We're four games into the 2018 AFLW season and so far the field is as wide open as it gets. Entering round four into the season, five teams occupied the first five spots on the ladder with two wins and a loss to the name – that's how open the field is this year.
Today on Bulldogs Centre, we're bringing back the mid-season review. I will take a look at each team and how they've done so far, as well as reveal our mid-season AFLW All-Australian team at the end of this article.
So without further ado, let's get started.
1st – Western Bulldogs Pre-Season Prediction: 5th
Wins: 3
Losses: 1 Percentage: 200.00 There is a lot to love about the Western Bulldogs right now. They're playing a brand of football that is so much better than what they were trying to do last year. Paul Groves has made it clear that they want to play a more kicking style of footy and it has shown, as they are first in the league in kicks per game, averaging 144 per game. They are also first in the league in clearances, marks and their crushing victory over Carlton has made them the best goal-kicking team in the league, averaging seven goals per game. What I like about this the most is that with the injuries that they have received so far – two season ending knee injuries to young promising players and an ankle injury to the captain Katie Brennan – they are still playing top-notch footy.
Ellie Blackburn and Emma Kearney are continuing to have a massive influence on this team and they have the help that they wanted last year. They've found some gems in Bonnie Toogood and Aisling Utri. Jenna Bruton and Monique Conti have fitted in so seamlessly in their first year, Libby Birch has improved out of sight as a lock-down defender, whilst Hannah Scott, Brooke Lochland, Aasta O'Connor, Kirsty Lamb and Angelica Gogos have all had great seasons so far. Are they in the box seat for the premiership? On the basis of how they've won their three games so far, it'd be hard to argue against it.
2nd – Brisbane Lions Pre-Season Prediction: 3rd
Wins: 3
Losses: 1 Percentage: 137.70
After losing a Grand Final that I think they should've won last season, the Lions are playing like they deserve to be back in the Grand Final this year, and the way they've gone, with the list that they have, their isn't much that will stop them from getting there. They dismantled Adelaide in the Grand Final rematch and since their loss to the Bulldogs, they've recorded a strong win over Carlton and a gritty win in the rain against a much-improved Fremantle side. Their hunger for the ball is extraordinary, being top-two in the league in disposals (2nd), marks inside 50 (1st) and inside 50s (2nd).
Whilst Sabrina Fredrick-Traub had a dominant game round one, most of the recognition in Brisbane's forward 50 has gone to Jess Wuetschner, who is having an outstanding year up forward, she has averaged nearly two goals per game, and is well in the running to claim her first goal-kicking award. The midfield has a nice spread of contributors, with captain Emma Zielke, Emily Bates, Nat Exon, Jamie Stanton and Ally Anderson all prominent, whilst the key defensive duo of Kate Lutkins and Leah Kaslar have continued on their great form from last year. Lutkins in particular, has been very impressive and has raised her game to another level.
3rd – Melbourne Pre-Season Prediction: 2nd
Wins: 2 Losses: 2
Percentage: 99.40
The Demons started the year so strongly. They came from behind to defeat an improved GWS outfit, and then they thumped last year's premiers in Adelaide. From there, things have started going a little downhill, losing their last two games to teams they probably should've beat on paper. They were horribly inaccurate against Fremantle and they paid the price, going down by less than a kick, and then they were stunned by a Collingwood side that looked like they couldn't buy a win in the first three weeks. They're still a big chance to contend in the Grand Final, but I think that these two losses could end up costing them a shot at the premiership.
It's hard to get a proper reading on the Dees. They're number one in the league in disposals, averaging over 212 disposals per game and are second in the league in marks inside 50 and at kicking goals. Daisy Pearce and Elise O'Dea are having great seasons, Karen Paxman has struggled with injury but she's still averaging 15 disposals per game. Biance Jakobsson has been a revelation in defence, whilst Tegan Cunningham has been an incredible find up forward, leading the league in contested marks, whilst being in the top-five in the league for goals kicked, which is very impressive for someone in her first year, and along with Richelle Cranston and Aliesha Newman, are the keys to Melbourne's second half to the year.
4th – Fremantle
Pre-Season Prediction: 8th
Wins: 2 Losses: 2 Percentage: 88.40
This time last year, the Fremantle Dockers only had a draw to their name, but they have been a lot better this time around in 2018. Despite a horrendous first round loss this year, the Dockers have greatly improved from round two onwards. They won the next two games following their loss to the Bulldogs and were very unlucky not to beat the Lions last weekend, that's how improved the Dockers have been. They're a top-three team in the clearances, and they're second in the league in tackling. I have never thought I would find myself in the position to say that Fremantle could be the dark horse to the flag. They play GWS, Adelaide and Carlton in the final three weeks and could potentially win them all.
Dana Hooker has backed up her 2017 campaign that saw her claim the club's first best and fairest award with an even better 2018 season, and along with Kara Donnellan, Hayley Miller Lara Filocamo and Lisa Webb, who has impressed in her first season, the Dockers midfield will be bolstered by the return of Kiara Bowers and that's going to make them even harder to stop. Ebony Antonio has had another fine year in defence, whilst the emergence of young forward Emily McGuire has been a very good story so far in 2018. Can't wait to see former Crow Kellie Gibson back in the park as well, they'll benefit with her playing back in her home state.
5th – Carlton
Pre-Season Prediction: 4th
Wins: 2 Losses: 2 Percentage: 55.70
The only reason Carlton are in this position is because they were lucky enough to beat Collingwood and experienced enough to topple GWS. The win-loss record flatters them a lot, they have been a very ordinary side throughout most of this season, and it showed when they were destroyed by the Western Bulldogs last Friday night. They are last in the league in disposals, sixth in clearances and last in the league in goals kicked. As a matter of fact, they've had nine score-less quarters so far in 2018 – three of those came on Friday night – it speaks of their struggles up forward, as well as their depth in the midfield.
When their captain Bri Davey went down with a season-ending knee injury following their round two win over GWS, that has left a huge gaping hole in the midfield and as we all know by now, it has left the Carlton on-ball brigade very weak and it is in a very difficult position to get themselves back into premiership contention. Sarah Hosking has been very good so far this year and has stood up as a leader, whilst Tayla Harris has lived up to the expectations of a boom recruit, as she averages nearly three contested marks per game, but because of the poor output from the midfield, her and Darcy Vescio have struggled to put goals on the board.
6th – GWS Giants
Pre-Season Prediction: 7th
Wins: 1
Losses: 2 Draws: 1
Percentage: 89.20
Despite the fact that the Giants are still languishing in the bottom-tier of the ladder, they have been very impressive this season and have made games more of a contest. They are a bit stiff not to beat the Demons in the first game, but since round two, they haven't lost, they beat Collingwood and they drew with the Crows. They are the best tackling team in the league right now, second in the league in clearances and fourth in inside 50s. They're probably a couple of seasons away from contending, but they're continuing to develop and improve and that's what they were after at the start of the year.
I have enjoyed Phoebe McWilliams play as the go-to forward, she's third in the league in goals kicked, with six goals for the season. Alicia Eva has to be the best trade recruit this season, the former Pie is second in the league in disposals, averaging 19 disposals, four clearances and eight tackles per game. Courtney Gum has been another recruit that has been very impressive, averaging 15 disposals per game and as Gum is a South Australian, I find it absolutely shocking that Adelaide didn't pick her up in the AFLW Draft last year and Erin McKinnon is one of many Giants that continue to impress.
7th – Adelaide
Pre-Season Prediction: 1st Wins: 1
Losses: 2
Draws: 1
Percentage: 73.60
Perhaps one of the biggest disappointments this season has been the Crows, who couldn't have started any worse than they did, losing their first two games emphatically to Brisbane and Melbourne. The big reason was the quad injury to Erin Phillips – she missed the opening two games, and came back in round three and kicked a bag of four goals on the Western Bulldogs as they got their first win of the year. It's not a good look that the Crows have to rely on a player who is a star, there is no doubt, but other than Erin Phillips, the Crows are a side that rely too much of their stars.
Ebony Marinoff, last year's rising star winner, is a star. In the draw against GWS, she recorded an absurd 21 tackles – the most tackles that any man or woman has produced in a game of football. She's a tackling machine, averaging 13 tackles per game so far this year after she averaged 10 tackles per game last year. She also averages 17 disposals and four clearances per game and would have to be a walk-in to the All-Australian team at the end of the season. Chelsea Randall (Averaging 18.5 disposals, two clearances , is also having a fine year, playing both as a defender and a midfielder. Other than Sarah Allan, Courtney Cramey (Missed the first three games with injury) Dayna Cox, Angela Foley and Ruth Wallace who have been very impressive, too much has been left to too few at Adelaide, and they won't even come close to the Grand Final this year.
8th – Collingwood
Pre-Season Prediction: 6th
Wins: 1
Losses: 3 Percentage: 100.00
If it wasn't for their big win over Melbourne in Alice Springs, Collingwood's season, would've been rated as a massive fail. Now granted, they lost two of their best players in Nicola Stevens and Alicia Eva in the off-season, they still have the talent to avoid the wooden spoon. But in the first three games of the season, they have been awful. They are the worst clearance team and the worst tackling team in the league, and the fact that the Pies have started 0-3 for the second straight season has drawn the ire of many fans and footy experts, particularly with some of their moves on the ground. Add to the fact that they have the Bulldogs and Brisbane – the two in-form sides in the competition in the next two weeks, they are going to mightily struggle to avoid the spoon this year.
Looking at the positives so far for the Pies though, Chloe Molloy has been absolutely outstanding in defence – a position that she has played very little over the past year. She is currently the favourite to take home the league's Rising Star award, she's adjusted herself to the league so well. She is averaging 15 disposals, three rebound 50s and three marks per game. Former Bulldog Jaimee Lambert has also been a very impressive performer, whilst captain Steph Chiocci, Emma King, Brittany Bonnici and Christina Bernardi have also stood out in a struggling Magpies team this season.
The Mid-Year All-Australian Team
B: Libby Birch (WB), Leah Kaslar (BL), Chloe Molloy (COLL)
HB: Hannah Scott (WB), Kate Lutkins (BL), Chelsea Randall (ADEL)
MID: Tahlia Randall (BL), Emma Kearney (WB), Alicia Eva (GWS), Ebony Marinoff (ADEL)
HF: Richelle Cranston (MELB), Katie Brennan (WB), Jaimee Lambert (COLL)
F: Jess Wuetschner (BL), Phoebe McWilliams (GWS), Brooke Lochland (WB)
INT: Daisy Pearce (MELB), Jamie Stanton (BL), Tegan Cunningham (MELB), Emily Bates (BL), Ebony Antonio (FREM)