Adelaide vs Brisbane
Saturday April 17, Adelaide Oval, 2:00pm
The two top teams in the competition face off in the season decider after tough wins in the Preliminary Final last week. Led by Ebony Marinoff (35 disposals) and Anne Hatchard (27 disposals), the Crows were convincing from start to finish in an 18 point win over Melbourne. Whilst the Lions held on in a thriller to beat Collingwood by four points, with Dakota Davidson leading the way with three goals.
These two sides are no strangers to the big stage. Adelaide have been the most successful club in the AFLW, winning premierships in 2017 and 2019, while the Lions were runners up in 2017 and 2018.
There is some movement on the selection front, as Adelaide are going to be without inspirational captain Chelsea Randall due to concussion protocols. The Lions however, will likely go in unchanged.
Both sides possess dominant midfields with the likes of Ebony Marinoff, Erin Phillips and Anne Hatchard facing off against Ally Anderson, Emily Bates, Isabel Dawes and Cathy Svarc. The battle of the league’s best tagger in Svarc taking on Crows star Ebony Marinoff, looks set to be the biggest factor in the game. Adelaide have the star power over the Lions in there, but if Svarc can limit Marinoff’s influence, the Lions can get on top in the middle.
Adelaide defeated the Lions by twelve points in round four, with Erin Phillips producing one of the greatest performances in AFLW history - picking up 21 disposals, 8 marks and 4 goals. Phillips was best on ground in the Crows 2017 triumph over the Lions, and Phillips was best on ground again in the Crows 2019 premiership, despite missing the final quarter with a knee injury. Phillips is the most accomplished player in the history of the AFLW, and you can guarantee she’ll rise to the occasion on Saturday afternoon.
Adelaide were plus 40 in disposals, plus 13 in inside 50’s, plus 9 in clearances and plus 6 in hitouts. The Crows were able to get a stranglehold in the middle of the ground, which allowed them to dominate the territory in the game.
This is going to be a cracker encounter, there isn’t much separating the two best teams in the competition. However the home ground advantage of the Adelaide Oval and the experience the Crows have, is going to hold them in good stead on Saturday afternoon. With proven big game performers, the Crows will further enhance their reputation as the greatest club in AFLW history with a third flag from five seasons.
