Collingwood return home to Victoria Park on Sunday afternoon to take on an in-form Bulldogs outfit for their Round 6 clash.
Coming off Round 5:
Collingwood now sit one game clear at the top of the table as the sole undefeated side of the competition. Their fifth straight win – a club record – came via an authoritative 35-point victory over the Dees.
Effective ball use was ultimately the difference between the two sides, with the Pies capitalising on their opportunities.
Brianna Davey led from the front once again, finishing with 25 disposals and two goals. Davey was well supported in the middle by Brittany Bonnici (23 disposals) and Jaimee Lambert (21 disposals) – fast becoming one of the most dangerous midfield groups in the competition.
Chloe Molloy’s electric form continued, adding another three goals to her season tally while Stacey Livingstone (17 disposals) and Ruby Schleicher (15 disposals) were dominant down back.
An eye on the opposition:
The tests keep coming for Collingwood, with their opposition in red-hot form. The Dogs have won their previous four matches – the most recent a 25-point victory over the GWS Giants.
The Dogs have staked their claim as a premiership contender over the previous month, led by last year’s AFLW NAB Rising Star, Isabel Huntington. Huntington and fellow forward Bonnie Toogood piled on three goals apiece last week, providing headaches for the GWS backline.
The pair were provided ample opportunity with key midfielders Kirsty Lamb (20 disposals) and Ellie Blackburn (17 disposals) finding plenty of the ball, as the Dogs controlled the play on the outside to record 43 more kicks than the Giants.
A familiar face also lines up for the opposition, with former Pie Katie Lynch facing off against her old side for the first time.
Collingwood’s backline have stood tall over recent weeks but have a big task ahead to control the Dogs’ dynamic forwards, while the midfield will need to work overtime to limit their opportunities.
Pies to look out for:
It’s difficult to ignore Chloe Molloy, who last week became the outright record-holder for the most consecutive games kicking a goal in AFLW history.
Molloy’s three majors have her sitting equal-top of the goalkicking table with nine for the season, alongside Erin Phillips and Isabel Huntington. With Huntington lining up down the other end of the ground, it will be a battle of the spearheads to determine if one can claim outright first place.
A season-best game for Mikala Cann last week saw the midfield bull record 14 disposals and hit the scoreboard in the second term with a major of her own. The stats sheet provided reward for effort for Cann, with her attack on the football and tackling pressure relentless.
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2021 AFL WOMEN'S – ROUND 6
Collingwood v Western Bulldogs
Sunday 7 March, 2.40pm (AEDT)
Victoria Park
