Boxing promotor Don King would have been hard pressed to engineer better match-ups than the four Round 5 Premier League encounters that will take place on the weekend. In three of the four encounters the sides doing battle sit in close proximity to each other on the ladder whilst in another game the team that has the superior win loss record averages 70 points per game less than their lower ranked opponent. The card of Round 5 Premier League matches is: 4th placed Korean Kickers @Chloe vs 3rd placed Lima Llamas @hoschke118 7th placed Lagos Royals @Peter W vs 6th placed Kyoto Kruisers @FreoDockers 5th paced Las Vegas Legends @Pearcey47 vs the luckless last placed Canberra Conservatives @bkp130 and concluding with the heavyweight bout of Number 1 ranked Vancouver Vixens @dmandrews vs Number 2 ranked Stuttgart Storm @TheTassieHawk A post with brief game previews for the Round 5 Premier League battles will be made tomorrow morning. As per @TheTassieHawk Please note that the Friday night match for Round 6 (AFLW) is a 510pm start so be sure to re-set your team at least an hour prior to the naming of Saturday teams which is usually about 540pm on Friday night!
GWFFPL 2021 Round 5 (AFLW Round 6) Game previews 4th placed Korean Kickers 2-2 @Chloe vs 3rd placed Lima Llamas 3-1 @hoschke118 The Korean Kickers have a record of two wins and two losses and are one game behind the Lima Llamas, however due to having a superior points for the Kickers will leapfrog the Llamas on the ladder if they win their Round 5 game, enabling them to remain within striking distance of the top three. If the third placed Llamas win they will open up a two game gap on the fourth placed Kickers and move to outright second if the Vixens defeat the Storm or will be one of three teams on four wins if the Storm defeat the Vixens. The Kickers strike weapon is midfielder Kiara Bowers who has been the most dominant player in the Premier League, averaging 118 points per game and has been best afield in all four games to lead the league best and fairest with 20 votes, however she has only one team-mate fellow midfielder Karen Paxman (81 points per game) averaging more than 65 points per game. Llamas midfielder/forward Jasmine Garner has been causing match-up problems with opposition teams due to her versatility and is averaging 96 points per game and has polled 12 votes in the league b & f. Garner receives support from midfielders Alicia Eva (72), Jamie Stanton (71) and defender midfielder Emma Swanson (66). Neither team has a significant advantage in any of the line to line battles, based on season to date averages the Llamas have a slight advantage in the 50 metre arcs with their defenders averaging slightly more than the Kickers forwards and the Llamas forwards having a narrow edge on the Kickers defenders. In the midfield, ruck and interchange the Kickers look to have the edge so how effectively the Kickers use the ball when going inside 50 could be critical to the outcome of the game. 7th placed Lagos Royals 1-3 @Peter W vs 6th placed Kyoto Kruisers 1-3 @FreoDockers The Royals host the Kruisers with both teams having a record of one win and three losses and are evenly matched in points for with the Kruisers being narrowly in front, 757 to the Royals 745. The M 1’s of both teams each rank in the top five of the league best and fairest with Royals mid Ebony Marinoff (93 points per game) equal fourth in the league b & f with 12 votes opposed to the Kruisers Bri Davey (96 ppg) who is second in the league b & f with 17 votes, three votes behind Bowers. At M2 Royals young gun Georgia Patrikios (84 ppg) will be opposed to Kruisers counterpart and former Calder Cannons teammate Madison Prespakis (81) who returns after a one week suspension. The Royals have a more even team and whilst the Kruisers hold the edge in players averaging more than 70 points per game five to the Royals three they also have five players averaging less than 50 points per game compared to three for the Royals. 5th paced Las Vegas Legends 2-2 @Pearcey47 vs the luckless last placed Canberra Conservatives 0-4 @bkp130 The Las Vegas Legends sit in the middle of the pack in fifth place win with two wins and two losses to be fifth position and need to defeat the luckless last placed Canberra Conservatives get ahead of the ledger. Canberra have great offensively but have leaked points defensively and might need to employ a Minister for Defense to reduce the damage inflicted by their opponents. Midfielder Ellie Blackburn has been the Legends star player is averaging 95 points per game and is equal seventh in the league b & f with 9 votes however needs more support as no other Legends player averages more than 75 points per game and six of the players named in the 13 average less than 50 points per game. Canberra Conservatives midfielder Brittany Bonnici is equal fourth in the league best and fairest and is leading her team with 96 points per game ahead of fellow mid Rebecca Beeson (87 ppg). The Conservatives look to have the edge on paper and individually don’t look to have any weak links as all 13 players are averaging 50 + points, Canberra’s issue has been team defense and whilst they lead the league in points with 795.3 points per game they have conceded 831.5 points per game. Playing a stronger defensive game is critical to Canberra recording their first win. Number 1 ranked Vancouver Vixens 4-0 dmandrews vs Number 2 ranked Stuttgart Storm 3-1 @TheTassieHawk In a top of the table clash the ladder leading Vancouver Vixens host the second placed Stuttgart Storm and will open up a two game advantage if they are victorious, however a Storm win would result in the teams being level on four wins and a loss. Vancouver have a narrow advantage in points for – 3,088 to 3,067 so a Stuttgart win by 22 points or more would see them claim top spot on the ladder with two rounds remaining. The Vixens have a stronger forward line than defense, however with the Storm it is the reverse as they have a more productive defense than forward line. Amazing each of the multi-player lines of the Storm and the Vixens that will be opposed to one another are separated by less than five points per game when looking at their combined 2021 season to date averages. Each team has three mids averaging 75 + points per game and the duel between the Vixens trio of Erin Phillips (95), Emma Kearney (84) and Jamie Lambert (76) against Storm mids Alyce Parker (89), Ashleigh Riddell (82) and Kirsty Lamb (82) will be enthralling. On 2021 performances Storm have an advantage in the ruck with Lauren Pearce averaging 55 points compared to 44 points for Vixens ruck Sharni Norder.
Kyoto is on the plane already and as such has had to lodge their team nice and early this week.... Def: Hannah Priest, Kate Lutkins, Janelle Cuthbertson (Alison Brown) Mid: Bri Davey, Maddy Prespakis, Amy McDonald, Jenna Bruton (Jess Fitzgerald) Ruck: Mim Strom (Celine Moody) Fwd: Ebony Antonio, Darcy Vescio, Aishling Sheridan (Jordan Ivey) Int: Alison Drennan, Mimi Hill (Mia King) Changes a-plenty this week and if some of the others don't change their ways, could be more next week!! All the best @Peter W
Also can everyone please add their midseason draftees into their squad if they haven’t already done so, and don’t forget to put them in your team either onfield or as emergency by the time their match starts or 710pm Saturday, whichever is earlier.
I am a bit behind schedule but I have just added the Round 5 Premier League game reviews to the second post.
** Lagos Royals will make a change due to Sarah Perkins' season-ending MCL injury. Perkins has been unfortunately delisted, with Cora Staunton her replacement. Lagos Royals: D: Jess Duffin, Nat Grider, Stacey Livingstone (Denby Taylor) M: Georgia Patrikios, Lily Mithen, Ebony Marinoff, Maddison Gay (Eliza McNamara) R: Emma King (Montana McKinnon) F: Tyla Hanks, Caitlin Gould, Eden Zanker (Cora Staunton) INT: Ellie McKenzie, Jess Hosking (Tiah Haynes) IN: Caitlin Gould (FWD), Cora Staunton (FWD EMG) OUT: Sarah Perkins, Ash Woodland (dropped) Bit stiff when Tiah Haynes and Phoebe Monahan can't make it into the team. Defence and midfield cooking, now for the fwd line to get it together (outside Hanks).
Vancouver Vixens Round 5 team Out: Breanna Koenan (omitted), Tayla Harris (omitted) In: Belinda Smith, Aisling McCarthy Def: Chelsea Randall, Kerryn Harrington, Belinda Smith (Maddy Collier) Mid: Jamiee Lambert, Emma Kearney, Erin Phillips, Hayley Miller (Hannah Dunn) Ruc: Sharni Norder (Lauren Bella) Fwd: Kate Hore, Aisling McCarthy, Georgia Gee (Tayla Harris) Int: Elise O’Dea, Courtney Hodder (Sophie Van De Heuvel)
Sorry I'm late to post, my team selection page has been up to date. DEF: Elle Bennetts, Emma Swanson, Tarni White (Shelley Heath) MID: Jasmine Garner, Alicia Eva, Jamie Stanton, Emily Bates (Nikki Gore) RUC: Aasta O'Connor (Jessica Allan) FOR: Gemma Houghton, Chloe Sheer, Sophie Conway (Abbie McKay) INT: Tahlia Hickie, Najwa Allen (Haneen Zreika) Out: Olivia Purcell (injured), Nikki Gore (omitted) In: Chloe Sheer, Najwa Allen
In response to the team announcement by the Vixens the Storm selectors have made 1 change with Orla O'Dwyer and Kara Antonio replacing Serene Watson and Brooke Lochland for the match at Vancouver @dmandrews Def = Lucas-Rodd, D Pearce, Webster (Watson) Mid = Lamb, Egan, Riddell, K Antonio (Cain) Fwd = Ashmore, O'Dwyer, McEvoy (Lochland) Ruck = L Pearce (Newton) IC = Gavalas, A Parker (Sheriff) Unused (3) - Molly McDonald, Tarni Brown, Privitelli Suspended - Saad
In the match at BC place Vancouver the 1st and 2nd placed teams have combined for 930 points as at half time and the visitors have through weight of playing numbers built a lead 8/582 to 5/348 over the home side @dmandrews It is 3 players apiece in the early Sunday match with Harrington, Gee and Odea matches up with Webster, Egan and McEvoy. The Vixens then have the task of overhauling the lead through their own numerical advantages as Lambert and Norder face Kirsty Lamb followed by Belinda Smith, Miller and McCarthy look to out score Kara Antonio who completes proceedings for the visitors.
The Storm have stretched their lead to 288 points 11/815 to 8/527, with Kirsty Lamb up against Lambert and Norder next the lead is destined to be narrowed before the Vixens @dmandrews unleash B Smith, Miller and McCarthy against Kara Antonio later today.
The top of the ladder clash saw the 2 teams combine for exactly 1800 points with the Storm managing a Premier League record 963 to surpass the 3rd highest ever premier score of 837 posted by the home side @dmandrews
Winners for the round were the Kickers @Chloe by 108, Storm by 132, Legends @Pearcey47 by 162 and Kruisers @FreoDockers by 191. With 2 rounds remaining the Storm and Vixens @dmandrews sit on 4 wins, with the Kickers, Llamas @hoschke118 and Legends all on 3 wins while the 6th placed Kruisers in 2 wins remain a slim mathematical chance of scraping into the Grand Final if they keep winning and results fall their way.