Round one of the NAB AFL Women’s season has been run and won.
For the GIANTS, round two and Friday night’s game presents them with the opportunity to make up for their mistakes that cost them a win against Melbourne last Saturday.
The GIANTS will also get their chance to show their home crowd at Drummoyne Oval their vast improvement on the inaugural season.
Pre-season expectations had the GIANTS potted as back-to-back wooden spooners, but their near defeat of premiership fancies Melbourne has raised eyebrows across the footballing landscape.
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Carlton will have to face a fired-up GIANTS outfit baying for blood. The positive for the Blues is that they have started their season in a positive fashion, beating Collingwood by eight points in front of nearly 20,000 people at Ikon Park.
A lot was made of key recruit Tayla Harris’ performance in the Blues’ win, as the former Lion kicked a goal and took five marks.
All eyes won’t just be on Harris this Friday though, as the GIANTS’ Phoebe McWilliams sits as the equal leading goalkicker of the competition after bagging a GIANTS-record three goals against the Demons.
In fact, the Blues will need to be on their toes and will be hoping their own forward line will fire in round two. Last year’s competition leading goalkicker Darcy Vescio had just seven touches and didn’t trouble the scorers.
On the other hand, McWilliams’ three goals were complemented by Jacinda Barclay’s two and Cora Staunton’s one.
Carlton will need to keen an eye on GIANTS All Australian and reigning Gabrielle Trainor Medallist Jess Dal Pos who, after collecting just four disposals against the Demons, will be desperate to make an impression in 2018.
The Blues will also go into the game without coach Damien Keeping due to illness.
WHEN AND WHERE: Drummoyne Oval, Friday, February 9, 7.05pm AEDT
TV AND RADIO: Click Here
Last Time They Met: Round 2, Saturday February 11, 2017 at Ikon Park, Melbourne.
Carlton: 7.5 (57)
GIANTS: 5.4 (34)
Goals
Carlton: Vescio 2; Audley, Brazzale, Downie, Jakobsson, Pound 1.
GIANTS: Barclay, Dal Pos, McWilliams, Schmidt, Wallett 1.
The Five Points:
1. This will be the first AFL Women’s game at Drummoyne Oval. Most of the GIANTS and nearly all of Carlton’s players won’t have set foot on the ground before.
2. There has long been hype around Carlton’s All Australian Tayla Harris, however the 20-year-old has only kicked five goals in nine games. The GIANTS’ Phoebe McWilliams, who plays a similar lead up role to Harris, has flown under the radar. McWilliams Averages just 1.5 less marks per game but has kicked 10 goals in her eight matches.
3. GIANTS coach Alan McConnell will be involved in his 50th game as an VFL/AFL/AFLW Player coach. In fact last Saturday saw McConnell become the first person to coach at both AFL and AFLW level.
4. GIANTS forward Rebecca Privitelli will take on her former club for the first time. Privitelli played five times for the Blues in 2017 – and collected 11 disposals in their clash with the GIANTS - before making the switch to the GIANTS during the NAB AFLW Trade Period.
5. The GIANTS’ six point loss last Saturday was their smallest losing margin in AFLW history. Their 13-point loss to Carlton in the corresponding fixture last year was their previous smallest losing margin.
