Top of the table AFLW clash: Adelaide Crows host Brisbane Lions to determine ladder leader
IT’S the top of the table clash that no one saw coming. But after Adelaide takes on Brisbane on Saturday, only one team will remain undefeated.
IT’S the top of the table clash that no one saw coming.
But after Adelaide takes on Brisbane on Saturday, only one team will remain undefeated.
Bragging rights are on the line. So, too, is the potential for a home grand final.
We preview the battle between the undisputed AFLW queens, the Crows and the Lions.
MIGHTY MARQUEES
The performances of marquee players have left an indelible mark on the competition.
Put simply, perform well and their team has generally won.
Unlike a plethora of teams, Adelaide and Brisbane have had the luxury of fit and firing marquees — although Crow Kellie Gibson played minimal game time against Carlton after she rolled her ankle.
At the Lions, Taylah Harris and Sabrina Frederick-Traub have been unshakable twin towers in attack.
They lead the competition for contested marks, with Harris taking 2.8 on average per match, and Frederick Traub 1.8.
With AFLW players having a tendency to kick higher than their AFL counterparts in order to attain distance, the Brisbane marquees’ ability to take pack marks has stood out.
At 178cm and 182cm respectively, Harris and Frederick-Traub are forces to be reckoned with.
And when coupled with their courage and ferocity, they’re almost unstoppable when they get their eyes on the footy.
At the Crows, the performances of Gibson and Chelsea Randall have also stood out, although they’ve perhaps been overshadowed by basketball convert Erin Phillips. More on her later.
Gibson kicked one of the goals of the season in Adelaide’s opener against GWS, a booming running goal from 50m. Her pace has been symptomatic of the Crows’ speedy ball use.
Randall, one of the most dynamic players in the competition, has influenced through her ability to run and carry.
She averages the fifth most metres gained of any player in the AFLW, as well as the fourth most inside 50s per game.
Randall can play in any position — and play it well. She has and will continue to be invaluable for the Crows.
STAR POWER
After four rounds of AFLW, few would be surprised to learn Champion Data rates Melbourne superstar Daisy Pearce as the most influential player in the competition.
But the player trailing her may comes as a surprise, particularly given she hasn’t played footy for over a decade.
Erin Phillips has the Midas touch.
The Adelaide co-captain is as tall as any key position player, but has the agility, fitness and speed to play on the ball, as well.
She has the second most contested possessions and score assists of any player, as well as the third most clearances and third most goals so far this season.
Yet it’s not just the stats that stand out.
Phillips’ ability to perform under pressure has defined her fledgling AFLW career.
Trailing against Fremantle last weekend, she made something out of nothing and kicked the Crows’ first goal. Against Carlton she kicked a magical 55m-winning bomb.
The effect that Phillips has had at the Crows has been magnanimous — she’s like a third marquee player.
Only Emma Kearney at the Western Bulldogs can lay claim to having the same profound impact without the marquee tag. But the Bulldogs have only won one match.
COLLECTIVE EFFORT
Brisbane has been somewhat of an anomaly so far this season.
Apart from Harris and Frederick-Traub dominating contested marks, no Lions player features in any of Champion Data’s leading statistics for players.
While the likes of Daisy Pearce and Brianna Davey rack up 20 plus possessions weekly, no Brisbane player has amassed more than 13 touches in any match.
Instead, it has been an even spread across the board that has delivered four from four wins.
The spread not only makes it harder for opposition teams to clamp down on particular players, but ensures the Lions aren’t solely reliant on their marquee players to perform.
The best analogy could be the Western Bulldogs in 2016.
Luke Beveridge had up to 12 players that could rotate through the guts so that even if a star was injured or having an off day the game plan was unaffected.
THE COACHES
So far, neither Adelaide coach Bec Goddard nor Brisbane coach Craig Starcevich has put a foot wrong.
They’ve defied preseason expectations and are ultimately in the box seat to play off for the inaugural AFLW premiership.
A healthy relationship between both coaches and their players have underpinned their respective successes.
Goddard is deeply loved and respected by her playing group, while Starcevich’s long-term role in women’s footy has allowed him to develop a sound understanding of what makes his group of girls tick.
Brisbane and Adelaide both rely on quick ball movement so expect that to be a feature this weekend.
Kate McCarthy and Kaitlyn Ashmore’s explosive pace has set up a plethora of goals for the Lions, while Gibson has had the same effect for the Crows.
Brisbane has conceded seven fewer points than the Crows, but Adelaide has kicked 19 more points than the Lions.
The slimmest of margins separate the pair.
WHAT BOTH TEAMS HAVE SAID
“We really want to focus on how we play our game. We don’t want to focus too much on shutting key players down because I think if we play our natural game of footy, they’re the ones who are going to have to really focus on shutting us down.” Brisbane captain Emma Zielke on Fox Footy’s AFL Tonight
“Top of the table clash. You want to win this one to get some separation. It’s obviously going to be a tough contest on Saturday night, but I know the girls are feeling really confident.” - Adelaide co-captain Erin Phillips on Fox Footy’s AFL Tonight
Originally published as Top of the table AFLW clash: Adelaide Crows host Brisbane Lions to determine ladder leader
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