The greatest groups within the AFLW this season have been determined after the ten house and away rounds. Two golf equipment will play their first ever remaining this week, whereas the dominance of the top 4 of Adelaide, Melbourne, North Melbourne, and Brisbane continues.
Over the course of the season, every of the top eight has developed a definite model of footy, from Melbourne’s attacking sport to Gold Coast’s midfield stability.
As the primary week of finals approaches, what’s every remaining crew’s greatest asset?
Adelaide – Control
What three-time premier Adelaide does higher any some other crew is control play. It does so by successful a file quantity of uncontested possessions per week, with a median of 148.3 all through the house and away season.
Off the again of so many uncontested possessions, the Crows had been one of the best ball customers within the competitors this season with a disposal effectivity of 66.7 per cent. This permits them to not solely win, however preserve possession for lengthy durations all through video games.
That good ball use is not simply evident across the floor, but additionally in entrance of purpose. This season, Adelaide is averaging a purpose accuracy of 53 per cent, one other AFLW file, making it notably lethal as soon as inside 50.
Ebony Marinoff and Madi Newman are the largest uncontested possession winners on the membership, whereas tall quartet Chelsea Biddell, Caitlin Gould, Zoe Prowse, and Jess Allan are among the many greatest ball customers within the facet.
Melbourne – Attack
Reigning premier Melbourne has set a brand new normal in assault this yr due to a deep ahead line and team-first perspective. As a end result, the Demons boast this season’s equal-leading goalkickers in Eden Zanker and Kate Hore, every kicking 20 targets all through the house and away rounds.
Averaging a file 65.3 factors per sport, resulting in a median successful margin of 36 factors, the Demons have additionally set data for marks inside 50 with 12.5 and purpose assists with seven.
The latter two metrics specifically signify Melbourne’s need to carry teammates into the sport, usually hitting up an possibility in a greater place to generate the next proportion shot on purpose.
While Hore and Zanker have kicked 20 targets every, Alyssa Bannan has additionally been answerable for 12 and 12 different Demons have kicked double-digit targets this season. Hore and Zanker have additionally been the principle marking targets inside 50 with 22 and 20 marks inside 50 respectively.
North Melbourne – Defence
Essentially the other of Melbourne, the Kangaroos have constructed their sport round a really stingy crew defence.
Conceding simply 21.3 factors per sport, North Melbourne squeezes its opposition, permitting simply 2.5 marks from 23.8 inside 50s every week. Not solely do the Roos severely restrict their opponents’ alternatives to assault, additionally they make groups take low proportion photographs on purpose if they can break via.
It is with a layered defence that North Melbourne is ready to obtain this, with Jasmine Ferguson, Sarah Wright, and Emma Kearney working in successive layers out from their defensive purpose line.
In addition, the Roos’ stable clearance work, averaging a file 32 per sport, prevents fast ahead entries that may put a defence underneath immense pressure.
Brisbane – Forward Pressure
A facet that has prided itself on setting new requirements in ahead pressure season on season, Brisbane has finished it as soon as once more this yr.
Laying a file common of 17.5 tackles inside 50 all through the house and away season, the Lions work exhausting to unsettle defensive models and preserve territory control for patches all through video games.
That pressure is not merely offered by Brisbane’s ahead unit, however its wingers even have an enormous function in sustaining that pressure. The work fee of gamers like Sophie Conway, Jade Ellenger, and Orla O’Dwyer assists in urgent inside 50 to outnumber opposition backlines.
This has led to a median of 17 photographs on purpose per sport, solely let down at occasions this season by a purpose accuracy of 42.4 per cent.
Gold Coast – Midfield stability
In the previous, Gold Coast has been responsible of relying too closely on successful the competition and not with the ability to transition the ball successfully to the skin. This yr, nevertheless, the Suns have discovered a formidable stability between inside and outdoors ball.
With 52.1 per cent of Gold Coast’s possessions uncontested this season, it has been capable of higher make use of its outdoors runners to transition clearances into attacking alternatives. Niamh McLaughlin’s highly effective operating means, and intent to take floor by foot, is represented in her 19 bounces this yr, the second-most within the competitors.
While Charlie Rowbottom, the Suns’ main clearance winner this season, shall be out of motion for the finals collection resulting from an ankle damage, the likes of Claudia Whitfort, Lucy Single, and Alison Drennan are ready to fill the void.
Geelong – Outside sport
Similar to how Adelaide performs, Geelong is intent on shifting the ball into house and utilizing the ball neatly by foot to transition down the bottom.
With their 136.6 uncontested possessions per sport, the Cats are the second-best ball customers within the competitors this season, going at 66.1 per cent disposal effectivity.
Thanks to powerhouse contested ball winners in Amy McDonald and Georgie Prespakis, the Cats are sometimes capable of achieve possession within the clinches and get it out to a bunch of elite ball customers. On the wings, the likes of Zali Friswell (77.6 per cent disposal effectivity), Mikayla Bowen (71.8 per cent) and Nina Morrison (69.6 per cent) labored it into assault.
Meanwhile, key members of the Cats’ defensive unit in Georgie Rankin, Chantel Emonson, and Meghan McDonald have every recorded disposal efficiencies over 72 per cent this yr.
Essendon – Pressure sport
In simply its second season, Essendon has certified for finals due to its means to remove the opposition’s means to control the footy.
Against the Bombers, opposition sides win the fewest disposals this yr, averaging simply 211.6 per sport. Not solely this, however the pressure Essendon additionally applies forces the bottom disposal effectivity of the season with groups utilizing the ball at simply 59.2 per cent towards the facet.
That pressure is just not essentially consultant in sort out stats, with the Bombers sitting ninth this season for common tackles. Instead, it’s a end result of persistent work fee to shut house when the opposition is in possession and fear turnovers or poor disposal out of the ball provider.
Sydney – Momentum
Although extra of a philosophical perspective, Sydney carries momentum into the finals collection after going winless in its maiden season final yr and leaping into calculations this yr.
The Swans are the one facet to have received their final three video games main into the finals, having overwhelmed the Western Bulldogs, Collingwood, and Fremantle to shut out the house and away season.
After being the lowest-scoring facet of season seven, Sydney is now the fifth-highest scoring facet within the competitors this yr and the fourth-most environment friendly facet as soon as inside 50.
While the addition of Chloe Molloy, Lucy McEvoy, and Laura Gardiner have been vital elements on this enchancment, the commanding presence of Bec Privitelli inside 50 has additionally been a significant factor.
