Hello everyone and welcome to a massive Round 5 of the 2026 Premier League, including a top of the table Free Kick Derby! Darmstadt Dynamos 3-1 (@WillH_VI) vs Kyoto Kruisers 0-4 (@FreoDockers) Fresh off a resounding victory in Round 4, the Dynamos face off against the injury plagued Kruisers still searching for their first win of the season. Kyoto will be hoping that Indi Strom is recalled as a replacement ruck for her potentially injured older sister after they were forced to field an OOP in defence last weekend. The distinct Brisbane Lions flavour to the Darmstadt team, and with the Lions facing an Eagles squad well down on form, gives the German squad a pretty clear edge on paper. Quebec Caribou 3-1 (@FreeKickLiam) vs Stuttgart Storm 4-0 (@Jono Steven) First vs Second. A 2025 preliminary final replay. This match up would be easily one of the season's most important before you sprinkle on the spice that always comes with a Free Kick Derby. The 4-0 Storm were tested in Round 4, winning by only 39 points on the back of an exceptional return to form from Eliza McNamara in the final game of the weekend. Stuttgart will need similar efforts vs the Caribou, whilst hoping that McDonagh, Dupuy, and Woodland can return to form after all 3 drastically underperformed last weekend. Quebec have been rounding into form after their shock Round 1 defeat, with the midfield of Garner, Riddell, Hanks, and Morrison on fire vs the Llamas. All signs point high scoring affair with a close final margin! Lagos Royals 3-1 (@Peter W) vs.Vancouver Vultures 1-3 (@Athos123) The Royals were resounding victors in Round 4, but will need to be wary of underestimating a Vultures squad which pushed Stuffgart to win an inch of their first loss of the season. The returns to form of experienced inside mids Kate Hore (95) and Britt Bonnici (107) was surely welcomed in Lagos, as the midfield looks to cover an injured Aisling McCarthy and the very underwhelming Georgia Patrikios. The Royals will go in as favourites, but will have a tough hit out vs the Premier League’s #1 defender Zippy Fish, and a midfield chock full of players with 100+ point ceilings. Korean Kickers 1-3 (@Chloe) vs Lima Llamas 2-2 (@hoschke118) As the coach of the Llamas so eloquently put in their post R4 presser “a complete midfield thrashing” spoiled the Peruvian squad’s chances of an upset against the Caribou last weekend. This writer does wonder if the Lima’s coaching staff have some similarly choice words for their sole ruck, Ally Morphett, who will be suspended this week vs the Kickers. Alyce Parker and Liv Purcell are a criminally underrated midfield duo, who will represent the Llamas in the mids vs a depleted Korean side mising their superstar Mon Conti, and a potentially injury limited Mim Strom. The Kickers are a dark horse to cause some mayhem now that Mikayla Bowen has emerged as an elite scorer capable of a run of 110-140 scores. Adelaide All-Stars 1-3 (@Corza) vs Majorca Islanders 2-2 (@TheTassieHawk) For a team has been looking to rebuild on the run, and who have only 1 win to their name so far in 2026, the All Stars defence has sneakily emerged as one of the most competent in the Premier League. Erika O’Shea has gone from strength to strength and now sits ensconced among the top-6 scoring defender, Charlie Thomas appears capable of averaging 65 in her sleep, with potentially even higher reaches still to hit, and Mia Busch finally getting time in the midfield saw her as one of the best scoring defenders in Round 4. That defence, and the slightly out of form superstar Laura Gardiner do battle against the Islanders in Round 5, who re-enlivened their finals hopes with a dominant 360 point win last weekend. Lead by Ella Roberts (doing her best Ebony Marinoff impression) & with Lucy Wales sitting pretty as the #1 ruck in the league, this across continent fixture looks set to be an enthralling match. Good luck to all!
For Round 5, Stuttgart Storm selects: IN - Hannah Munyard (ADE) OUT - Lauren Young (PA - managed) DEF: Maeve Chaplin (MEL), Rebecca Webster (GEE), Ella Heads (PA) (emg: Jenna Richardson (HAW)) MID: Charlie Rowbottom (GC), Eliza McNamara (MEL), Mimi Hill (CAR), Eliza West (HAW) (emg: Elisabeth Georgostathis (WBD)) RUC: Jess Good (CAR) (emg: Mackenzie Eardley (HAW)) FWD: Aine McDonagh (HAW), Jacqueline Dupuy (HAW), Lucia Painter (WCE) (emg: Hannah Munyard (ADE)) INT: Ash Woodland (PA), Airlie Runnalls (COL) (emg: Lily Mithen (GC)) Minimal changes this week - mostly line shuffles to reward good form. Backing the squad in against the reigning premiers... Not selected - Bre Harrington (inj), Lauren Young (managed), Clara Fitzpatrick, Eliza Shannon, Lauren Wakfer, Hayley McLaughlin
We have 5 premier league teams in action in the Intercomp quarter finals this weekend. http://tooserious.net/forum/threads/2026-intercomp-quarter-finals.92185/ This includes a Vancouver vs Royals “double up derby” as the teams will clash in the league as well as in the knockout, in the very definition of an 8 point match.
Adelaide All Stars team DEF- Erika O'Shea, Charlotte Thomas Mia Busch (Nicola Barr) Mid- Laura Gardiner, Georgia Nanscawen, Dayna Finn, Tess Craven Ruck- Poppy Kelly (Sabrina Fredrick) FWD- Jesse Wardlaw, Emelia Yassir, Taylor Smith INT- Ruby Schliecher Chloe Bown (Mattea Breed)
Kruisers team for Round 5 Def: Emma Swanson, Emily Pease, Poppy Scholz (OOP) Ruck: Tahlia Hickie (Lauren Pearce) Mid: Georgie Prespakis, Jasmine Fleming, Montana Ham, Carly Remmos (Holly Ridewood) Fwd: Ash Richards, Ash Centra, Georgia Garnett (Grace Belloni) IC: Ava Usher, Hayler Miller (Lily Goss)
No ruck unfortunately so Wakfer will be playing OOP Out: Morphett (Suspension), Davey In: Murray, Greives Def: Molly Brooksby, Lucy Cronin, Emma Murray (Evie Cowcher) Mid: Liv Purcell, Gabby Newton, Alyce Parker, Sarah Goodwin (Piper Window) Ruck: Zoe Wakfer OOP (Lily Quigley OOP) Fwd: Alice O'loughlin, Blaithin Bogue, Kalinda Howarth (Elaine Grigg) Int: Lucy Single, Sierra Grieves (Bri Davey) Others: Danielle Ponter, Mia King, J'Noemi Anderson, Emmelie Fiedler, Kiera Yerbury, Ally Morphett
The Dynamos line up as follows: DEF: T. Lucas-Rodd, T.White, B.Koenen (J.Allen) MID: E.Marinoff, A.Gaylor, R.Beeson, E.McKenzie (C.Whitfort) RUC: A.Edmonds (P.Dunlop) FWD: C.Mullins, H.Harris, J.Parry (I.Rasheed) I/C: S.Conway, J.Ellenger (M.Fitzsimon) IN: E.McKenzie OUT: C.Whitfort (managed)
Lagos Royals: DEF: Serene Watson, Cambridge McCormick, Tamara Smith (Molly O'Hehir) MID: Kiara Bowers, Shineah Goody, Kate Hore, Britt Bonnici (Jade Britton) RUC: Matilda Scholz (Lauren Bella) FWD: Chloe Molloy, Bonnie Toogood, Tahlia Randall (Olivia Wolmarans) INT: Georgia Patrikios, Isabelle Pritchard (Tarni Evans) Injured: Aisling McCarthy, Jenna Bruton Others: Alana Gee, Charlotte Brewer, Paxy Paxman
VULTURES: Def: Zippy Fish, Chelsea Biddell, Aoife Healy(Molly McDonald) Mid: Abbie Mckay, Madison Prespakis, Anne Hatchard, Isabelle Dawes (Ruby Tripodi) Ruck: Stephanie Wales (Courtney Murphy) Fwd: Tayla Harris, Eloise Jones, Teah Charlton (Alyssa Bannan) Interchange: Madison Newman, Shelley Heath (Abbygail Bushby)
Round 5 Quebec Caribou DEF: Emma O'Driscoll, Tahlia Gillard, Chantel Emonson (Britt Gutknecht) MID: Ash Riddell, Jasmine Garner, Nina Morrison, Tyla Hanks (Naimh McLaughlin) RUC: Darcie Davies (Jess Allan) FWD: Erone Fitzpatrick, Aishling Moloney, Eden Zanker (Ryleigh Wotherspoon) INT: Jess Fitzgerald, Abbey Dowrick (Tanya Kennedy)
Korean Kickers for Round 5 DEF: Sarah Lampard, Emma Kearney Isabella Grant MID: Jamie Lambert, Grace Egan, Kaitlin Ashmore, Ally Anderson FWD: Kate Shierlaw, Dakota Davidson, Emma McDonald (Alicia Eva) RUC: Mim Strom (Eilish O'Dowd) INT: Megan Kauffman, Mikayla Bowen (Ange Stannett)
VULTURES: Def: Zippy Fish, Chelsea Biddell, Aoife Healy(Molly McDonald) Mid: Abbie Mckay, Madison Prespakis, Anne Hatchard, Isabelle Dawes (Ruby Tripodi) Ruck: Stephanie Wales (Courtney Murphy) Fwd: Tayla Harris, Eloise Jones, Teah Charlton (Alyssa Bannan) Interchange: Madison Newman, Abbygail Bushby (Shelley Heath) Making an overthinking vibe based changed, Bushby in and Heath onto the interchange bench.