Courtney Cramey: All eyes on AFLW’s new conference system as season heats up

It’s early days, but there already appears to be a gap between the strength in the two conferences in this year’s revamped AFLW competition. Crows columnist Courtney Cramey expects it will be an interesting discussion point as the season builds to finals.

Stevie-Lee Thompson of the Crows celebrates a goal. Picture: Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images

• Crows find the goals on way to first win

It was the first of the total crossover games in the new conference system in Round Two of AFLW.

There’s been a lot of talk about how the conference system would work following two new teams entering the competition this year and players’ anticipation that with growth more games will come, but the seven-round home-and-away season followed by a preliminary final and the grand final, makes the conference system all that more interesting.

Crows players sing the team song after beating Carlton. Picture: Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images

We got our first win on the board against Carlton at Ikon Park on Sunday in what was a close, contested, high-scoring game, 7.2 (44) to 9.3 (57). It was the Stevie-Lee Thompson show and the goals kept coming for her, particularly in the third term when she slotted two.

That was important after we had a scoreless second term, where Carlton gained ascendancy on the outside with their quick ball movement.

Off the back of last week’s 12 scoring shots that consisted of only one goal, it was another 12 opportunities in front of the big sticks this week, with a much better conversion rate.

Stevie-Lee Thompson booted four goals for the Crows. Picture: Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images

Stevie-Lee kicked four goals, Eloise Jones, two, and one each to J. Foley, Phillips and Perkins — showing an even contribution. It was a game of momentum swings with Carlton leading by 17 points at one stage in the third quarter, but we came away eventual winners by 13 points.

It was somewhat of a contrast from the other games played throughout the weekend, with some convincing wins, the highest margin coming in the West with Fremantle dominating last year’s runners up Brisbane.

So after Round Two, what has become evident is that Conference A consisting of North, Western Bulldogs, Fremantle, Melbourne and the Crows looks to be the stronger of the two, having accumulated eight wins between all of us over rounds one and two, compared to Conference B, made up of Brisbane, Geelong, GWS, Collingwood and Carlton who have only racked up two wins between them.

What does this mean?

It will mean as the season goes on it will continue to get interesting to see the finals make up and how the conference system plays out, especially given the first two rounds.

What we know is, we have to keep the goals and the wins coming to ensure the football gods are with us.

We will recover this week off the back of a good win and look forward to a blockbuster crowd at Norwood Oval on Sunday at 2.05pm, as we take on Geelong.