The nerves, excitement and anticipation are all starting to grow as the Airport Toyota Women’s Competition returns this weekend.
After two seasons destroyed by COVID-19, the players and the teams are keen to get back out on the field and have a kick.
While it’s only round one, there’s some key match-ups in all the divisions that will give spectators and the opposition a better idea of sides and who is who.
In Airport Toyota Women's Premier Division, three of the four matches on paper are ones that could quite easily go either way, while the fourth is the battle between two premiers.
The first match of the season will be Moonee Valley hosting Keilor at Ormond Park. Both sides, who won the Airport Toyota Women's Division One and Airport Toyota Premier Division premierships respectively, have new coaches and haven’t had much action on bringing players in.
Keilor doesn’t seem to have lost anyone from last season’s team and has shown they’ve got plenty of depth.
Can they avoid the premiership curse which has hit Aberfeldie and Pascoe Vale in the past?
For Moonee Valley, it’s their first look at the top division. The two sides who went up last season were more than competitive and showed it can be done.
By all reports, they will field a young side who will have the biggest test in the division first up.
Westmeadows against Hillside is a little rivalry that has started to build the last couple of years.
Both teams match up really well and have top line talent, who have played in the AFLW and VFLW.
The key to this match will be how the next level of players step up.
Maribyrnong Park and Burnside Heights had two very different seasons in 2021, but both shape up as interesting contenders in the premier division competition.
The Lions haven’t really looked to add any one, nor on paper have they lost anyone. With 12 months under their belts at this level, they will only get better.
Everything that could go wrong did go wrong for Burnside Heights. With some of their top line talent pack on the park, the Bears will be better this year. Will they be good enough to push the top sides is the question.
The question surrounding the final match of the round is, has Aberfeldie done enough to get back into contention? They’ve done a lot of good things off field, but how will that translate?
It definitely won’t be an easy task, with Oak Park the club that continues to make the biggest moves.
The stars have all returned and they’ve added more fire power, the Kangaroos mean business.
It’s said division one in the men’s competition is the best in local footy, but Airport Toyota Women’s Division One isn’t far behind it.
With a mix of promoted teams, a team that has dropped down and some teams that have really developed the last couple of years, makes for an interesting season.
Gisborne was an unknown last season coming into the competition. They aren’t any more, with every team guaranteed a hard fought match against the Bulldogs.
Their first round opponent, Essendon Doutta Stars are one of the unknowns of this division. They dropped a side and seem to have lost a few players. Alesha Hobbs is back in a massive boost, but surely there are questions about their depth.
The two promoted sides from last season, the Sunbury Kangaroos and Moonee Valley, will both get the chance to see how far they’ve come.
The Kangaroos have recruited well and will be a very different side to the team that lost to Moonee Valley by 45 points last year.
Like their top side, the Fog is an unknown headed into this season. Last season’s team would be more than competitive at this level.
Strathmore and the Sunbury Lions were fighting for second last season, but have both had very different pre-seasons.
The Mores have got stronger and their young players keep coming through, while the Lions have lost several players and couldn’t get an under-18 team up.
The Lions showed last season they can surprise other teams, but they have a big task against the Mores.
Greenvale took massive steps last season and were on the verge of finals last season. Having added more talent, the Jets will be even better.
They are facing a side in Pascoe Vale that has had a number of outs, and not many ins. The Panthers struggled with depth last season and that hurt consistency.
It will be a tough ask first up.
Airport Toyota Women's Division Two is the biggest unknown out of the three women’s competitions. With three first sides and four reserves sides, it’s hard to get a read on how it will play up.
Coburg Districts will be hoping to continue to develop when it faces Maribyrnong Park 2, while Airport West, which has dropped down, takes on the Sunbury Kangaroos, who are fielding a second side for the first time.
The last match is between two reserve sides in Oak Park and Westmeadows. Many of these matches are a toss of the coin, which could quite easily go either way.
Tullamarine have the bye first up in the seven team competition.
THIS WEEKEND’S FIXTURES
MOONEE VALLEY 1 v KEILOR
Saturday 10am at Ormond Park
WESTMEADOWS 1 v HILLSIDE
Saturday 11:15am at Willowbrook Reserve
MARIBYRNONG PARK 1 v BURNSIDE HEIGHTS
Saturday 11:50am at Walsh Oval
OAK PARK 1 v ABERFELDIE
Saturday 1:10pm at J P Fawkner Reserve
GISBORNE v ESSENDON DOUTTA STARS
Saturday 11:15am at Gardiner Reserve
SUNBURY KANGAROOS 1 v MOONEE VALLEY 2
Saturday 11:50am at Eric Boardman Reserve
STRATHMORE v SUNBURY LIONS
Saturday 1:35pm at Lebanon Reserve
PASCOE VALE v GREENVALE
Saturday 1:35pm at Raeburn Reserve
COBURG DISTRICTS v MARIBYRNONG PARK 2
Saturday 11:15am at Cole Reserve
AIRPORT WEST v SUNBURY KANGAROOS 2
Saturday 11:15am at Etzel St Reserve
OAK PARK 2 v WESTMEADOWS 2
Saturday 11:15am at J P Fawkner Reserve
Tullamarine has the BYE.
