the top four, but they can get a step closer to that goal with another big win this weekend. And based on how their opponents played last week, they look primed to do just that.
The Giants, though having won just one game and drawn another all year, have generally managed to be pretty competitive in 2024, but that all changed last week. They had a two-game week, their first against the Saints and their second against the Crows, and hardly gave a yelp in either of them. Up against St. Kilda on Tuesday night they were comprehensively beaten, ultimately going down 49-15, while they were simply outclassed by a much, much better team a few days later when the Crows beat them to the tune of 64 points. Their percentage remains healthier than all but two other teams in the bottom ten, but nonetheless they appear destined for a bottom four finish. With little to play for the wheels appeared to begin falling off last week, and up against a rampaging Hawthorn team, it’s hard to imagine them putting up much of a fight this Saturday. This should be another healthy win for Hawthorn.
Predicted Squads
Hawthorn Hawks: FB: T. Smith, E. Everist HB: T. Lucas-Rodd, A. Kemp, J. Richardson C: K. Ashmore, M. Breed, G. Bodey HF: B. Hipwell, L. Stephenson, A. Gilroy FF: A. McDonagh, H. McLaughlin Fol: L. Wales, E. Bates, E. West IC: J. Vukic, L. Elliott, M. Williamson, J. Fleming, S. Locke
Greater Western Sydney Giants: FB: P. Randall, K. Smith HB: J. Grierson, I. Huntington, E. Pease C: K. Srhoj, A. Eva, M. Brazendale HF: T. Evans, G. Garnett, C. Ransom FF: Z. Goldsworthy, B. Mowbray Fol: E. O’Dowd, R. Beeson, A. Parker IC: M. Gaffney, M. Pauga, J. Doyle, F. Davies, J. Ramsdale
- Five of the Kangaroos’ seven victories have been by 40 points or more, and another by 36.
- The Hawks have been no stranger to big wins this year either, with four of their seven coming by 38 points or more. Meanwhile, the Giants have begun to lose a handle on their season of late, losing their two games last week by a cumulative total of 98 points.
- The Power have won three games in a row, while the Saints have lost four of their last five.
Multi of the Week
| Legs | Odds |
| Kangaroos 40+ | $2.50 |
| Hawks 40+ | $1.82 |
| Power to win | $2.00 |
| Bet $10 for $91 with PlayUp | |
Sydney Swans vs Gold Coast Suns
The Swans’ losing streak extended to four matches last week, but unlike the previous three – each of which was decided by seven points or less – this one was not close. That didn’t come as any great surprise given that they were playing a North Melbourne side boasting a percentage of over 300%, and the Swans were at least competitive early, going toe to toe with the Premiership favourites in a high-scoring opening term. But the cream rose to the top, and after the first six goals of the game were split at three apiece, the Roos went on to kick the next 11 and eventually run out 60-point winners. That loss basically puts paid to the Swans’ already slim finals hopes, even with a game against the winless Suns to come this weekend.
The Gold Coast are not exactly the walkover that their record suggests that they might be, either. They have actually been competitive in the vast majority of their games and have not lost any of their last four by more than 16 points during a stretch which included games against the Hawks, Bombers, and last week, the Lions. The latter of those was the aforementioned 16-point loss, with the Suns having got to within a kick early in the final term of the reigning Premiers. Given how comfortably Brisbane have been beating virtually everyone they come across, that was a solid performance from the bottom of the table Suns. They are not a good team, but they are deserving of a victory this year given how close they have been on a number of occasions. With the Swans finals hopes having been snuffed out, perhaps this is their best opportunity to cause an upset.
Predicted Squads
Sydney Swans: FB: A. Mitchell, B. Tarrant HB: R. Sargent-Wiilson, J. O’Sullivan, M. Collier C: E. Heads, S. Hurley, L. McEvoy HF: B. Lochland, R. Privitelli, C. Hamilton FF: M. Ham, P. McCarthy Fol: G. Davies, T. Kennedy, H. Cooper IC: L. Steane, A. Hamilton, H. Bullas, M. Beruldsen, B. R. Smith
Gold Coast Suns: FB: M. Girvan, C. Wilson HB: W. Randell, K. Lynch, D. D’Arcy C: G. Clayden, L. Single, A. Kievit HF: T. Oliver, T. Bohanna, E. Maurer FF: E. Barwick, J. Dupuy Fol: L. Bella, C. Rowbottom, N. McLaughlin IC: D. Davies, M. Brancatisano, J. Stanton, K. Bischa , K. Fullerton
Melbourne Demons vs Richmond Tigers
This is probably the most intriguing game on Saturday, with the Demons, fresh off a two-win Round 7 which put a finals appearance back on the agenda, taking on a Tigers’ outfit fighting for a spot in the top four. The Demons’ first half of the season did not go to the plan – to say the least – with just one win from five games, but their 16-point win over the Giants in Round 6 got them back on the winners’ list and may just prove to be the catalyst for the turnaround in form they so desperately needed. Last week loomed as make-or-break for their season with two tough games, one particularly so against the Crows – they went and won them both. That low-scoring, two-point win over the Crows was as gritty and scrappy as they come, but however they got it it may well prove to be the difference-maker in their fight for the finals. They now sit in 11th with a 4-4 record, but with the form of a couple of teams above them they are looming large as the most likely team currently outside the top eight to jump inside it.
This weekend’s clash, however, will not be an easy one. The Tigers have been fantastic this year, establishing themselves as a genuine top four contender, and they continued on their merry way with a really strong seven-point victory over the Cats last weekend. That took their record to 6-2, with their only losses coming by just a point in Round 1 to the Eagles, and by 12 points to a Kangaroos team beating most sides by ten goals. The Tiges haven’t done much wrong but still find themselves just outside the top four, but they deserve to be viewed as right in amongst that top group of teams. They can ill afford to lose many – if any – more games if they’re to play top four, but this one won’t be easy. Expect a tight and tough affair which may well go down to the wire, but the Tigers are hard to tip against at the moment. They can just claw their way over the line for a third straight win to potentially jump inside the top four.
Predicted Squads
Melbourne Demons: FB: D. Taylor, T. Gillard HB: M. Chaplin, S. Heath, S. Goldrick C: S. Lampard, T. Hanks, E. McNamara HF: G. Gall, L. Mithen, A. Pisano FF: A. Bannan, E. Zanker Fol: R. Watt, K. Hore, M. Fitzsimon IC: G. Hill. O. Purcell, P. Paxman, R. Wotherspoon, G. Campbell
Richmond Tigers: FB: G. Seymour, R. Miller HB: B. Lynch, I. Bacon, L. Graham C: T. Lavey, E. McKenzie, K. Dempsey HF: A. Dallaway, K. Brennan, S. Hosking FF: C. Greiser, E. Yassir Fol: P. Kelly, E. Sheerin, M. Conti IC: M. Ford, J. Hicks, C. Ryan, G. Egan, T. Luke
West Coast Eagles vs Fremantle Dockers
The Western Derby hasn’t necessarily had a whole lot of importance to it over recent years with the Eagles firmly entrenched in the lower reaches of the AFLW ladder, but that’s all about to change. Their drastic improvement under new coach Daisy Pearce has seen them establish themselves as a genuine finals contender, and with the Dockers just a few rungs ahead of them, there is plenty on the line in this edition of the matchup. The Eagles, however, do badly need to arrest a losing skid which has seen them fall from 3-1 to 4-4 and sent them tumbling outside the top eight. They have lost their last two games, the first to fellow finals hopeful in the Power, while last week they were battered from pillar to post by the ever-impressive Hawks. Still, they’re out of the eight only on percentage, and a win over their cross-town rivals could see them back in it by the end of the weekend.
The Dockers are on a two-game losing skid of their own, but they will not provide an easy win for Pearce and her chargers. They have been generally solid this year, and their last two losses have been by just nine points (to the Hawks) and four points (to the Blues). The first of those was a very solid performance, though last week’s was not so much given how bad the Blues have been this season. Still, the Dockers are arguably the best team outside of the runaway top five, and can further solidify their hold on 6th spot if they can end their losing streak this weekend. The Eagles should be able to hang with them for a while, but Fremantle is the better side and with a win very much needed, they should be able to get the job done reasonably comfortably.
Predicted Squads
West Coast Eagles: FB: B. Schilling, Z. Wakfer HB: C. Thomas, E. Swanson, J. Rentsch C: V. Simmons, A. Drennan, J. Britton HF: J. Hosking, M. Western, A. Bushby FF: K. Gibson, R. Roux Fol: L. Wakfer. E. Roberts, I. Lewis IC: B. Smith, S. Goranova, G. Cleaver, J. Harken, S. Bakker
Fremantle Docker: FB: A. Brazill, J. Low HB: E. O’Driscoll, L. Pugh, M. Scanlon C: A. Runnalls, G. Newton, O. Lally HF: A. Mulholland, E. Antonio, G. Biedenweg-Webster FF: A. Hetherington, G. O’Sullivan Fol: M. Strom, A. McCarthy, D. East IC: T. Kikoak, P. Seth, M. Morrison, S. Verrier, M. Kauffman
Geelong Cats vs Brisbane Lions
This season has been a slog for the Cats, who have generally played reasonably well faced with an extremely tough fixture, but who nonetheless find themselves with just two wins after eight games and seemingly destined to miss the finals, barring a miracle. That would need to start with a win over the reigning Premiers this week. The Cats badly needed a victory against the impressive Tigers in Round 7, but that game told the story of their season – they were very competitive and went close to beating a very good team, but ultimately fell seven points short. They now find themselves a game and a half outside the top eight with just three games to go, with their good percentage ultimately likely to prove useless given they have a draw to their name. If they’re to have any chance whatsoever of playing finals they need to win their remaining three games, and even then a top eight berth is unlikely. A loss this weekend would make it impossible.
And given the form of the Lions, that may be hard to avoid. The Lions lost in Round 1 in their Grand Final rematch against the Kangaroos, and since then have gone seven and zip, with few opponents even getting close to them. They are embroiled in a five-team race for spots in the top four and top two, and with each of those teams winning for fun, the Lions can’t afford to drop more than one more game, if that. Brisbane have been pushed on the odd occasion this year – the Crows got within a kick of them three weeks ago while even the Suns went somewhat close last week – and the Cats are certainly capable of keeping pace with them too. But though Geelong is a better team than their record would suggest, they are a way off the Lions at the minute. This could be a closer game than many expect, but Brisbane should prove too good.
Predicted Squads
Geelong Cats: FB: C. Emonson, C. Gunjaca HB: A. Kennedy, M. McDonald, R. Kearns C: Z. Friswell, G. Prespakis, J. Crocket-Grills HF: M. Bowen, J. Parry, K. Surman FF: A. Moloney, G. Featherston Fol: K. Darby, N. Morrison, R. Webster IC: D. Moloney, B. K. Smith C. Thorne, M. Bragg, G. Rankin
Brisbane Lions: FB: J. Dunne, P. Boltz HB: B. Koenen, N. Grider, L. Postlethwaite C: C. Mullins, A. Anderson, J. Ellenger HF: S. Conway, C. Hodder, R. Svarc FF: T. Smith, D. Davidson Fol: T. Hickie, I. Dawes, C. Svarc IC: E. Hartill, S. Campbell, S. Peters, E. Long, E. Hampson
Essendon Bombers vs North Melbourne Kangaroos
The Bombers are on a tear, having won four games on the trot to lock themselves into 7th position, but they will have their work cut out keeping that streak going this weekend. They have, admittedly, been impressive at times during the past month, at no point more so than when they beat the Demons by 65 points to kick the run off. Tight wins against the Swans and the Suns were nothing to write home about though, and while they won comfortably against the Bulldogs last weekend, they might as well have been playing a team in a different league to the one that they will come up against on Sunday.
The Kangaroos, after losing last year’s Grand Final to the Lions, have been simply unstoppable this season. They remain undefeated eight games into the season, their only blemish having come when they drew with the Cats back in Round 2, and with a percentage of 313.1% it’s safe to say that they are generally doing it pretty easy. Last weekend was no exception; they booted 11 goals in a row after going toe to toe with the Swans in the early stages to ultimately run out 60-point winners, following on from a 55-point win the week before. They are unsurprisingly the Premiership favourites, and it’s very hard to see anyone aside from their fellow top five teams challenging them – and even then, those teams will have their work cut out. As solid as the Bombers have been the last month, they are not a patch on the Kangaroos. With percentage likely to be important in the race for the final few spots in the top eight, limiting the damage in this game could be pivotal, but that is a lot easier said than done against the Roos. This should be another comfortable win for the flag favourites.
Predicted Squads
Essendon Bombers: FB: A. Van Loon, E. Gamble HB: A. Morcom, M. Gay, G. Clarke C: B. Keaney, M. Prespakis, A. Gaylor HF: D. Bannister, S. Alexander, E. Gough FF: B. Toogood, P. Scott Fol: S. Wales, S. Cain, G. Nanscawen IC: B. Walker, B. Brown, C. Adams, M. Busch, A. Radford
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
Collingwood Magpies vs Adelaide Crows
The Magpies’ losing ways continued last weekend as they suffered their seventh defeat from eight games in 2024, though they were at least competitive in that one – something which has not exactly been a consistent theme throughout the course of their season. They kept pace with the improved Power to ultimately only lose by eight points, but the ugly facts remain – they sit in 17th with a 1-7 record and the worst percentage in the league at 45.3%, and with a clash against the Crows to come that is not likely to get any better this Sunday.
The Crows had an up and down Round 7, with their two-game week yielding a win and a loss. The loss was a disappointing one – they booted just 14 points in a real slog against the resurgent Demons, going down by two points to register their second loss of the year. But they could hardly have been more emphatic in the way that they bounced back just a few days later, kicking 92 points en route to a 64-point win over the Giants. The scope of that victory saw them pass the Tigers percentage to sneak into 4th, but with only 12.5% separating them from Richmond their spot inside the top four is far from guaranteed. On the flip side of the coin, the Lions and Hawks are just a game ahead and with a similar percentage, meaning the Crows are ready to pounce on a slip up from either of those teams. But regardless of what is going on around them, Adelaide’s mission is clear – keep on winning, and with percentage so tight at the top of the ladder, do it comfortably. They should not have too many problems doing that this weekend. This looks likely to be a very one-sided game to conclude Round 8.
Predicted Squads
Collingwood Magpies: FB: L. Butler, S. Livingstone HB: A. Schutte, L. Cronin, R. Schleicher C: S. Rowe, M. Cann, J. Allen HF: G. Campbell, M. Atkinson, A. Porter FF: E. James, E. Morris Fol: I. Barnett, B. Bonnici, B. Davey IC: C. Remmos, S. Frederick, G. Clark, T. White, L. Brazzale
Adelaide Crows: FB: C. Biddell, S. Allan HB: M. Newman, K. Mueller, S. Goodwin C: N. Kelly, C. Randall, S. Thompson HF: H. Munyard, C. Gould, R. Martin FF: D. Ponter, Z. Prowse Fol: J. Allan, E. Marinoff, A. Hatchard IC: D. Varnhagen, K. Kustermann, T. Levy, T. Charlton, B. Tonon
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