AFLW finals news: Ultimate preview of Richmond vs North Melbourne, Adelaide vs Collingwood semi-finals

Collingwood has made its call on whether to name two important players who have been under injury clouds ahead of AFLW semi-final weekend. Plus, our ultimate preview of both games.

Isabel Dawes of the Lions is tackled during the 2022 S7 AFLW First Qualifying Final match between the Brisbane Lions and the Richmond Tigers at Metricon Stadium. Picture: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images

There is no next week for the losers of this week’s AFLW semi-finals.

The winners will keep their premiership dream alive and progress to preliminary finals against Melbourne and the Brisbane Lions.

Here is where two massive matches will be won and lost.

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE FULL TEAMS AND TIPS FOR THE AFLW SEMI-FINALS

FIRST SEMI-FINAL: RICHMOND v NORTH MELBOURNE

Punt Road Oval, Saturday, 1.40pm

KEY MATCH UP

Meg Macdonald v Jasmine Garner

The pair faced off less than a fortnight ago and it was a true ding-dong battle – the game’s most valuable player as voted by the coaches in Garner taking on key stopper Macdonald, who has become a vital asset for the Tigers. The Mornington Peninsula product got the scalp last time, keeping Garner to a season-low 13 disposals, and could well be tasked with taking on the Roo yet again. Roos coach Darren Crocker has forecast more protection for Garner, but it’ll be a contest to watch.

GAME BREAKER

Monique Conti

The Richmond midfielder – who finished second behind semi-final foe Garner in this year’s coaches’ champion player of the year award – just continues to stun with her dominance. She has averaged almost 22 disposals per game this season and landed nine tackles against the Roos a couple of weeks ago. Just a total weapon.

Monique Conti has been unstoppable at times this season. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

WHO WINS AND WHY

Richmond by4 points

It’s been a huge few months for the Tigers as they charged into their first finals campaign, and they are determined not to go out in straight sets. They fought hard to play this game at Punt Road Oval and would want to make it count given the ticketing saga amid the push for a home ground advantage. The Kangaroos have a stellar record at the ground which will give them a boost, but Courtney Wakefield up forward and the revelation that has been Eilish Sheerin up the other end have been prime bookends who are ready to fire.

BY THE NUMBERS

HEAD TO HEAD

Richmond 0, North Melbourne 3, Draw 1

THIS SEASON

Round 10: North Melbourne 3.9 (27) drew Richmond 4.3 (27)

FINALS RECORDS

Richmond 0-1, North Melbourne 2-2

KEY NUMBERS

RICHMOND – 2800

The number of people that fit into Punt Road Oval, where scheduling has been the talk of the week. Can the Tigers prove their wish for a home ground final was worth it?

NORTH MELBOURNE – 4

The number of seasons this Kangaroos outfit has played finals. They’re hardened.

SECOND SEMI-FINAL: ADELAIDE V COLLINGWOOD

Unley Oval, Saturday, 3.10pm

KEY MATCH-UP

Ebony Marinoff v Jamiee Lambert

Two of the best midfielders in the league will go head-to-head at Unley Oval.

Collingwood likes to throw the magnets around in its midfield, but Lambert is the Pies’ best and faces a big challenge against Marinoff.

She is one of the best accumulators in the competition, and the Crows will be looking for Marinoff to bounce back after a quiet night by her standards against Melbourne – she still had 17 disposals though.

Lambert is nowhere near as prolific as Marinoff is on a regular basis, but she doesn’t need a heap of the ball to influence matches.

Whoever can win the midfield battle between the two can go a long way to helping their team get on the front foot and set up their chances for a win in the do-or-die match.

GAME BREAKER

Anne Hatchard

Given Marinoff’s season so far, she should get some attention from the Pies. That means Hatchard could run riot.

On home turf, where she does her best work, Hatchard is a player that seems to be built for finals football. She can break the lines, as well as being a contested beast – which she lifts to another level in finals footy.

Given that some of the Crows star power was lost to rivals Port Adelaide last off-season, Hatchard’s importance to Matthew Clarke’s side has only grown this season.

And Clarke will be looking for his star midfielder to again step up to keep the Crows’ season alive for at least another week.

Jaimee Lambert is a prime mover for Collingwood. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

WHO WINS AND WHY

Adelaide by 4 points

The last two games between the Crows and Pies have been decided by less than a goal and with so much on the line this could be another tight one.

But Adelaide’s home ground advantage and finals experience in recent years should be able to get them across the line and set up a prelim against the Lions.

BY THE NUMBERS

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD

Adelaide 4, Collingwood 1

THIS SEASON

Have not met

FINALS RECORDS

Adelaide 6-2, Collingwood 2-3

KEY NUMBERS

ADELAIDE – 2484

Adelaide has had the third-highest amount of disposals (2484) and kicked the third most goals this season (61).

COLLINGWOOD – 844

Collingwood ranks fourth in marks this season.

Ruby Schleicher after injuring her knee last weekend. Picture: Michael Klein.

AFLW SEMI-FINAL TEAMS

Richmond v North Melbourne at the Swinburne Centre, 1.40pm AEDT

RICHMOND

B: L.McClelland 16 L.Graham 18

HB: M.Shevlin 35 K.Cox 17 R.Miller 15

C: K.Dempsey 19 E.Sheerin 31 J.Hosking 11

HF: E.McKenzie 22 G.Egan 2 E.Yassir 27

F: C.Wakefield 8 K.Brennan – C 3

Foll: G.Seymour 28 M.Conti 4 S.Hosking 7

I/C: B.Lynch 20 P.Kelly 14 M.Macdonald 38 S.Reid 25 T.Lavey 37

Emerg: K.Jacques 10 M.Kiely 13 S.D’Arcy 12

In: S.Hosking

Out: M.Brancatisano (omitted)

NORTH MELBOURNE

B: S.Wright 17 J.Ferguson 20

HB: B.Brown 36 E.Kearney – C 9 N.Bresnehan 12

C: A.Smith 15 J.Garner 25 T.Craven 5

HF: V.Wall 13 T.Randall 16 I.Eddey 3

F: E.King 60 E.Gavalas 22

Foll: K.Rennie 26 J.Bruton 35 A.Riddell 7

I/C: H.Bowey 18 M.King 23 T.Gatt 8 A.O’Loughlin 6 S.Abbatangelo 1

Emerg: Z.Savarirayan 4 D.Hardiman 31 S.McCarthy 21

In: Nil

Out: Nil

Adelaide v Collingwood at Unley Oval, 3.10pm ACDT

ADELAIDE

B: B.Tonon 28 Z.Prowse 4

HB: C.Biddell 12 S.Allan – C 39 N.Allen 8

C: E.Jones 2 A.Hatchard 33 S.Thompson 14

HF: R.Martin 5 D.Ponter 15 N.Kelly 23

F: A.Woodland 24 L.Whiteley 22

Foll: C.Gould 1 E.Marinoff 10 T.Charlton 25

I/C: K.Mueller 13 M.Rajcic 32 M.Newman 17 A.Ballard 27 H.Munyard 20

Emerg: M.McKinnon 21 H.Button 6 K.Kustermann 7

In: B.Tonon, L.Whiteley, M.Rajcic

Out: C.Randall (injured), H.Button (omitted), M.McKinnon (omitted)

COLLINGWOOD

B: L.Brazzale 24 S.Livingstone 12

HB: S.Casey 22 L.Butler 23 J.Allen 6

C: S.Rowe 7 A.Sheridan 14 S.Chiocci – C 17

HF: E.James 20 C.Molloy 2 A.Brazill 10

F: S.Frederick 1 A.Moloney 40

Foll: I.Barnett 4 J.Lambert 13 R.Schleicher 18

I/C: E.Fowler 15 J.Lin 35 M.Cann 25 S.Sansonetti 16 C.Taylor 11

Emerg: E.Smith 33 I.Evans 5 A.Porter 9

In: E.Fowler, C.Taylor

Out: T.Brown (illness), A.Downie (omitted)

AFLW SEMI-FINAL TIPS

Mark Robinson 77

Richmond 2

Adelaide 3

Last Week 4

Glenn McFarlane 76

North Melbourne 5

Adelaide 12

Last Week 3

Matt Turner 75

Richmond 8

Adelaide 15

Last Week 3

Chris Cavanagh 74

Richmond 1

Adelaide 1

Last Week 2

Liz Walsh 74

North Melbourne 6

Adelaide 6

Last Week 3

Rebecca Williams 74

Richmond 6

Collingwood 4

Last Week 3

Lauren Wood 74

Richmond 4

Adelaide 11

Last Week 3

Ellie Blackburn 72

North Melbourne

Adelaide

Last Week 2

Sarah Jones 72

North Melbourne 10

Adelaide 15

Last Week 3

Ebony Marinoff 70

North Melbourne

Adelaide

Last Week 0

Kate McCarthy 69

North Melbourne

Adelaide

Last Week 3

Chloe Molloy 68

Richmond

Collingwood

Last Week 3

Aliesha Newman 63

Richmond

Adelaide

Last Week 3

Gemma Houghton 61

Richmond

Collingwood

Last Week 3

Kiss of Death 18

Richmond

Collingwood

Last Week 1

Originally published as AFLW finals news: Ultimate preview of Richmond vs North Melbourne, Adelaide vs Collingwood semi-finals