The midway mark of the Airport Toyota Women’s season is here and there has been plenty of surprises in all three divisions.
While most people think they have a good read of the season so far, things can quickly change with injuries, illness and players coming back from Victorian Football League Women’s and NAB League Girls competitions.
Airport Toyota Women's Premier Division has been split into three groups so far. The top three teams are the clear front runners, while two sides currently fight out for fourth spot and the bottom three make up the rest.
The most interesting match this week in the Premier Division is between Keilor and Moonee Valley.
The Blues sit atop the ladder and easily accounted for the Fog in Round 1. But since then the Fog has improved and been one of the hardest teams to beat in the competition.
This will show how far Moonee Valley has developed and what they need to do to take the next step.
Oak Park will be hoping to bounce back against Aberfeldie. The Kangaroos fell short in the top of the table clash against the Blues, but wouldn’t be concerned.
The side will get the likes Mikayla Barnes, Mali McLeod, Mia Briedis, Hannah Fosbrooke and Marnie Jarvis back full time from VFL commitments which will strengthen the side dramatically.
Abers is another side that has benefited from being able to play week in and week out. While they just lost to Maribyrnong Park last week, it was a match they were well and truly in the mix.
The key for Abers is to get on the scoreboard and put the Kangaroos under pressure. The Kangaroos have been hard to score against, while Abers has struggled to get the points on the board.
Maribyrnong Park has the perfect chance to move back into the top four against Burnside Heights.
The Lions, on the back of the likes of Tahlia Gillard and Roselyn Buje, continue to put in consistent performances each week.
The Bears finally opened their account last week against Hillside. It was the stars of Sina Mason, Ebony and Brodie Stevens, Kayla Ravenello and Krissy Trang, who stood tall.
They will need to do it again, if they’re to make it two in a row.
The final match of the round in Premier Division, is old rivals Westmeadows and Hillside. The two have played some really good games in recent years, but now sit in very different positions.
The Sharks have just one win. They will be one side who might benefit from the VFL season coming to an end and it will be much needed.
Emily Paterno and Nikita Wright are just two who are on VFLW lists.
For Tigers, their spread has been better this year, with former AFLW player Courteney Munn leading the way.
In Airport Toyota Women's Division One, the last round shook up the competition and leads into an interesting match up between Essendon Doutta Stars and Gisborne this week.
The Stars showed they can’t be counted out in the premiership race, upsetting Greenvale.
Having started to get a full squad together, the Stars have put together a good run of football.
Harmony Mitsos and Jasmine Arezzolo were the standouts in that performance and will be keys again.
Gisborne, led by Charlotte Noonan, who kicked seven goals, easily dismantled Moonee Valley 2 last week.
With both teams sitting equal on points, it could quite easily go either way.
Sunbury Lions got their second win of the season against a struggling Pascoe Vale side last week.
It was the confidence booster the Lions needed, with their stars like Audrey Follett and Amy Starzer among their best.
They will have to be at their best if they’re to account for Strathmore. The Mores had their biggest test outside of their loss to Greenvale against the Sunbury Kangaroos, but showed plenty of heart to come away with the win.
Eloise Freeman continued her hot start to the season, having been named in the best two in every game.
The Kangaroos will be hoping a performance like that will get them back in the winners book against Moonee Valley 2.
The Kangaroos have had a number of players step up in recent weeks, including Ashleigh Koo and Alannah Burnett.
The last match of the round is between Greenvale and Pascoe Vale. The Jets, coming off their first loss of the season, have a habit of kicking big scores against the lower sides.
This could quite easily be one of those matches.
In Airport Toyota Women's Division Two, Westmeadows could just about seal up a finals spot with seven rounds to go with a win against Oak Park 2.
The Tigers have been clearly the best second side in the competition, with the other three teams only winning on forfeits.
A fourth win would make it hard for the others to catch up.
Maribyrnong Park, which had to forfeit last week, will be keen to get back on the field this week against Coburg Districts, while the Sunbury Kangaroos face Airport West.
In both those matches, sides will be hoping to reduce the margin from the first time they played each other.
THIS WEEKEND’S FIXTURES
ABERFELDIE v OAK PARK 1
Saturday 11:15am at Aberfeldie Park West
BURNSIDE HEIGHTS v MARIBYRNONG PARK 1
Saturday 11:15am at Burnside Heights Recreation Reserve - Oval 2
KEILOR v MOONEE VALLEY 1
Saturday 11:15am at Joe Brown Oval
HILLSIDE v WESTMEADOWS 1
Saturday 4:50pm at Hillside Reserve
ESSENDON DOUTTA STARS v GISBOURNE
Saturday 11:15am at Buckley Park
SUNBURY LIONS v STRATHMORE
Saturday 11:15am at Clarke Oval
MOONEE VALLEY 2 v SUNBURY KANGAROOS 1
Saturday 11:15am at Ormond Park
GREENVALE v PASCOE VALE
Saturday 1:45pm at Greenvale Recreation Reserve - Oval 2
MARIBYRNONG PARK 2 v COBURG DISTRICTS
Saturday 11:15am at Monk Oval
WESTMEADOWS 2 v OAK PARK 2
Saturday 11:15am at Willowbrook Reserve
SUNBURY KANGAROOS 2 v AIRPORT WEST
Saturday 4:50pm at Eric Boardman Reserve - Oval 1
Tullamarine has the bye
