AFLW round 1 expert tips and teams news
This season of the competition promises to be the best yet. And it will kick off with two traditional powerhouses, just like it did 10 seasons ago.
But this time, a new cast of faces will seek to take Collingwood and Carlton back to the top of the AFLW.
The Magpies are set to unleash Ash Centra, one of the most hyped No. 1 picks in AFLW history.
SCROLL DOWN FOR OUR EXPERT TIPS FOR ROUND 1
Equal parts skill and class, Centra does things on the footy field that mere mortals can only dream of pulling off.
By the end of the season, Centra could be what Harley Reid is to West Coast – the supremely talented teenager who lifts an entire football club off the canvas.
It won't be long until she's appointment viewing.
At Carlton, a family legacy welcomes a fresh chapter.
Sophie McKay, sister of Abbie and daughter of Andrew, will make her AFLW debut.
Back on that magical night in February 2017, Sophie rang the bell to signify the start of the very first AFLW game. Tonight, she'll line-up alongside her sister, the pair hoping to follow in the footsteps of their father and win a flag with the navy blues.
It'll be an equally special night for Abbie, leading Carlton as captain for the first time, 22 years after Andrew stepped into the role in the absence of Brett Ratten in 2003.
Collingwood have a new skipper too. Foundation Magpie Ruby Schleicher has taken the reins, succeeding Brianna Davey.
One of the most marketable players in the competition, Schleicher's soaring media profile is matched only by her footballing ability.
Both skippers will hope to pair a new era of leadership with on-field success.
Collingwood last played finals in 2022 while Carlton haven't qualified since 2020.
Thursday night is the chance for both to land their first blow of season 2025.
The Blues led by second-year coach Matthew Buck will be buoyed by top 10 draft pick Poppy Scholz, off-season recruit Tara Bohanna and returning Irishwoman Erone Fitzpatrick, finally fit again after suffering an ACL injury back in Round 10 of the 2023 season.
The Pies will also unveil father-daughter selection Violet Patterson, forgotten forward Kalinda Howarth and new winger and lifelong Collingwood supporter Airlie Runnalls.
Whatever the result, women's football is the winner. Here's to the next 10 seasons.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
6 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Australian defector digs boot into country as Matthew Richardson becomes fastest man ever on two wheels
Just over a year on from becoming the golden boy of Australian sport after winning three medals at the Paris Games only to dump the green and gold for the colours of Great Britain, cyclist Matthew Richardson has become the fastest man ever on two wheels. The 26-year-old on Thursday became the first person to smash the nine-second barrier over 200 metres on the track, with a sizzling 8.941 seconds from a flying start at the Konya Velodrome in Turkey. Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Scorching around the track at an average speed of 80.5kph, Richardson was thrilled after seeing his world record time: 'It's cool to be able to call myself the fastest cyclist of all-time.' 'It was a lot faster than I've previously ridden. I was basically just a passenger. I gave the bike a bit of direction, and it was just steering itself almost. 'I rode a lot of it outside the sprint lane, so I know there's a bit more there.' You can watch Matthew Richardson's world record run in the player above However, while Great Britain now celebrates its new world record holder, Aussies can only watch on and shake their heads, as most will likely never forgive him for his ultimate betrayal. Richardson was born in England, but after moving Down Under as a child, he was coached for his entire career in Perth. Competing for Australia, Richardson was a dual Commonwealth champion before claiming his two silvers and a bronze for Australia last August at the Paris Games. But following the games, he dropped a bombshell that shook the cycling world, that he was defecting to Great Britain. He was subsequently banned for life by AusCycling for leaving the program and was also accused of taking AusCycling property, including a custom bike, cockpit and Olympic race suit to Great Britain. And to make his world record harder to swallow for Australians, it was largely achieved thanks to British Cycling deciding to put on an event at the ideal venue for a world-breaking run. His 8.941-second run was made at the speedy Turkish velodrome, which directly benefits from the altitude assistance of being located 1,200m above sea level. Higher altitude leads to faster cycling speeds, primarily due to reduced air density and thus, lower air resistance or drag. Richardson wasn't the only Briton to break a world record at the specialised British meet either, with Will Bjergfelt setting a world record for the C5 UCI Hour Record, covering 51.471km in 60 minutes. He became the first para-cyclist to ever smash the 50km mark.
West Australian
37 minutes ago
- West Australian
West Coast coach Daisy Pearce praises superstar Ella Roberts after first-term heroics for Eagles
West Coast coach and AFLW great Daisy Pearce couldn't help but marvel at the incredible first quarter her superstar Ella Roberts produced in their season opening victory over Gold Coast. Debutant Lucia Painter's three-goal third quarter might have stunned the football world, but the Eagles' 5.5 (35) to 2.8 (20) victory at Mineral Resources Park was set up by Roberts. The incredible 20-year-old who already has a club champion and All-Australian honour to her name kicked two goals from 11 touches in a blistering first term, before finishing with 24 disposals. Pearce described Roberts as an 'incredible talent' who had begun to tap into her potential as she gained the understanding to be a professional athlete. 'It's a good day as a coach when Ella Roberts starts the game that way,' she said. 'She's an incredible talent Ella and we saw today that she'll be able to sustain that high level for longer periods of time now because another one that's starting to put all the pieces in place around her talent which is her hard work and diligence off field. 'It was good to see her start the game that way. She had a really good third quarter as well without her finishing the work. I thought her work-rate and intensity around the ball was one of those reasons why we were getting the deep entries that allowed Lu to go to work. To have those two now to be able to work in tandem as mid-forwards is going to be a good lever to be able to pull.' Remarkably, Roberts had a disrupted lead into round one, battling a back injury weeks into the season. 'That was set up by the work that she did early in the off-season,' Pearce said. 'She was a really consistent trainer. I suspected it would. She got a bit of reward last year with external recognition with some of the individual awards that she won. 'It kind of kicked her into gear to go 'I want to be better'. She's been working hard for a long time. A little bit interrupted towards the back end with her back but given she'd done so much work early it didn't affect her too much.' There is also seemingly no ceiling on how good Roberts could be and Pearce said if she wasn't already one of the best players in the AFLW she soon would be. 'The beauty of her is she just loves getting out there and playing footy. She's 20 years old; she got a lot of talent, she loves getting around her teammates and she's a good teammate,' she said. 'I think she's halfway there, if she's not already there. And given the work that she's putting in and her increasing understanding of what it takes to be a professional athlete, it's pretty exciting where her ceiling is.'
News.com.au
37 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Veteran James O'Connor backed to ‘run the game' in his Wallabies return
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has no doubts flyhalf James O'Connor will be the 'guy to listen to' when he makes his first appearance for Australia since 2022 this weekend against South Africa in Johannesburg. The return of 35-year-old O'Connor for the injured Tom Lynagh (concussion) has been confirmed as the only change to the Australian team that started in the 22-12 third Test win over the British and Irish Lions in Sydney on August 2. O'Connor was part of the Wallabies' extended squad for the series against the Lions but didn't get any game time. However, Schmidt said the 64-Test veteran was more than ready to call the shots as the Wallabies' main playmaker. 'The good thing with James is he came in right at the start of the Lions series, so he had three weeks with us,' Schmidt said. 'He's had a period to probably just assimilate himself into the systems that we run and to start gaining confidence that he could run the game and the confidence of the players that he was a guy to listen to. 'He's done that really well.' Any doubt whether O'Connor would start or come off the bench was quashed when Ben Donaldson, who replaced Lynagh during the win over the Lions, suffered an injury at training on Thursday. '(O'Connor) brings a lot of experience and it's probably fortuitous because our initial thought was going with Ben Donaldson, who spent more time with us and played the last 50 minutes of that third Test against the British and Irish Lions,' Schmidt said. 'We felt that James was best served and the team was best served by James getting enough reps during the week and having the time in the saddle. 'We've obviously tracked him through the Super Rugby, playing for the Crusaders. I've seen him play for a number of years, probably because he's played for a number of years. '(He has had) a very long career but hasn't played for the Wallabies for three years, so he's pretty excited about that opportunity.' Schmidt said his squad had prepared well for the tough task of facing the world champions on Sunday morning (AEST). 'The group has had a good week of preparation, adjusting pretty well to the time zone and the altitude well here in Johannesburg,' he said. 'There's not many bigger Tests than playing South Africa on their home turf and we know we're going to need to be at our best.' Wallabies: James Slipper, Billy Pollard, Taniela Tupou, Nick Frost, Will Skelton, Tom Hooper, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson (c), Nic White, James O'Connor, Dylan Pietsch, Len Ikitau, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Max Jorgensen, Tom Wright. Bench: Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Angus Bell, Zane Nonggorr, Jeremy Williams, Langi Gleeson, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Tate McDermott, Andrew Kellaway.
