Finals fixture revealed as Crows claim spot at expense of Dockers, Saints stumble and Lions dodge Roos

Three games will be played at Ikon Park – formerly Carlton’s Princes Park – next week when the AFLW moves into finals mode.

The finals will kick off on Friday night when undefeated North Melbourne take on Hawthorn under lights, both teams vying for fast passage through to a preliminary final.

The same prize will be on offer at the same venue when Melbourne play the Brisbane Lions – the 2023 premier and last year’s runner-up – in the early game on Sunday.

The elimination finals will feature Carlton and the West Coast Eagles on Saturday afternoon, and Adelaide and St Kilda in the final match on Sunday.

The Crows snuck into the finals with a tense win over Fremantle in the final match of the home and away season, and will host their final at Norwood Oval.

Adelaide have hung on for a thrilling 12-point win over Fremantle that secured their AFLW finals spot and ended the Dockers’ season.

In wet conditions at Norwood Oval in Adelaide, the Crows shrugged off a spirited Fremantle challenge to prevail 4.5 (29) to 2.5 (17).

Superstar Anne Hatchard kicked the winning goal in the low-scoring contest, hanging on to a contested mark and slotting the shot with seven minutes remaining in her 100th game.

Anne Hatchard is mobbed after kicking the sealer for the Crows in her 100th game.Credit: AFL Photos

The result sets up a home elimination final next week for Adelaide, when the Crows, the AFLW’s most successful club with three premierships, host seventh-placed St Kilda.

If Fremantle won on Sunday they would have finished inside the top eight and denied Adelaide from playing finals for the first time since the COVID-affected 2020 season.

“It’s been a super overwhelming week,” Hatchard told Fox Footy of her 100th game.

“The love and support that I’ve been getting has just been amazing.

“Absolutely thrilled to get the win with the girls.

“You look back to those three premierships, and there’s so many great times.

“But honestly, it’s been a roller-coaster, and it’s really built me to who I am today, so it’s been an amazing journey.”

The Dockers will be ruing not taking advantage of dominance in the opening quarter when they were regularly kicking the ball inside-50 but only led by one point.

The Crows booked a finals berth with their win.Credit: AFL Photos

Fremantle only briefly reclaimed the lead in the third term, as Adelaide’s big-game experience was telling.

Forward Grace Kelly was important with two of Adelaide’s four goals, but did hobble off the ground in the last quarter.

Crows star Ebony Marinoff was typically influential with 26 disposals, while former Western Bulldogs gun Gabby Newton was the Dockers’ best.

It is dual premiership coach Matthew Clarke’s final season in charge and the Crows are determined to go as deep as possible in the finals.

“We’re going in as a bit of an underdog, so I love that feeling,” Hatchard said.
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Injury-hit St Kilda have blown an opportunity to secure an AFLW home final, suffering a heavy 45-point upset defeat to the Western Bulldogs.

Other results this weekend meant the Saints’ spot in the top-eight was already safe entering Sunday’s match at RSEA Park.

But the 10.12 (72) to 4.3 (27) loss, in hot conditions, means their maiden AFLW final could be held in Adelaide instead of Melbourne.

If the Crows beat Fremantle later on Sunday then Adelaide will leapfrog the Saints into sixth and set up an elimination final showdown.

The Bulldogs celebrate as St Kilda rue an opportunity wasted.Credit: AFL Photos

St Kilda will be relying on the Dockers to beat Adelaide by a small margin to lock in a home final.

The Saints’ day grew even worse when they lost star veteran Jaimee Lambert to a suspected calf injury at the start of the final quarter.

St Kilda have already been badly hit by injuries this season, with eight players currently sidelined, including Nicola Barr, Nicola Xenos and Bianca Jakobsson.

After a tight opening term, the Bulldogs gradually pulled away in the second and third quarters to stun the strong pro-Saints crowd.

The Bulldogs blitzed St Kilda out of the middle, winning clearances 31-14 to create a huge inside-50m advantage.

It was a genuine team performance from the Bulldogs, but Emma McDonald was outstanding up forward with two goals.

Captain De Berry, who was dropped earlier in the season, was able to join the party in the last quarter with two goals.

J’Noemi Anderson (two goals) was a constant threat up forward for St Kilda, while Serene Watson found plenty of ball.

The Bulldogs finish the season 12th with a 5-7 record and starting to show significant promise for the future.

It was their equal highest score of the season.

“It is great for us to finish like that,” Bulldogs star Ellie Blackburn told Seven.

“It is an improvement on last season, and we know where we are at.

“We are realists and we think it’s a good building block for us.

“So it fills us with confidence moving forward.“
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Brisbane Lions have avoided an AFLW qualifying final against undefeated North Melbourne and will instead play Melbourne after sealing third place with an 20-point win over Collingwood.

With their 6.16 (52) to 5.2 (32) victory at Victoria Park on Sunday, the Lions leapfrogged Hawthorn into third place, meaning the Hawks – who lost to North on Friday night – will face them again next week.

Tempers flared on the final siren of Sunday’s game after Collingwood’s Jordyn Allen knocked over Lion Ruby Svarc, but Svarc’s teammate Belle Dawes dismissed the dust-up as “just a little bit of push and shove”.

Collingwood’s Jordyn Allen clashes with Brisbane Lions’ Dakota Davidson after the final siren of Sunday’s match.Credit: AFL Photos

On a seven-game winning run after losing two of their opening three games, the Lions beat Melbourne at home by nine points last week and will take confidence heading into next week.

“Really good home and away season – didn’t start the way we wanted but feels like finished the way we wanted with a few good wins,” midfielder Dawes told Seven.

“We didn’t have a lot of belief from other people and people always write us off, but I think we feed off that, and over the last few weeks, the belief’s strong.”

Teammate Orla O’Dwyer added: “What really makes a difference is we’ve played together for so long, so we knew we’d come right.”

In Shannon Campbell’s 100th AFLW game, Craig Starcevich’s side were dominant all day, with only poor goal-kicking and delivery inside 50m letting them down.

The Magpies suffered a pre-game setback with Brit Bonnici (ankle) ruled out of the match, while youngster Lucy Cronin was in tears after a potentially serious left knee injury in the third quarter.

Ruck Tahlia Hickie (20 hitouts, 20 disposals, four clearances) had plenty of the ball and gave first use to the Lions’ midfield.

Sophie Conway (19 disposals), Ally Anderson (26 disposals, six clearances), Charlotte Mullins (26 disposals), Dawes (23 disposals, six clearances) and Orla O’Dwyer (21 disposals) were all influential.

In her 75th game, Irishwoman Sarah Rowe (20 disposals) was Collingwood’s best, with support from Airlie Runnalls (20 disposals) and Tarni White (10 intercept possessions).
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When Sarah Rowe arrived in Australia in 2018, she didn’t know a single person in the country.

Born in Ballina, in Ireland’s County Mayo, Rowe played Gaelic football before signing a short-term contract with Collingwood and flying 17,250 kilometres from her home to a new country to play AFLW.

“I remember being a bit of a deer in headlights,” Rowe told this masthead. “It was the biggest world ever, Australia was a huge country and Melbourne was a huge city.”

Today, Collingwood will face the Brisbane Lions at Victoria Park and Rowe will celebrate her 75th game, joining Lion Orla O’Dwyer (who has played 78) as the first Irish players to reach the milestone in AFLW.

Milestone Irish: Collingwood’s Sarah Rowe and Brisbane’s Orla O’Dwyer.Credit: Joe Armao

Eight years on, Rowe – who has also played A-league soccer – says Melbourne doesn’t feel as intimidating as it once did.

“In Ireland, we don’t celebrate milestones at all, so it never feels like these are significant events at home,” she said.

“But obviously, seeing girls reach their 100th game this year, being an Irish player and reaching a big milestone is special and makes me realise how much time and how much of my life I’ve dedicated to being over in Australia.”

Over the past few years, Irish talent has flourished across the AFLW, as more Gaelic players consider a professional career in Australia. In the league’s inaugural season, there was only one Irish player. In 2025, there’s 39.

O’Dwyer was the first Irishwoman to sign with the Lions and debuted for the club in 2020. The midfielder was born in Sydney and spent the first year of her life in Australia before travelling back to her parents’ homeland in Ireland.

However, Australia was always on her mind. The midfielder recalls drawing the Sydney Harbour Bridge for school assignments, attempting to bake Anzac biscuits, and religiously watching Home and Away.

“I used to love all the animals and loved Steve Irwin,” she laughs. “It was a full circle because then I ended up living there.”

The former Gaelic footballer has loved watching the evolution of the Irish players’ influence on AFLW in Australia, and also back home.

“Back home in Ireland, they show a few games every weekend, and you can Google any of the players now, and you’ll get to see highlights,” she said. “So the game is getting more exposure.”

However, Rowe was also candid about the impact on the Irish domestic competition, as more players move to Australia for better pay and a professional career.

“Younger girls are aspiring to be AFLW players versus Gaelic players,” she said. “It’s difficult for the game at home, obviously, but it’s credit to the AFLW and what they’re doing to create an environment that people want to come over [for].”

The physical distance between herself and her family is also something that lingers on Rowe’s mind. The now 30-year-old has loved every part of her AFLW career, but spoke of the difficulty of missing important family milestones back home.

“There’s probably a part of me that feels guilty being so far away from home,” she said. “I’ve given so much to sport, and sometimes you wonder at the cost of what ... you miss weddings, kids growing up, really big events in your family’s life, and it’s time I can’t get back. But at the same time, sport is time you can’t get back, either.

“So it’s a hard one, though it’s definitely a double-edged sword, and I’ve probably come to terms with how to deal with that.”

Both Rowe and O’Dwyer have flourished in the AFLW and have adjusted to life in Australia, but the occasional Aussie slang saying or piece of footy jargon does trip them up.

“In my team meetings, I used to think I needed a dictionary,” Rowe joked. “They kept telling me to put the ball through the corridor ... what does that even mean?”

Melbourne secured second spot on the AFLW table and ruined the farewell for a trio of Geelong veterans with a 14-point win over the Cats at GMBHA Stadium on Saturday night.

Geelong entered Saturday night’s match desperate to send off retiring stalwarts Kate Darby, Meghan McDonald and Shelley Scott with a win.

Instead, a four-goal haul to Eden Zanker – including two in a flash during Melbourne’s third-quarter surge – led the Demons to the 9.5 (59) to 6.9 (45) win.

The result guarantees Melbourne (9-3) second spot and two home finals, with their opponents for week one to be either Hawthorn or Brisbane.

But the Demons could be without star forward Kate Hore for the start of the finals after she copped a late knock to the head, with a concussion test to determine her fate.

Geelong finished their season with a 5-7 record.

Melbourne midfielder Tyla Hanks was crucial in Melbourne’s five-goal third-quarter blitz and finished with 27 disposals, six clearances, one goal and 519 metres gained.

Zanker kicked 4.0 from 13 disposals, to go with five marks.

“It’s definitely good to lock in some home finals. We haven’t been great on the road this season,” Zanker told Seven.

Meg McDonald, Shelley Scott, and Kate Darby were chaired off the ground after their final game.Credit: AFL Photos

“Last week against the Lions (in a nine-point loss) we got a bit of a wake-up call in terms of that finals intensity.

“To reflect on that, and bring our best today for 80 minutes was really good. It will hold us in good stead.”

Georgie Prespakis (32 disposals, 10 tackles, eight clearances and 596m gained) and Mikayla Bowen (30 disposals, two goals) led the way for Geelong.

In emotional scenes, Darby, McDonald and Scott were chaired off through a guard of honour after the final siren.

Scott wasn’t able to play at all this season because of injury.

The first half was an even affair, with Melbourne kicking three goals to two to take a four-point edge into the long break.

Geelong snatched back the lead early in the third through Mikayla Bowen’s snap, but the Dees were back in front when Zanker took the ball out of the ruck and kicked the ball over her own shoulder for a memorable goal.

Zanker kicked her third goal a short time later when she outmuscled her opponent to take a strong mark in the goal square.

The 25-year-old was forced from the field a short time later with a bloodied nose, but it didn’t dampen Melbourne’s charge.

Hore ensured career goal No.99 was one to remember when she used the outside of her right boot to dribble through a ripper.

A goal to Tayla Harris after the three-quarter time siren extended Melbourne’s lead to 23 points, and they were able to close out the game in the final term.

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Daisy Pearce’s West Coast have reached the AFLW finals for the first time after Sydney blew their own chance in a shock three-point loss to struggling Essendon at Coffs Harbour.

The Swans simply needed to beat Essendon in Saturday’s match to seal a finals berth, and they started as the hottest of favourites against an injury-devastated Bombers side that had lost eight games on the trot.

Essendon’s Bailey Hunt celebrates with teammates.Credit: Getty Images

West Coast, who lost to Carlton on Friday night, needed Essendon to win to sneak in for a maiden finals spot. Eagles players gathered at Amy Franklin’s home to watch the game and hope for a miracle.

Lightning delayed the start of the match by 35 minutes, and when the clash finally got underway it was clear Essendon – missing eight first-choice players – had come to play.

The Bombers led 14-2 early in the final quarter when Sophie Alexander tumbled through a goal.

Sydney cut the margin back to three points with four minutes remaining when Zippy Fish registered their first goal of the match, setting up a grandstand finish. The Swans continued to pepper searching for the goal they needed to secure a finals berth, but Essendon were able to hold firm to secure the 2.2 (14) to 1.5 (11) win.

The result also kept Fremantle’s finals hopes alive, with the winner of Sunday’s Fremantle-Adelaide match at Norwood Oval to sneak in to the post-season.

“It feels pretty good. It’s obviously been a pretty tough few weeks,” Essendon’s Georgia Nanscawen said after tallying 20 disposals, 17 tackles and a game-saving mark in the dying seconds.

“Super proud of the group to get the win tonight. We had a lot to play for – a lot of pride on the line. Just incredibly proud of the group.”

Sydney finish their season with a 6-6 record and with thoughts of what could have been.

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Wooden spooners Gold Coast have finished off a difficult AFLW season by recording a thrilling 14-point win against Richmond at Ikon Park.

Trailing by five points at three-quarter-time, the Suns hit the lead with five minutes left for the first time since early in the third term thanks to a superb goal on the run from co-captain Niamh McLaughlin.

Gold Coast’s Lucy Single is tackled by Tiger Mackenzie Ford.Credit: AFL Photos

Richmond had two golden opportunities to reclaim the lead through Emelia Yassir and debutant Shelby Knoll, but they both missed.

The Suns were able to score another two quick goals from Darcie Davies and Havana Harris, ensuring they won 5.9 (39) to 3.7 (25).

Gold Coast finish the season 2-10 – the same record as Richmond and GWS, but their percentage means they finish 18th and last.

“Obviously delighted to get the win,” McLaughlin told Fox Footy. “A tough season for both teams.

“Last time we came here against Richmond, two years ago was very similar, so we knew that it was always going to be a very tough game and go right down to the wire like that.

“We worked hard for it, and in the end we probably deserved the win overall. Probably relief is the biggest thing. Just within the group we’ve fought very hard.

Charlie Rowbottom (32 disposals), Lucy Single (29) and McLaughlin (23) were outstanding for the Suns.

Reigning league best-and-fairest winner Mon Conti had one of her quieter games, gathering 20 possessions and failing to win a clearance.

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