AFLW 2022: Covid outbreak in forces more fixture changes, Round 4 teams and tips

A Covid-19 outbreak among the West Coast Eagles playing group has forced the league to call off another fixture. Plus, see the final Round 4 teams.

The AFL has cancelled a second West Coast AFLW game within a week after a Covid-19 outbreak among the playing group.

The league called off Friday’s match between the Eagles and St Kilda as well as next Tuesday night’s clash between West Coast and Collingwood.

The Pies-Eagles game had been brought forward while the Perth side was on an extended Victorian road trip but will revert back to Round 6.

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE AFLW TEAMS FOR SUNDAY

“The league received a request from the West Coast Eagles which detailed multiple players from their program were currently in AFL Health and Safety Protocols,” the AFL’s competition boss Laura Kane said.

“Working alongside the club today, it has been determined the Club would not be able to participate in a match as early as next Tuesday, February 1.”

AFLW side’s need a minimum of 16 fit players from their list as well as five train-on players for a match to go ahead.

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A number of West Coast Eagles were forced into self-isolation following the January 22 match against the Adelaide Crows. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

The Eagles released a statement earlier this week, saying a number of its AFLW staff and players were self-isolating under the competition’s Covid-19 protocols.

“In the days following the match against Adelaide some players and staff have been unwell,” the club said.

West Coast’s community and game development manager Richard O’Connell said players and staff were in good spirits.

“Collectively we are disappointed not to be able to take the field and show our supporters how hard we have been working to learn from our past games, but player/staff health and wellbeing remains our key priority,” he said.

“We thank St Kilda for their understanding regarding the postponement, and look forward to playing them when the AFL reschedule our match.”

The AFL’s competition boss Laura Kane said the league would work closely with West Coast and St Kilda to find a new date for the clash.

Both West Coast and Fremantle have been on extended road trips to Victoria while the Western Australian border remains closed.

“Together with the AFLPA, we have and will continue to work closely with teams impacted in Round Four and will confirm alternative arrangements for those teams as soon as they’re finalised,” Kane said.

ROUND FOUR: TEAMS AND TIPS

All times AEDT

SEE ALL THE ROUND 4 RESULTS AND ACTION HERE

SUNDAY

Carlton v North Melbourne

Ikon Park, 3.10pm

CARLTON

B: K.Harrington - C 9 V.Laloifi 8

HB: L.Brazzale 12 A.McKay 5 J.Dal Pos 2

C: D.Vescio 3 M.Prespakis 4 G.Gee 19

HF: N.Plane 32 P.Trudgeon 26 N.Stevens 21

F: D.Walker 23 C.Jones 22

Foll: B.Moody 16 E.O’Dea 46 L.McEvoy 13

I/C: C.Wilson 20 P.Schaap 35 K.Sherar 25 B.Vickers 24 B.Walker 7

Emerg: C.Hammans 17 M.Guerin 18

In: C.Wilson, P.Schaap

Out: A.Lee (Omitted), M.Guerin (Omitted)

NORTH MELBOURNE

B: J.Ferguson 20 S.Wright 17

HB: B.Brown 36 E.Kearney - C 9 A.Gilroy 8

C: K.Ashmore 10 M.King 23 I.Eddey 3

HF: S.Abbatangelo 1 A.O’Loughlin 6 J.Bruton 35

F: E.King 60 T.Randall 16

Foll: K.Rennie 26 J.Garner 25 A.Riddell 7

I/C: D.Bateman 11 E.Gavalas 22 N.Bresnehan 12 J.Duffin 27 D.Bannister 2

Emerg: A.Smith 15 T.Craven 5

In: S.Wright

Out: D.Hardiman (Managed)

Gold Coast v Richmond

Metricon Stadium, 4.10pm

GOLD COAST

B: J.Pregelj 42 L.Ahrens 7

HB: K.Howarth 23 H.Dunn - C 24 C.Hammond 29

C: D.D’Arcy 20 A.Drennan 33 S.Watson 14

HF: E.Keaney 30 K.Surman 26 C.Whitfort 4

F: T.Bohanna 12 S.Perkins 28

Foll: L.Bella 2 C.Rowbottom 8 J.Stanton 17

I/C: D.Heslop 25 L.Single 13 J.Yorston 5 A.Bush 19 J.Dupuy 27

Emerg: S.Danckert 9 B.Perry 16

In: C.Hammond, C.Whitfort, J.Yorston

Out: V.Saad (Managed), E.Hampson (Suspension), T.Groves-Little (Injured)

RICHMOND

B: R.Miller 15 B.Lynch 32

HB: K.Dempsey 19 J.Hosking 11 M.Shevlin 35

C: T.Lavey 37 S.Hosking 7 S.Molan 1

HF: C.Bernardi 6 E.Yassir 27 T.Stahl 24

F: K.Brennan - C 3 S.D’Arcy 12

Foll: G.Seymour 28 M.Brancatisano 5 M.Conti 4

I/C: S.Sansonetti 18 S.Dargan 17 M.Kiely 31 S.Reid 25 K.Jacques 10

Emerg: H.Burchell 9 M.Macdonald 38

In: T.Lavey, S.Sansonetti, S.Dargan

Out: H.Cordner (Injured), H.Burchell (Omitted), L.McClelland (Suspension)

TIPS

Chris Cavanagh 19

Fremantle 1

GWS Giants 6

St Kilda 1

Adelaide 6

Brisbane Lions 12

North Melbourne 12

Gold Coast 1

Collingwood 18

Fremantle 12

Last Week 6

Sarah Jones 18

Fremantle 4

Western Bulldogs 20

St Kilda 12

Melbourne 7

Brisbane Lions 3

North Melbourne 9

Richmond 15

Collingwood 3

Fremantle 4

Last Week 6

Kath Loughnan 18

Fremantle 10

Western Bulldogs 5

West Coast 4

Adelaide 6

Brisbane Lions 15

North Melbourne 11

Richmond 7

Collingwood 17

Fremantle 11

Last Week 6

Adelaide are once again looking as the team to beat. Getty Images

Liz Walsh 18

Fremantle 13

Western Bulldogs 2

St Kilda 12

Adelaide 3

Brisbane Lions 23

North Melbourne 15

Richmond 8

Collingwood 36

Fremantle 16

Last Week 6

Glenn McFarlane 17

Collingwood 17

Western Bulldogs 7

St Kilda 1

Adelaide 2

Brisbane Lions 15

North Melbourne 9

Richmond 11

Collingwood 20

Fremantle 3

Last Week 6

Chloe Molloy 17

Collingwood

GWS Giants

St Kilda

Adelaide

Brisbane Lions

North Melbourne

Richmond

Collingwood

Fremantle

Last Week 6

Mark Robinson 17

Collingwood 5

Western Bulldogs 15

St Kilda 2

Adelaide 8

Brisbane Lions 5

North Melbourne 12

Richmond 5

Collingwood 29

Fremantle 12

Last Week 5

GWS will enjoy heading home for the first time this season. Picture: Getty Images

Matt Turner 17

Collingwood 12

Western Bulldogs 14

St Kilda 3

Adelaide 15

Brisbane Lions 21

North Melbourne 2

Gold Coast 6

Collingwood 9

Fremantle 8

Last Week 5

Ebony Marinoff 16

Collingwood

GWS Giants

West Coast

Adelaide

Brisbane Lions

North Melbourne

Gold Coast

Collingwood

Fremantle

Last Week 6

Rebecca Williams 16

Collingwood 12

GWS Giants 8

West Coast 6

Adelaide 11

Brisbane Lions 14

North Melbourne 15

Richmond 13

Collingwood 10

Fremantle 8

Last Week 5

Lauren Wood 16

Collingwood 9

GWS Giants 11

St Kilda 10

Melbourne 16

Brisbane Lions 3

North Melbourne 19

Richmond 15

Collingwood 8

Fremantle 11

Last Week 5

The hardest hit by the health and saftery protocols, can the Dogs find some consistancy? Picture: Getty Images

Ellie Blackburn 15

Fremantle

Western Bulldogs

St Kilda

Adelaide

Brisbane Lions

North Melbourne

Richmond

Collingwood

Western Bulldogs

Last Week 6

Chloe Dalton 14

Fremantle

GWS Giants

St Kilda

Adelaide

Brisbane Lions

North Melbourne

Richmond

Collingwood

Fremantle

Last Week 5

Kate McCarthy 12

Fremantle

Western Bulldogs

St Kilda

Melbourne

Brisbane Lions

North Melbourne

Richmond

Collingwood

Fremantle

Last Week 4

Kiss of Death 1

Fremantle 13

GWS Giants 13

West Coast 13

Melbourne 13

Geelong 13

Carlton 13

Richmond 13

West Coast 13

Western Bulldogs 13

Last Week 0

LION TO RUN OUT IN HISTORIC CLUB FIRST

Inaugural Lions player Sharni Webb will run out as part of Brisbane’s AFLW squad on Tuesday for the first time in 674 days when she becomes the club’s first ever mother to play footy.

Webb last played in the AFLW in 2020 before taking the 2021 season off because of pregnancy, giving birth to her daughter Billie in June last year.

Now, the 30-year-old is set to run out for the Lions for the first time in two years after being named to play Carlton at Metricon Stadium on Tuesday, to become the first mum to play for the club.

Sharni Webb will return to the field seven and a half months after giving birth to Billie. Picture: Richard Walker

Webb in full flight during the 2020 AFLW season. Picture: Natasha Morello

The versatile Lion admitted it had been “challenging” to return to footy after giving birth but had sought advice from other mothers in sport, such as Melbourne star Daisy Pearce, North Melbourne’s Jess Duffin and Queensland Firebird Gretel Tippet.

Webb said she was motivated by the challenge of returning to footy after becoming a mother.

“When I was away from (footy) being pregnant, I was probably this close to saying I was going to retire,” Webb said.

“When you’re taken away from something that’s a big part of your identity, I realised I wasn’t ready to quit just yet.

“I’ve got plenty of years to keep playing if my body allows me to.

“Footy is a big part of my life and I still want to play, so my baby isn’t going to stop that.”

It was three month’s post-birth before Webb was able to return to running and she also had to undergo a series of tests, such as jumping and running on the spot, before she could return to the field.

Webb will become the first Brisbane Lion’s first ever mother to play in the AFLW. Picture: Richard Walker

She said only minor hiccups hampered her return, including a hamstring concern during the pre-season which she has fully recovered from.

Now, all the hard work has paid off after being named as part of Brisbane best 21 for Tuesday’s Round 3 clash against Carlton.

“Getting my name read out by (coach Craig Starcevich) the other day was just like ‘it’s here and it’s happening’,” she said.

“I kind of felt like a debutant again even though I played the first four years and didn’t miss a game.

“It’s super exciting to put (the jumper) back on a contribute like I used to, or hopefully even better.”

Originally published as AFLW 2022: Covid outbreak in forces more fixture changes, Round 4 teams and tips