The final round of the home & away season is upon us, and there’s just one spot in the top six up for grabs. North Melbourne currently sit in sixth on the ladder, but could face a nervous wait on Sunday afternoon if they don’t win, with Carlton sitting in seventh place. We have previews and betting tips for all seven games below!
AFLW Round 8 Betting Tips
Western Bulldogs vs Richmond
Friday March 26, 5:10pm
These two sides won’t be featuring in the finals this season, but both have made massive strides in season 2021. The young Bulldogs spent the majority of the season inside the top six, before dropping out in the last few weeks. Whilst after going winless through the entirety of last season, the Tigers have picked up three wins this season, showing massive improvements with their young midfield starting to put the league on notice. The Bulldogs are coming off a 56 point loss against the Crows, whilst the Tigers were able to grind out an eight point win over the Eagles. The main battle looms inside the Bulldogs forward 50, it’s been the Bulldogs biggest strength this season and the Tigers biggest weakness. Isabella Huntington and Bonnie Toogood have caused opposing defenders problems all season long and it’s hard to see the Richmond defence being able to contain them. The midfield battle between Ellie Blackburn and Monique Conti will be enthralling, but the Bulldogs just have too much depth at either end of the ground for the Tigers to handle. Expect the Dogs to finish their campaign on a winning note.
Western Bulldogs H2H
$1.33
North Melbourne vs Fremantle
Saturday March 27, 1:10pm
The most important clash of the weekend takes place on Saturday afternoon as North Melbourne host Fremantle at Arden Street. The equation is simple for the Roos: Win and finals is guaranteed, lose and they will have to hope Carlton can’t make up the 19.2% percentage gap between the sides when the Blues play on Sunday against GWS. The Kangaroos once again couldn’t capitalise on a dominance in possession in a fifteen point loss to the Lions last week, and bad kicking in front of goal proved costly. North Melbourne's midfield dominated time in possession, with Jenna Bruton (26 disposals), Ash Riddell (25 disposals), Emma Kearney (24 disposals) and Jess Duffin (24 disposals) finding plenty of the footy, but their efficiency looms a as a massive concern heading into finals. Kiara Bowers was held to just 12 disposals as the Dockers suffered a five point loss at the hands of Melbourne last week. The loss dropped Fremantle from first to fourth on the AFLW ladder, meaning the Dockers will likely miss out on the week off in the first week of the finals. North Melbourne have been a tough side to gauge this season, their best can beat any side in the competition, but they haven’t shown their best since the early parts of the season. The Dockers greatest strength over the past two seasons has been their balance between attack and defence, their balance allows them to consistently produce quality football regardless of the opponent and the conditions. The Dockers bounced back ruthlessly after their first loss this season, and you can expect the same this weekend. North Melbourne will be set for a nervous Sunday afternoon.
Melbourne vs Brisbane
Saturday March 27, 3:10pm
After an inspired victory over Fremantle secured a finals berth for the Demons as the host a Brisbane side that is playing for the minor premiership, and home ground advantage for the entirety of the finals series. The Demons have been incredible over the past two weeks but don’t have much to gain this week, with a fifth or sixth position finish the only realistic outcomes for Melbourne. Brisbane on the other hand could not only lose top spot, but could drop out of the top two if they lose against Melbourne. So you can expect a fired up Lions outfit bringing a ruthless performance to Casey Fields on Saturday afternoon. Last season Brisbane were renowned for being an exciting attacking side, but in season 2021 they have found an ability to grind games out defensively which has seen them make the jump to premiership contenders. Kate Lutkins has been a dominant force at centre half back this season, not only shutting down opponents, but also winning plenty of the ball and setting up attacking forays for the Lions. She will be crucial in limiting the Dees forward line. This game will be an enthralling clash, with both teams in red hot form, the Demons excellent record at home and the Lions playing for top spot. This has the makings of an instant classic, with so much on the line for Brisbane, expect a big performance to secure top spot.
Gold Coast Suns vs Geelong
Saturday March 27, 5:10pm
The two winless sides will have a golden opportunity to avoid a winless season as they face off against each other in the final round of the home & away season. Both sides have copped consistent thumpings throughout disappointing campaigns. Particularly for the Suns who made the finals in 2020. The Cats have scored just 16 goals from 8 games this season, whilst the Suns have only just been better with 21 goals from 8 games. Both teams inability to score has been a massive downfall for them in 2021. This game is going to be a low scoring, dour affair. The Gold Coast’s ability to score looks a lot more trustworthy than the Cats’ and the home ground advantage will be a factor for the Suns, given Geelong are used to playing on the small and narrow field at GMHBA Stadium. The Suns showed some promise in the last month against Richmond and West Coast and it’s not much to go off, but the Cats haven’t had any performances that suggest they can kick enough goals to win a game. This won’t be a pretty clash, but expect the Suns to avoid the wooden spoon with a victory over the Cats.
Adelaide vs Collingwood
Sunday March 28, 12:40pm
Norwood Oval hosts a massive final round clash as the Pies travel interstate for the first time this season to take on the Crows. There are massive finals implications on this battle of second vs third, with the winner to finish second and secure a home preliminary final. Ebony Marinoff’s 24 disposals led Adelaide to a 56 point win over the Western Bulldogs last week, whilst Collingwood got back on the winners list with a dominant 46 point win over St Kilda. Two of the best midfields face off in this clash with the Pies Brianna Davey (23 disposals), Britt Bonnici (29 disposals) and Jaimee Lambert (21 disposals) all having big games last week. Whilst Ebony Marinoff, Anne Hatchard and Erin Phillips were all influential last week. The conflicting styles of the two sides make for an interesting spectacle. The Pies are a handball heavy side, so if the Crows can bring the pressure around the contest, they can create scoring opportunities off turnovers. The home ground advantage will be massive in this clash, Adelaide are tough to beat at Norwood Oval and with the Pies not having to travel interstate so far this season, they could be in for a shock. Expect the Crows to secure a top two spot in front of their home crowd.
GWS Giants vs Carlton
Sunday March 28, 4:10pm
After starting the season as premiership favourites the Blues will need a lot to go their way to sneak into the finals. First they need Fremantle to defeat North Melbourne by a big margin, then they need to defeat GWS by a big margin. The 19.2% percentage that Cartlon needs to make up is going to be tough. The Blues lifted their percentage by 19.3% after a 60 point win last week against the winless Suns. Alyce Parker was best on ground in the Giants seven point win over Geelong last week, picking up 25 disposals, however the Giants would’ve been disappointed with their lacklustre performance. With percentage a major factor, expect the Blues to play all out attacking football to give themselves an opportunity to make the top six. Tayla Harris and Darcy Vescio will be targeted inside fifty for the Blues given their excellent output last week.With the way Carlton’s forward line played last week, it’s hard to see the Giants keeping up with the Blues. Giants defence has been solid this season, however the Blues should be able to break the shackles and put together a winning score. It won’t be enough to make the finals, but it will be enough to end their season with a win.
West Coast Eagles vs St Kilda
Sunday March 28, 6:10pm
The home & away season concludes with an intriguing battle between two sides who won’t be featuring in the finals series this season. Both sides have a 2-6 record in season 2021, the Saints started 2-2 but have lost five straight. Whilst the Eagles started 0-4, but have won two of their last five games. The young St Kilda side has shown glimpses that would have supporters excited, With Georgia Patrikios firmly establishing herself as a genuine star of the competition in just her second season. The Eagles have made improvements under Daniel Pratt in his first season, with West Coast beginning to establish a defensive identity that could become the backbone of this side in years to come. While the Saints haven’t won outside of Victoria this season, this will be a great opportunity for their development to travel out west and test themselves. Caitlin Greiser's height looms as a massive problem for the Eagles backline, and it's hard to see them keeping her quiet. They have West Coast covered for attacking options, and if they can get the game into a free flowing open spectacle, they will be confident they can run the Eagles off their feet. The Saints will finish their year on a high with an upset win in the west.
