AFL 2018 Pre-Season Game 1 Squad Named

AFL 2018 Pre Season Game 1 Collingwood v GWS Time & Place: Thursday, March 1, 7:10pm EDT Manuka Oval, Canberra TV: Fox Footy 7:00pm EDT Weather: Min 12 Max 29 Chance of rain 5% < 1mm Wind: NE 14kph

B: Lynden Dunn, Brody Mihocek, Flynn Appleby

HB: Jack Crisp, Adam Oxley, Tom Langdon

C: Josh Smith, Taylor Adams, James Aish

HF: Travis Varcoe, Chris Mayne, Tim Broomhead

F: Callum Brown, Mason Cox, Brayden Maynard

Foll: Brodie Grundy, Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom

Int (from): Jarryd Blair, Ben Crocker, Josh Daicos, Tyson Goldsack, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Sam McLarty, Sam Murray, Tom Phillips, Ben Reid, Matthew Scharenberg, Jaidyn Stephenson, Josh Thomas

NEW: Flynn Appleby (19, Greater Western Victoria U18), Brody Mihocek (25, Port Melbourne), Sam Murray (20, Sydney), Jaidyn Stephenson (19, Eastern U18)

Collingwood News Collingwood’s first AFL team sheet for the year includes a mix of existing stars and exciting young recruits. Captain Scott Pendlebury will travel to Canberra to face the GWS Giants on Thursday, but is joined by first-timers Jaidyn Stephenson, Sam Murray, Brody Mihocek and Flynn Appleby. Pendlebury’s inclusion marks his first game in Black and White since a finger injury prematurely ended his 2017 season in round 17. The skipper is fully fit, and was impressive in Collingwood’s intra-club clash last Thursday evening. For 12 Magpies included in the travelling party, a clash with the Giants will be the second experience facing serious opposition after taking part in AFLX a fortnight ago in Adelaide. Brayden Maynard and Steele Sidebottom led the Magpies to a win over West Coast and loss to Adelaide in the 20-minute format, and are both expected to take on the Giants in a moretraditional sense at UNSW Canberra Oval. The recent round robin also introduced the AFL world to 2017 No.6 draft pick Stephenson. Aflashy forward / midfielder, the 19-year-old will have another chance to impress as he strives for early season selection. Collingwood’s previous owner of the No. 35 guernsey – Sam McLarty has been named, alongside rookie defenders Appleby and Mihocek. As expected in pre-season games, there are a number of notable absentees. Adam Treloar will sit out the clash against his former side, while Jeremy Howe, Jamie Elliott, Alex Fasolo and Darcy Moore edge closer to a return to action. The Magpies will have an eight-day break between Thursday’s clash with the Giants and a JLT Week Three game against the Western Bulldogs in Moe.

AFLW 2018 Round 4: Collingwood 58 Melbourne 24

THE FACTS

AFLW 2018 Round 5 COLLINGWOOD v FOOTSCRAY Time & Place: Sunday March 4, 2:35pm EDT Ted Summerton Reserve, Moe TV: Fox Footy 2:30pm EDT Weather: Min 17 Max 28 Chance of rain 0% Wind: SW 11kph

COLLINGWOOD    0.0.0    3.2.20   6.4.40   9.4.58
MELBOURNE        2.2.14   2.2.14   3.4.22   3.6.24

GOALS - Collingwood: Hope 2, Edwards 2, Bernardi, Barden, Chiocci, Hutchins, Kuys

BEST - Collingwood: Bernardi, Lambert, Chiocci, Bonnici, Hope, King

INJURIES - Collingwood: Nil

REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil

OFFICIAL CROWD - TBC at TIO Traeger Park, Alice Springs

THE MEDIA

AFL COLLINGWOOD has broken its winless start to the NAB AFL Women's season with an impressive 34-point win in oppressive conditions against Melbourne in Alice Springs on Saturday night. With the temperature hitting 37 degrees at TIO Traeger Park, in the first AFLW match held there, the Magpies dominated much of the contest against one of the competition's premiership fancies, winning 9.4 (58) to 3.6 (24). Mo Hope (two goals from five shots) continued her return to form with a lively effort up forward, sparking the Pies’ comeback after the Demons booted the game’s first two goals. Melbourne has spent the past week on the road, having arrived in the Northern Territory last Wednesday after last week's loss to Fremantle in Western Australia. Aside from the first quarter, when the Demons controlled much of the play, they never looked like seriously challenging. Magpie forward Christina Bernardi was involved in much of her side's scoring efforts, particularly in the second term, working well in attack with Hope. Melbourne star Daisy Pearce copped plenty of close attention from Brittany Bonnici and was restricted to nine disposals. Fellow Magpie midfielders Jaimee Lambert and captain Stephanie Chiocci combined for 36 disposals, while Elise O'Dea and Karen Paxman stood up for the Demons. It was over when… Melbourne was pressing early in the last term and trailed by 17 points, so a comeback was on the cards if it could have strung together a couple of quick goals. Instead, Chiocci effectively ended the contest, spinning past a would-be tackler and booting a great goal from 40m. The hero Bernardi was outstanding for Collingwood. She was essential to the Magpies’ comeback in the second term, slotting a goal and setting up a couple for Hope. Her creativity in attack was crucial to the Pies posting their first victory of the year. What a turnaround After some promising signs in her recall last week, the first five minutes from Hope were poor. She was twice caught holding the ball and accidentally hit teammate Lambert high. Impressively though, the maligned forward turned it around, booting 2.3 and being a major threat in attack. What’s next? Collingwood can post consecutive wins when it takes on the Western Bulldogs at 2.35pm EDT next Sunday at Ted Summerton Reserve in Moe.

SUPERFOOTY COLLINGWOOD kept its faint AFLW finals hopes alive with a dominant 34-point win over a disappointing Melbourne in Alice Springs on Saturday night. After a scoreless first term, the Magpies turned on the flair in the trying conditions of the Red Centre to prevail 9.4 (58) to 3.6 (24) as they recorded their first win of the 2018 ­season. With temperatures reaching 38C throughout play in the first AFLW match in Alice Springs, it was the Pies who kept their cool best as they slotted six goals to one in the second half. Skipper Steph Chiocci was at her prolific best for Collingwood, covering every inch of grass at Traeger Park to record 17 disposals and a goal in a vital win for her side. Small forward Moana Hope also put in her best performance of the 2018 season, slotting two goals and creating others with her forward pressure. With scores tight at halftime, Collingwood blew the game open in the third term, kicking three goals to one to head into the final term leading by 18 points. The Pies then rammed home their advantage in the final quarter, holding the Dees goalless. “There’s always relief when you get your first win but more importantly we got reward for effort for our playing group,” Collingwood coach Wayne Siekman said. “We’ve had really good patches throughout the season where we’ve actually dominated the three sides we’ve played previously but we haven’t been able to sustain that. “That gives us great prospects and great insight into what we can do and what we’re able to achieve for the rest of the season if we keep putting out performances like that. "Everyone feels the pressure now, not just our football club. "It’s only a seven-week season so the heat is on, it’s not like you have 22 or 23 rounds and you get to have a couple of hiccups. “Now that we’ve got some momentum and the players have seen what we’ve been trying to execute all pre-season, the challenge is we go back home and prepare for another big clash next Sunday against the Western Bulldogs who are on top of the ladder.” The Demons weren’t able to get their run-and-carry game flowing and looked lethargic after quarter-time. Melbourne was again wasteful in front of goal, kicking three goals and six behinds. All-Australian Elise O’Dea was again impressive in a losing side, collecting 19 disposals as well as slotting a goal, while Karen Paxman also found the ball at will with 18 touches.

2018: AFLW Ladder Round 3

Pos Position    C Change from last round    P Played    W Won     L Lost    D Drawn    F Points for   A Points against    % Percentage    Form Past five results
Next  Next opponent    Pts Points

AFLW 2018 Round 4: The Team

AFLW 2018 Round 4 COLLINGWOOD V MELBOURNE Time & Place: Saturday February 24, 7.10pm EDT Traeger Park, Alice Springs TV: 7mate / Foxtel 7.00pm EDT Weather: Min 22 Max 34 Chance of rain 5%: < 1mm Wind: SSE 22kph Betting: Collingwood $3.25 Melbourne $1.33

B: Emma Grant, Ruby Schleicher, Iilish Ross

HB: Chloe Molloy, Cecilia McIntosh, Melissa Kuys

C: Amelia Barden

HF: Sarah D’Arcy, Jasmine Garner, Stephanie Chiocci

F: Meg Hutchins, Moana Hope, Christina Bernardi

Foll: Emma King, Jaimee Lambert, Brittany Bonnici

Int: Holly Whitford, Sarah Dargan, Lauren Tesoriero, Jess Duffin, Caitlyn Edwards

Emg: Kristy Stratton, Bree White

IN: Sarah D’Arcy, Sarah Dargan

OUT: Sophie Casey, Tara Morgan

Collingwood News A trip to the centre of Australia may be the change Collingwood’s AFL Women’s side need as it approaches a round four clash with Melbourne in Alice Springs on Saturday. Wayne Siekman and the selection committee have made two changes to a side which fell by 13 points to the GWS Giants last Sunday. Dangerous forward Sarah D’Arcy returns to the side from suspension, while first-year Magpie Sarah Dargan will make her second appearance in the Black and White after debuting in round one. Sophie Casey will serve a one-match suspension for striking Giant Cora Staunton last weekend, while Tara Morgan has been omitted. The Magpies flew to Alice Springs on Wednesday to help prepare for Saturday’s harsh playing conditions. Temperatures are expected to reach 37 degrees Celsius, with little cool change expected for the 5.40pm (local time) start. “I’m looking forward to getting away with the group,” captain Stephanie Chiocci told Collingwood Media. “I think it will be a great experience for us to see the diverse culture that is Australia and prepare for the Melbourne game on Sunday.” In Melbourne, the Magpies meet an opponent who has impressed in the early stages of the second AFLW competition. The Demons won their first two games, before suffering a narrow loss to Fremantle in Perth last weekend. Television coverage of the match will kick off at 7pm on 7mate and Fox Footy.

AFLW 2018 Round 3: GWS 48 Collingwood 35

THE FACTS

GWS                         0.1.1   2.6.18   2.6.18   7.6.48
COLLINGWOOD    2.3.15   2.4.16   4.5.29   5.5.35

GOALS - Collingwood: Hope 2, Bonnici, Chiocci, Duffin

BEST - Collingwood: Bonnici, King, Molloy, Duffin, Hope

INJURIES - Collingwood: Nil

REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil

OFFICIAL CROWD - 3,600 at Olympic Park Oval

THE MEDIA

COLLINGWOOD NEWS Collingwood captain Stephanie Chiocci says a lack of consistency is hurting her side, as the Magpies fell to 0-3 following a hard-fought loss to the GWS Giants at the Holden Centre. Speaking to Collingwood Media post-match, Chiocci says that Collingwood’s cold stretches were ultimately the reason for their loss. “We started really well. We addressed the things we wanted to address during the week in the first quarter and unfortunately couldn’t sustain it,” Chiocci said. “We have every confidence in this playing group that we can win games of footy, it’s just about stringing together four quarters of footy on the day,” she said. The dramatic momentum shifts in the game may be partly attributed to a breeze which blew to the Olympic Boulevard end of the ground, where eleven of the game’s thirteen goals were kicked. Despite this, Chiocci said that Collingwood have only themselves to blame. “A couple of undisciplined acts late in the game cost us,” Chiocci said, referring to a 50-metre penalty and downfield free kick late in the game which handed the Giants two goals. Collingwood won’t have to search far for inspiration as they look to notch their first win of the season. Coach Wayne Siekman notes the Pies found themselves in an identical position last year at Round 3 but regrouped to finish the season strongly. “The positive I take from today is that last year we were 0-3 and we finished the season with three wins,” Siekman said in his post-match media conference. Collingwood’s next chance to notch its first win comes on Saturday in Alice Springs against Melbourne. Chiocci says that the trip away as a group may be the tonic required to turn the team’s form around. “I’m looking forward to getting away with the group. What an amazing experience it will be to get up to Alice Springs,” she said. “I’ve never been to the Northern Territory and I know some of the girls haven’t been there. I think it will be a great experience for us to see the diverse culture that is Australia and prepare for the Melbourne game on Saturday.” The Collingwood players will fly out to Alice Springs on Wednesday, before participating in a community camp as part of the club’s Next Generation Academy.                                  AFL GREATER Western Sydney has won its first game for the NAB AFL Women's season, overcoming Collingwood by 13 points. The Giants' 7.6 (48) to 5.5 (35) victory leaves Collingwood winless after three matches and almost certainly out of the race for a Grand Final berth.  The match came to life in the second half, with momentum continually swinging between the two sides. But in the end, the weight of inside 50s (37-18) proved to be too much for the Magpies defence missing an injured Stacey Livingstone, who will undergo surgery on her shoulder this week. The Magpies, boosted by the additions of Moana Hope and Meg Hutchins – the veteran defender picked for her first game this season and playing up forward – had started full of purpose, kicking the opening two goals. But a Cora Staunton-inspired Giants owned the second quarter, albeit inaccurately, kicking 1.5. Staunton kicked three behinds, while teammate Aimee Schmidt was sharper, with two goals in two minutes.  Staunton was also forced from the field just before half-time after copping an elbow to the face while tackling Magpie Sophie Casey. Coach Alan McConnell said she would require an x-ray on her "bent" nose, and may not fly back with the team on Sunday night. Midfielder Courtney Gum kicked two goals in the last quarter to wrest the game away from a dogged Collingwood, who had been given late hope through a Hope goal.  Successive goals to Giants key forwards Jacinda Barclay and Phoebe McWilliams put the game beyond doubt. It was a "devastated" Collingwood coach Wayne Siekman who spoke post-match, making the point the much-discussed guidelines set down by the AFL was making life difficult for his players. "It is what it is," Siekman said. "It's hard because you go to a game like last night's (Carlton v Brisbane) and you're trying to see the changes and what you can implement and what you think you can do. You see things start a different way, then the umpires adjudicate it differently, then the next day it's back to a different way, it's hard to get consistency. "Our players are trying to learn the game, because they haven't been in a TAC Cup program, they haven't been playing elite football for five years, they're all still learning. It's so hard to keep adjusting and these poor females are having to keep adjusting. Imagine what their brains are going through." Adding salt to the wound, former Pie Alicia Eva was one of the Giants' best, with a game-high 23 touches forcing Siekman to put Britt Bonnici on her as a tag in the fourth quarter. But it was to no avail, as Bonnici's former opponent Gum bobbed up to kick those two important goals. Point of difference GWS' win came on the back of sheer weight of inside 50s. The Giants' second quarter return of 1.5 could have won the game there and then if they had kicked accurately. But if you keep kicking at goal, the tide has to turn at some point, and it did in the last quarter. The Giants followed their scoreless third term with five goals straight in the fourth and finished with an inside-50 count of 37-18. Remember me? While Tayla Harris may have struggled against her former club on Saturday night, Alicia Eva was one of the Giants' best against her old Collingwood teammates. After requesting a trade up north, Eva has fitted in seamlessly, adding some much-needed nous to the Giants' line-up. The tireless onballer ran riot, recording a match-high 23 disposals, three marks and three tackles. Her pace and creativity was something the Magpies desperately missed at points during the match.  Where there's life, there's Hope All eyes were on reinstated Collingwood forward Moana Hope, returning for her first game after her omission last week. It was a mixed day for last season's marquee signing, who marked strongly but struggled with her field kicking. She kicked a stunning dribble goal from the pocket in the third term, as well as a gimmie from a 50-metre penalty in the goal square and has probably done enough to hold her place.  Say what? "We had a good chat after the game with the players. There was some really good patches from us, certainly the first quarter I felt we were pretty dominant … but that second quarter they were coming hard, their inside-50 numbers were off the charts" – Collingwood coach Wayne Siekman  Up Next Collingwood travels to Alice Springs for a daunting match-up against Melbourne.                                  AFLW 2018 Round 4 COLLINGWOOD v MELBOURNE Time & Place: Saturday February 24, 7.10pm EDT Traeger Park, Alice Springs TV: 7mate Foxtel Weather: Min 23 Max 37 Chance of rain 30%: < 1mm  Wind: SE 23kph

SUPERFOOTY IS that the sound of a pressure valve squealing? Collingwood is the only AFLW team without a win so far this season and dwells alone at the bottom of the ladder after a 13-point loss to Greater Western Sydney on home turf at Olympic Park. Coach Wayne Siekman’s last win at the helm came at the same ground and against the same opposition — in Round 6 of last season — but there was no similar joy for this Pies outfit. Having jetted to an early lead last week and put the brakes on, Collingwood was determined not to repeat its mistakes and keeping the Giants scoreless in the third term went a long way to ensuring that. But it was to no avail. The Giants were the more attacking side throughout, almost doubling Collingwood’s inside 50 count. In familiar territory, Giants vice-captain Alicia Eva pulled out all stops in her attempt to drag her side to victory on her former stomping ground with the Pies virtually unable to quell her influence, their former vice-skipper finishing with 23 disposals and three tackles. Chloe Molloy — who started forward for the Pies — is something special and will be tough to beat for this year’s Rising Star. But they need more like her or this season could be over in no time. Cold Pies IT’S tough to come back from, three losses in this AFLW caper. Collingwood is the only team without a win in the AFLW, having squandered a second-half lead against the Giants to now dwell at the bottom of the ladder. It’s a lonely place. With so many sides pushing for the top two positions, it’s just about impossible from here. Monday, Busy Monday PUT the kettle on Chrisso — might be a few more for you to have a look at on Monday morning. After Tayla Harris’ punch on Leah Kaslar and Dayna Cox’s hit to Bulldog Ellie Blackburn, Magpie Sophie Conway could also be in the mix for some attention from the league’s match review officer. Casey — who copped a two-match ban last season — barrelled through Irish Giant Cora Staunton and raised her elbow, which met flush with Staunton’s nose and the claret flowed. Could have been accidental but will certainly be inspected. Hope For Mo? YES, there most certainly is. The forward — who was dropped last week — appeared to struggle to find her confidence early but eased into the game nicely. She started as “the bear in the square” — so flagged by Pies assistant Daniel Harford last week — with Pepa Randall given the job for the most part. When she led with gusto just 45 seconds into the game and received a Meg Hutchins kick cleanly, the former marquee sprayed her shot for goal out of bounds on the full. The crowd was worried. But she rallied. When paid a free kick 40m out, she quickly passed — maybe a sign of some nerves. But a dribbled goal to put the Pies back in front in the third quarter that saw her face light up, turn to the crowd and the fingers pointed. A later 50m penalty to her favour brought a walk-in goal. Back? Maybe. But certainly on the right track. Initiative In Action THE league’s new “spirit of the game initiative” made a conspicuous appearance at Olympic Park on Sunday with play held up in the third quarter until the Pies acknowledged and actioned a 5-6-5 formation at the centre ball-up. Immediately after the ball was thrown up, players resumed normal transmission and returned to the defensive set up they had originally looked to employ. Not a rule, they say, but an “initiative” that is concrete enough to hold up play. Not concrete enough to stop players immediately reverting.                                  REAL FOOTY Collingwood coach Wayne Siekman lamented the altered situation created by the AFL’s recent AFLW memo after his side capitulated in a loss to Greater Western Sydney at Olympic Park Oval yesterday, all but ending the Pies’ season. The Giants had only won once in AFLW history, and never before in Melbourne, but they overcame a slow start, kicking seven goals to three after quarter time to record their first win of the season and consign the Pies to bottom spot on the ladder. Not even a second half cameo from the recalled Mo Hope could save the Pies, who for the second year in a row have made a meal of the start of their season. With her side trailing deep in the third quarter, Collingwood needed a moment of brilliance. They found it from Hope, who dribbled through a right foot banana. But the fairytale script for the home side was quickly thrown out. The Giants – wooden spooners last season – have made huge strides in the off-season, and converted their early season promise by running out the game strongly. Courtney Gum put through two goals early in the final term, and again Collingwood were on the ropes. Hope then benefited from a generous umpiring decision to kick her second goal of the day, but Jacinda Barclay steadied for the Giants. Phoebe McWilliams put icing on the cake with her second, giving veteran coach Alan McConnnell – who had been caretaker at Fitzroy in the mid 1990s – his first victory as a senior coach in either AFL or AFLW. Making it even sweeter for the Giants was the showing of former Pie Alicia Eva, the consensus choice for best afield with 23 disposals. The opening passage of the day was hugely promising for Collingwood, but ultimately a microcosm of a day that promised plenty but amounted to little. Meg Hutchins – hitherto unseen this season – marked on the lead and kicked deep to the forward pocket, where Hope took a nice grab. But she missed everything. Still Collingwood controlled proceedings in the early stages, heading to the first change 14 points ahead. It didn’t last, as GWS grabbed the ascendancy. They peppered the goals for little reward before eventually Aimee Schmidt put through a couple of majors shortly before half-time, giving the Giants a narrow lead, but perhaps more importantly, plenty of momentum. Pie Sophie Casey will also likely face match-review attention for a hit on Irishwoman Cora Staunton, who McConnell said was facing X-rays on a suspected broken nose. The game was also noteworthy for a second quarter incident in which the central umpire declined to restart the game until players were in the 5-6-5 formation, a flow-on effect of the controversial post-round one memo to coaches. Describing himself as "devastated", Siekman said the memo had made things hard for his side. "Our football club, since the memo came out from the AFL, [has been trying] to play the numbers," he said. "We didn’t want to put numbers behind the footy. "For [the situation] to change [mid-season], we’ve sort of been hit by a roadblock." Meanwhile Carlton have conceded they need to improve the standard of lighting if they are to host further AFL night matches at their Ikon Park home ground. Carlton chief executive, Cain Liddle, conceded parts of the ground were "difficult to see", but said there were plans to rectify the situation. "There’s no doubt we want our supporters to have the best possible fan experience at our games. The AFL, who manage the lighting at Ikon Park, have conducted all the relevant testing procedures, which were approved from a safety perspective," Liddle said. "We acknowledge that some areas of the ground were difficult to see from afar and we are working with the AFL, state and local governments on a solution that ensures that our elite female footballers have access to the same quality of facilities and infrastructure as our elite men do. "Ikon Park has proven itself to be the ideal home for AFLW and it is incumbent upon all key stakeholders to ensure that we give women’s football at all levels, the very best opportunity to grow." Carlton host Melbourne in a twilight match on March 11.

2018 AFL Pre Season Draw

2018 PRE SEASON DRAW
Game One GWS v Collingwood Thursday March 1 Manuka Oval, 7:10pm	Game Two Collingwood v Footscray Saturday 10 March Ted Summerton Reserve, Moe, 1:05pm

The 2018 pre-season competition will feature 18 matches across 16 days, reducing each team's games played from three to two. All matches will be televised live on Fox Footy.

2018: AFLW Ladder Round 2

Pos Position    C Change from last round    P Played    W Won     L Lost    D Drawn    F Points for   A Points against    % Percentage    Form Past five results    Next  Next opponent    Pts Points

AFLW 2018 Round 3: The Team

AFLW 2018 Round 3 COLLINGWOOD V GWS Time & Place: Sunday February 18, 4.35pm EDT Olympic Park Oval TV: Fox Sports 4.30pm EDT Weather: Min 15 Max 25 Chance of rain 30%: < 1mm Wind: SSW 15kph Betting: Collingwood $1.77 GWS $2.02

B: Emma Grant, Ruby Schleicher, Iilish Ross

HB: Chloe Molloy, Sophie Casey, Tara Morgan

C: Cecilia McIntosh

HF: Melissa Kuys, Jasmine Garner, Stephanie Chiocci

F: Caitlyn Edwards, Lauren Tesoriero, Christina Bernardi

Foll: Emma King, Jaimee Lambert, Amelia Barden

Int (from): Brittany Bonnici, Bree White, Holly Whitford, Jess Duffin, Meg Hutchins, Sarah Dargan, Moana Hope

In: R.Schleicher, M.Hutchins, S.Dargan, M.Hope

Out: S.Livingstone (shoulder), E.Hyne

Collingwood News Three inclusions have been made as Collingwood’s AFL Women’s team looks to secure its first win of the season against the GWS Giants at the Holden Centre on Sunday. An extended squad with seven players on the interchange bench includes Meg Hutchins and Moana Hope, while Ruby Schleicher has been named at full back after missing a round two clash with Fremantle. Stacey Livingstone is a confirmed out and will soon see a surgeon after a second collar-bone injury last weekend, while upgraded rookie Eliza Hynes has also been excluded. “The straight swap is Ruby Schleicher for Stacey Livingstone,” women’s football operations manager Mathew James told Collingwood Media. “Ruby has been great all pre-season. “It’s a great opportunity for her to try and cement her spot for the rest of the season in that role.” The visiting Giants sit alongside Collingwood and reigning premiers Adelaide as the three winless teams in the competition after two rounds. They possess former Magpie Alicia Eva, who adds to a line-up James believes could match the Pies with pace and quick ball movement. “I think you should expect to see an open, free-flowing game,” he predicted. “We want to take sides on with our game style and they’re a really well structured side. “We’ve just got to be able to knuckle down when the opposition kick a couple of goals on us.” The Holden Centre was a happy hunting ground for Collingwood against GWS in 2017. Brittany Bonnici led the side with 18 disposals, while Hope kicked 2.4 in a 36-point victory. The win was the Magpies biggest of the season. Once again on home turf, James expects the familiarity of Olympic Park Oval to help the side. “We train on the ground, we know the conditions really well. “The way the girls have been all week, they’re excited. “They want to put on a really good show and display to the fans how Collingwood women can play football.” A final team of 20 will be announced on Friday afternoon.

AFLW 2018 Round 2: Fremantle 40 Collingwood 27

THE FACTS

FREMANTLE          3.0.18   4.1.25   5.3.33   6.4.40
COLLINGWOOD    2.0.12   2.0.12   3.1.19   4.3.27

GOALS - Collingwood: Bernardi 2, King, Lambert

BEST - Collingwood: Kuys, Chiocci, Duffin, Molloy, Bernardi

INJURIES - Collingwood: Stacey Livingstone (shoulder), Sophie Casey (concussion)

REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil

OFFICIAL CROWD - 41,975 at Perth Stadium

THE MEDIA

COLLINGWOOD NEWS The new for football in Western Australia started with a nod to the past. Here was a swarming team clad in purple suffocating an increasingly desperate opponent, with a star No. 29 patrolling attacking 50m and a feverish crowd willing the home side to victory. But this wasn't a Ross Lyon-coached Fremantle outfit, led by champion forward Matthew Pavlich, that was strangling another team into submission at Subiaco Oval. This time it was Michelle Cowan's troops, inspired in part by a brilliant Melissa Caulfield (two goals), clamping down on Collingwood in the first-ever Australian Rules match at brand-spanking new Optus Stadium. It was also history in the making, as 41,975 fans turned up and set a new attendance record for a standalone women's sporting event in Australia, breaking a mark from way back in 1929. And it was the perfect tonic for the AFL Women's competition after a week of controversy about the aesthetics of the fledgling league. Perth footy fans did their bit by turning up in droves – albeit in fewer numbers than the 54,000 tickets sold – and the players put on a show worthy of the occasion. The spicy contest had everything: ferocious tackles, big hits, free-flowing footy and highlights galore. Despite the cauldron-like atmosphere, there was few signs of nerves from either side. Collingwood set the standard early, moving the ball with a precise chain of handballs from the opening bounce and had two goals on the board before Fremantle had blinked. Star ruck Emma King spoke this week about the Pies – who were involved in the first-ever AFLW game plus this year's season-opener – knowing a thing or two about playing in front of big crowds in marquee matches. Silencing the 'Purple Army' by hitting the scoreboard early would help, and King duly delivered by soccering through the first-ever goal at the 60,000-seat venue. But the Dockers soon found their spark and the restless crowd discovered their voice. Ashlee Atkins cleared the pack on the line from 40m to register Freo's first goal at the club's new home, and the Dockers were away. Six of the game's final eight goals were booted by the home side, who hunted and harassed the Pies into mistake after mistake. Nearly a year to the day since the Dockers lost their first AFLW game in WA at a packed Fremantle Oval, they weren't about to walk away disappointed again - especially if best-on-ground Dana Hooker (20 disposals, two goals) had anything to do with it. Hooker was simply outstanding and drove a dagger into Collingwood's comeback hopes with a superb instinctive finish early in the fourth quarter. She was well-supported by debutant Lisa Webb (17 possessions, seven marks) – the wife of Dockers men's assistant coach Marc – hard-nosed defender Ebony Antonio (15 disposals) and Caulfield. To their credit, the Magpies never threw in the towel. Chloe Molloy (15 disposals) underlined her status as a future star with another mature display, Melissa Kuys (21) was tireless and Christina Bernardi (two goals) was a constant threat. However, they were fighting an uphill battle against a relentless Dockers line-up desperate to atone for last week's embarrassing scoreless half in their opening game and spurred on by a huge crowd. By the time the familiar "Freo" chant rang out around Optus Stadium in the dying minutes it was clear that the Dockers would christen the venue with a first-up triumph.                                  ABC It was the most challenging week the AFLW has had to endure since it opened to much fanfare at Princes Park in February of 2017, but at the end of it came a sweet reward. A crowd of 41,975 at Perth Stadium saw an 89-year-old record for women's footy broken — no stand-alone match of women's Aussie rules has been attended by more people — and added to the long list of successes of which this young league can boast. It will come as a relief to the true believers who, for the first time, saw their game questioned not only by the perennial doubters but by the AFL itself, who responded with the now infamous "memo" not-so-subtly addressing the standard of football in the league. This week saw MRP controversy, with the Melbourne papers filled with angst over a Monday press release like it was mid-July. There were devastating injury blows, most notably the loss of Carlton's Bri Davey with a ruptured ACL, while the likes of Erin Phillips and Tayla Harris struggled with their own knocks and niggles. All in all, it felt very much like a standard week in the men's AFL — and fittingly, that is how it ended too. Because the reason why we put up with so much nonsense in the AFL — all the manufactured controversies, rule changes, heartbreaking injuries and negative press — is the knowledge that once the weekend comes, somewhere in the country a gloriously packed stadium will play host to a cracking game of footy. Mercifully, that was exactly what we got in Perth. Collingwood got the jump on the hometown Dockers, but buoyed by a crowd far beyond anything these women had played in front of, Freo gained its composure and made it a welcome party to remember. The quality of the footy was much improved too, with the skills often matching the extreme ferocity on display. This was one of the more physical games the AFLW has seen, at times bordering on spiteful but never unsporting. The same could be said of Saturday's earlier match, where Melbourne quite literally outclassed the reigning champion Crows with their arguably league-leading skills. If nothing else, this week has stressed the importance of not confusing those who make reasoned, valid criticisms of AFLW games, players and teams with those who dismiss the league out of hand as a novelty and a waste of time. The former would have been delighted to have seen a high-quality and entertaining match worthy of the spectacle. The latter probably is not worth worrying about either way. There will be more challenges to come for the AFLW, and not every week can bring about record-breaking crowds, but the league can rest assured that not one of the 41,975 people in Perth Stadium today could complain about what they saw on the field. And if even half of them come back next time, the league is on to a winner. AFLW 2018 Round 3 COLLINGWOOD v GWS Time & Place: Sunday February 18, 4.35pm EDT Olympic Park Oval TV: Fox Sports 4.30pm EDT Weather: Min 12 Max 23 Chance of rain 50%: < 1mm Wind: SSW 18kph Betting: Collingwood $1.82 GWS $1.96

SUPERFOOTY A RECORD crowd of 41,975 has watched Fremantle beat Collingwood by 13 points in a fiery AFLW clash at Perth’s Optus Stadium. Collingwood kicked the first two goals but Fremantle dominated from that point to secure the 6.4 (40) to 4.3 (27) win. Although 54,000 tickets were sold for the match at $2 each, more than 12,000 people didn’t show. But there were still easily enough to smash the previous crowd record for an AFLW match — the 24,500 who watched last season’s opener between Carlton and Collingwood at Ikon Park. And the record for a stand alone women’s domestic game in Australia was also broken. That obscure record was set in 1929, when 41,000 fans attended an exhibition game at Adelaide Oval between employees from a department store and a pyjama factory. The huge level of interest for Saturday’s game was largely sparked by Perth’s new $1.5 billion stadium. But fans new to women’s football were treated to a spectacle featuring plenty of biff and a good number of goals. “It was an incredible occasion and a really special day for our football club and women’s sport as a whole,” Fremantle coach Michelle Cowan said. “Certainly in that fourth quarter the chant of Freo — when that went up, it was really special.” Fremantle’s physical approach was clear from the outset and star Collingwood defender Chloe Molloy was one of the biggest targets. When listing his team’s injuries, Magpies coach Wayne Siekman said Molloy finished with a “bruised jaw and bruised ribs” in a not-too-subtle dig at Fremantle’s tactics. “So she obviously got fairly well belted up today,” he said. “It was pretty heated and they came with a pretty big plan. “Why wouldn’t you go after a pretty significant talent — a rising star from round one. “She’s a special talent and got herself back up and won a few more contested marks ... and kept getting whacked and kept getting back up.” Molloy finished with 15 disposals to be among Collingwood’s best, while Fremantle’s Dana Hooker (20 possessions, two goals) was best afield. The Magpies are winless after two rounds; Fremantle are 1-1.                                  AFL FREMANTLE has overcome a fast-starting Collingwood outfit to christen the club’s new home ground with a 13-point win in front of a record 41,975 fans on Saturday. The Magpies had the better of their opponents early with slick ball movement and manic forward pressure creating the opportunity for Emma King to become the first goal-scorer at Optus Stadium. When Christina Bernardi slotted Collingwood’s second just moments later, Michelle Cowan’s team looked worrying similar to the side that capitulated against the Western Bulldogs last week. But seemingly in an instant, the Dockers kicked into gear and rounded out a free-flowing first quarter with three consecutive goals to establish a six-point lead at the first break. The Magpies failed to hit the scoreboard in the second quarter as Fremantle, led by reigning best-and-fairest Dana Hooker (20 possessions, six tackles and two goals) ran the ball in waves from defence. Collingwood rallied briefly in the third quarter on the back of Bernardi’s second goal but Fremantle returned fire in a heated fracas on the wing that left second-game NAB AFLW Rising Star nominee Chloe Molloy with a bruised jaw and ribs. Cowan’s brigade eventually ran out the game stronger, kicking six of the last eight goals to register its first win for the season, 6.4 (40) to 4.3 (27). The Fremantle coach praised her players’ ability to maintain focused, despite fanfare surrounding the first game at Optus Stadium. "They were really focused on the four quarters, on coming to play and on preparing really well to play so I’m really proud of them in that regard," she said. "No doubt, the occasion is an incredible occasion and a really special day for our football club and women’s sport as a whole. "It’s wonderful that our supporters and the WA community came out and supported today because they just made history." Traditionally dour and defensive, Fremantle played with near-unrecognisable freedom for large portions of Saturday night. But Cowan said her team’s game-plan came about naturally, and was not a manifestation of the AFL’s controversial directive for more attractive football. "It was a good conversation to have during the week but there wasn’t a whole lot of changes on our end," Cowan said. "From my end, we used the space and opened up the ground and it was a lot more free-flowing and certainly a lot more one-on-one’s. "It was a fantastic game of football and I look forward to watching it back." Collingwood coach Wayne Siekman said his coaching staff were baffled by the first-quarter shift in momentum. "I think I’m still trying to work it out with the coaching group," Siekman said. "The players had a really good honest chat when they got in the rooms and hopefully they talked about that. "Freo lifted and probably went in a little bit harder. We couldn’t quite rise it to the next level and that sort of cost us.” The first blow King’s off-the-ground effort might’ve kicked off proceedings for the visitors, but when Ashlee Atkins converted a difficult set shot from 40m, the home crowd found voice for the first time in its new home. Reigning best-and-fairest Dana Hooker then kept the ball rolling just minutes later, evading several tacklers before nailing a snap from 30m. Winning formula Perhaps it was aided by the vast expanses of the Perth Stadium surface, but the AFL’s push for more free-flowing football seemed to pay early dividends on Saturday. Notorious last year for their turgid approach, the Dockers consistently had extra players on the spread and moved the ball aggressively through the corridor. Unsurprisingly – given Magpies coach Wayne Siekman’s public support for the 'open play' policy – Collingwood adopted a similar approach, making for a fast-paced and exciting encounter. One to watch Promising defender Chloe Molloy received plenty of plaudits for her composed debut against Carlton last week and on Saturday proved the effort was no flash in the pan. Selected with pick No.3 in last year’s draft, the 19-year-old was courageous standing underneath the ball and typically used her 15 disposals to good effect. Did you see that? Hopes were high that when 54,000 tickets were sold for Saturday’s encounter, a new benchmark would be set for women’s sport in Australia. And so it proved, with the 41,975-strong crowd the largest in Australia’s female sporting history, breaking the previous record set at Adelaide Oval in 1929 for an exhibition Australian Rules match. Say what? "It was pretty heated and, obviously, they came with a pretty big plan. They wanted to go after a pretty big talent (Molloy). They had a tactic and it worked for them." – Collingwood coach Wayne Siekman What’s next? Collingwood has the opportunity to break its duck against the winless Giants in the familiar surrounds of Olympic Park Oval next Sunday.

AFLW 2018 Round 2: The Team

AFLW 2018 Round 2 COLLINGWOOD v FREMANTLE Time & Place: Saturday February 10, 7:10pm EDT Perth Stadium TV: 7mate / Foxtel 7.00pm EDT Weather: Min 17 Max 32 Chance of rain 5%: < 1mm Wind: SSW 23kph Betting: Collingwood $1.82 Fremantle $1.96

B: Cecilia McIntosh, Iilish Ross, Emma Grant

HB: Chloe Molloy, Stacey Livingstone, Caitlyn Edwards

C: Brittant Bonnici

HF: Christina Bernardi, Jess Duffin, Steph Chiocci

F: Lauren Tesoriero, Jasmine Garner, Melissa Kuys

Foll: Emma King, Jaimee Lambert, Amelia Barden

Int: Holly Whitford, Eliza Hynes, Sophie Casey, Tara Morgan, Bree White

Emg: Ruby Schleicher, Kristy Stratton

IN: Jess Duffin, Tara Morgan, Lauren Tesoriero, Holly Whitford
OUT: Sarah D'Arcy (suspended), Sarah Dargan, Moana Hope, Ruby Schleicher
NEW: Holly Whitford (19, Gippsland U18)

Collingwood News A teenage debutant is one of four inclusions to the Collingwood team that will make history when it takes on Fremantle in the first match at Perth’s new Optus Stadium. Holly Whitford, 19, has risen from the rookie list into the senior team in the space of a fortnight. The former Cranbourne onballer joins local product Tara Morgan, onballer Lauren Tesoriero and Jess Duffin in Saturday’s line up. They replace Sarah D’Arcy, who received a two-week suspension for kicking, and omitted trio Sarah Dargan, Moana Hope and Ruby Schleicher. “Holly has the ability to be a dangerous small forward and, despite her height, she isn’t afraid to throw her body around,” coach Wayne Siekman told Collingwood Media following the 2017 Rookie Draft. Whitford played her junior football with Cranbourne before representing the Gippsland Power in the TAC Cup Girls competition. She arrived at Collingwood alongside close friend Darcy Guttridge, who was selected with pick No. 9 in the 2017 National Women’s Draft. The Roar History will be made when Fremantle and Collingwood take to the field in front of what is expected to be a sell-out crowd (and record for an AFL Women’s premiership match) at the new Perth Stadium on Saturday night. The Dockers’ men’s team may have missed out on contesting the first AFL premiership match at the ground (with that honour going to the West Coast Eagles), but they have received the best consolation possible, with their women’s team to play the first football match of any kind at the ground. So far, up to 45,000 tickets have been sold for the clash (with an additional 3,000 tickets going on sale overnight), all but guaranteeing the record crowd for an AFLW premiership clash will be smashed. The match will also be televised on free-to-air on the Seven Network, giving the club what could be its biggest exposure on the national stage since the men’s side was beaten by Hawthorn in the 2013 AFL grand final. With the men’s team conducting their training session at the ground prior to the first bounce, it stands to be a massive night in the Dockers’ history, and there is no doubt the women will be spurred on by the occasion to perform in front of their fans for the first time in 2018. Michelle Cowan’s side lost their first match of the season to the Western Bulldogs by 26 points after enduring a scoreless first half, the result leaving the Purple Haze last on the ladder after Round 1. The Pies, on the other hand, were just as sloppy in their eight-point loss to Carlton; despite dominating most statistics they could only manage two goals for the night (the first through Jasmine Garner) and none after half-time. They will also be without forward Sarah D’Arcy for the trip west after she copped a two-match suspension for lashing out at Sarah Hosking during the third quarter of the match at Ikon Park. Despite her absence, and the expected will to be shown by the Dockers to perform on what is a huge occasion for the club, I still think the Pies will get home in this one. Prediction: Collingwood by 12 points.

2018: AFLW Ladder Round 1

Pos Position    C Change from last round    P Played    W Won     L Lost    D Drawn    F Points for   A Points against    % Percentage    Form Past five results    Next  Next opponent    Pts Points

AFLW: Pies Forward Hit With Ban For Groin Kick

AFL - Nathan Schmook

Sarah D'Arcy kicks Sarah Hosking

COLLINGWOOD forward Sarah D'Arcy has been handed a two-match suspension for kicking in the first incident adjudicated by new match review officer Michael Christian.
D'Arcy was reported in Friday night's AFLW opener against Carlton at Ikon Park after she kicked out at Carlton's Sarah Hosking while she was on her back after taking a mark, making contact to her opponent's groin.
The Magpies forward can accept a two-match suspension with an early guilty plea or choose to challenge and risk a three-week ban under AFLW rules.
The one-week penalty for a failed Tribunal challenge remains in place for the second AFLW season, rather than the $10,000 charge that has been implemented for the 2018 men's competition.
Christian, whose penalties are ticked off by League football operations boss Steve Hocking, will front the media on Monday afternoon to explain his decision.
The two-week penalty was consistent with the 2018 table of offences, using the grading of intentional conduct with medium impact to the groin.
Christian said Carlton's medical report showed the impact of D'Arcy's kick to be negligible, but he upgraded the charge to medium impact because of the risk of serious injury.

AFLW 2018 Round 2 COLLINGWOOD v FREMANTLE Time & Place: Saturday February 10, 7:10pm EDT Perth Stadium TV: 7mate / Foxtel 7.00pm EDT Weather: Min 16 Max 31 Chance of rain 10%: < 1mm Wind: SSW 22kph Betting: Collingwood $1.82 Fremantle $1.96

"Sarah Hosking was able to get up … obviously she was distressed, but she was able to get up, take her kick and play on," Christian said.
"Ordinarily that would be low impact, but I decided to upgrade that to medium."
Christian said the same action with the same outcome in a men's match would have been met with a two-week ban.
The penalty effectively rules D'Arcy out for more than a quarter of the AFLW season, but Christian said he would not adjust his penalties to account for the shorter women's season.
"Just because it's a short season, I don't think that we need to excuse situations and actions like this," the newly installed match review officer said.
D'Arcy's penalty, if accepted, will sideline her until the midway point of the AFLW season, missing matches against Fremantle (Optus Stadium) and Greater Western Sydney (Olympic Park Oval) and returning for the round four clash against Melbourne in Alice Springs.
Western Bulldogs star Katie Brennan was charged with rough conduct and can accept a reprimand, while an incident involving Bulldog Bonnie Toogood and Fremantle’s Ashlee Atkins was cleared because both players were contesting the ball.

Link

• Match review officer's full statement

AFLW 2018 Round 1: Carlton 22 Collingwood 14

THE FACTS

CARLTON              2.1.13   3.1.19   3.4.22   3.4.22               
COLLINGWOOD     1.0.6   2.1.13   2.1.13   2.2.14

GOALS - Collingwood: Garner, Barden

BEST - Collingwood: Molloy, Chiocci, Lambert, McIntosh, Garner

INJURIES - Collingwood: Duffin (strained adductor, replaced in selected side by Schleicher)

REPORTS - Collingwood: Sarah D'Arcy reported for kicking Sarah Hosking (Carlton) in the third quarter

OFFICIAL CROWD - 19,852 at Princes Park, Carlton

THE MEDIA

SUPERFOOTY WHEN Carlton lured Nicola Stevens from the Magpies, it was a kick in the guts, really. On Friday night at Ikon Park, as AFLW re-emerged on another beautiful summer’s evening in front of a near-on packed house of 20,000 fans, the reality of losing their first-year best and fairest set in. As the Magpies locked the ball inside their forward 50 with four minutes to go, down by eight points, it was Stevens who was banging it back out. With two minutes to go, Stevens tellingly beat Mo Hope in a battle for the loose ball at the top of the goal square, using her pace and getting a scrappy but important kick out of the danger zone. Stevens has fitted in seamlessly at Carlton. She’s was the general down back, allowing Bri Davey to go forward at times. Davey was at her influential best, but the load is now shared. Stevens crashed and bashed in the centre too, usually offloading a handball to a teammate. But the question is, who is going to be the best of the big name recruits for the Blues? Former Brisbane marquee Tayla Harris showed why the Blues were happy she wanted to call Princes Park home in 2018. She was good in the air, a pack mark in the goal square the highlight, and her delivery by foot was also impressive. She teamed ominously with Darcy Vescio, showing glimpses of what this paring could do. It didn’t tear the game apart, but look out, it will at some point this season. When Vescio centred the ball from the boundary and Harris marked, 20m out, it was the script coach Damien Keeping had written during the off-season. Vescio didn’t have the impact she had in the season opener last year. She played deep and was being niggled first by debutant Illis Ross. Ross was so bewitched by Vescio, she was watching her, more like netballer, than where the ball was. Then Chloe Molloy arrived, and she quietened the star. Collingwood could have discovered the debutant of the year with No.3 draft pick Molloy. The 18-year-old was a forward in the VFLW, and a very good one. Instead she played down back, taking the kick ins and also prowling across half back. She was confident and assured. Not afraid to sneak up the wing and leave her opponent. Or even play on from the kick-in. Then she snuck forward in the final moments of the game, giving Collingwood supporters hope of a match-winning goal, but her kick flew well wide and out on the full. She continued to tackle and chase, showing great fight. Moana Hope surrounded by Carlton players. Of the old guard, Hope went forward, like she probably was always going too despite being named in the centre. She led strongly in the third term but couldn’t take the marks, being monstered doesn’t help. Gun Collingwood recruit Jaimee Lambert was quiet in the first half but started to fire in the third term. Stevens received the bronx cheers she probably expected. She was also roughed up by her former teammates at any opportunity. But the Carlton faithful showed their support with a full voice, gleefully cheering her whenever she collected the ball. She’ll perhaps be their favourite by season’s end, or that could be Tayla.                                  REAL FOOTY There was no lockout at Ikon Park this year but a shutdown happened on the field in a tight encounter with just five goals kicked in the opening game of the AFLW season. This second coming of AFLW began in almost identical fashion as last year when Collingwood's Jasmine Garner kicked the opening goal for the second year running under summer skies at Ikon Park. It was not the only similarity on the night either, with Carlton winning again, hanging on by eight points after neither team kicked a goal in the second half. The lack of scoring dampened the thrills to some extent but the tightness of the game kept the crowd enthralled. When the Carlton chant found voice deep into the last quarter as the ball sat inside Collingwood's forward line in front of the Blues' social club, it was clear the supporters cared. The players do, too, as Collingwood president Eddie McGuire, who attended the game this season after missing last year's historic occasion to meet a commitment to commentate the boxing, sensed at the club's jumper presentation a week earlier. "This year there is a real intent, now we want to be athletes, now we want to win," McGuire said. That Collingwood couldn't win would have disappointed McGuire as the Magpies dominated after quarter-time, but he could not question the players' intent. The difference was Tayla Harris – who the Blues lured from Brisbane in the trade period – with her marking power and attack on the ball creating scoring opportunities. Carlton coach Damien Keeping said the high profile forward was impressive and her performance would improve the longer she spent alongside her new teammates. "She was really critical to us at significant moments in the game," Keeping said. However the excited and somewhat relieved coach said the team's talent ran deep enough to not be too reliant on their star players. The Magpies dominated territory but only Sarah D'Arcy looked like scoring, with the impressive Chloe Molloy playing in defence where she showed great poise in her first game with 20 disposals. It meant D'Arcy received some attention from the Blues defenders and her frustration boiled over in the third quarter when she kicked out at one of the Blues' twins, Sarah Hosking, in the third quarter when the Carlton twin stood over her as she lay on the ground. Had D'Arcy taken the kick and goaled it could have given the Magpies the spark they needed. But they could not convert, messing up a perfect chance to score early in the last quarter when they fumbled and bumbled the ball in open space as they headed towards goal. Collingwood coach Wayne Siekman said the Magpies had squandered the opportunity to cause an upset and the team was hurting. "We just lacked a fraction of composure. That's all it was," Siekman said. The last-touch rule did not have the impact on the scoring as league heavyweights hoped with the five goals for the match three fewer than were scored in last year's opener when Carlton forward Darcy Vescio kicked half of the eight goals. Vescio was quiet, with just one touch in the first half, well held by Iilish Ross. But the free kicks under the last-touch rules kept the game flowing and it was nowhere near as congested as it had been on opening night last season. They were the positives on a night that saw the game cement itself on the sporting landscape, landing last year's tsunami on solid ground with McGuire continuing to predict big things for the future. "The difference between this year and last year is palpable," McGuire said. "The difference between last year, this year and five years' time is going to be unrecognisable."

COLLINGWOOD NEWS Carlton has defeated a dogged Collingwood by just eight points in a fiercely contested opening match of the NAB AFLW season. In a hard-fought match, both sides had long periods of dominance but struggled to make an impact on the scoreboard, with Carlton winning 3.4 (22) to 2.2 (14). Carlton actually failed to kick a goal after half-time but had done enough early (through Kate Shierlaw, Tayla Harris and Alison Downie) to hang on. Collingwood draftee Chloe Molloy, usually a forward, was a steadying presence in defence, while Harris was highly impressive in her first game for the Blues, taking several stunning contested marks and kicking a goal. It was a case of history repeating when Collingwood key forward Jasmine Garner kicked the opening goal of the match, as she did in last year's season opener. The Magpies then struggled to get through a strong Blues zone defence, led by Davey (16 disposals and four marks) and Danielle Hardiman (12 and two). In promising signs for Carlton, usual stars and leaders Darcy Vescio and Lauren Arnell did not have an impact on the match, yet they still came away with the four points. Moana Hope's much vaunted move into the midfield lasted just a quarter, after which she was moved forward to try and provide a focal point. It worked somewhat, but she took just one mark and didn't hit the scoreboard. Fellow forward Sarah D'Arcy will come under the scrutiny of new Match Review Officer Michael Christian for lashing out at Carlton midfielder Sarah Hoskingin an attempt to get the Blue to move away after a tackle. She was reported for the unusual offence of "kicking". Captain, my captain Both captains were eager to set the tone early, with Brianna Davey particularly dominant in the first half of the match. Davey plays the role of the general so well in defence, but it was her ability to run and create that was damaging early. In a similar vein, Steph Chiocci was a driving force in the second term in particular, only her inability to convert in front of goal putting a dampener on her game. Tayla shakes it off There was a lot of pressure on Tayla Harris after her high-profile move from Brisbane Lions to Carlton during the trade period. But it clearly didn't affect her, with one of her best AFLW performances to date. She kicked just the one goal, but took several of her trademark strong contested marks (five in total) and put defensive pressure on when she didn't have the ball. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater With a short, seven-week season, percentage will be vital for one of those precious Grand Final berths. A first-round loss is less than ideal for Collingwood, but going down by eight points is not season-ending. Of more concern will be their inability to hit the scoreboard despite such a potent forward line. Sarah D'Arcy marked well but was off her best form, while Moana Hope, who played the last three terms forward, was well beaten by Danielle Hardiman. Work in progress The "last-touch" rule made its official debut and had an interesting impact on the game. Play was noticeably directed through the middle of the ground (instead of the wings), and was even switched across the face of goal, which was prone to turnovers. Players have, on the whole, quickly adjusted, having trained with the rule in place for the vast majority of their pre-season. Say what? "We were really close. Just a couple of small little areas we need to work on, on the track. Then we head to Perth, take on Fremantle and [if we] fix those couple of small things, we'll be right in the game." – Collingwood coach Wayne Siekman What's next? Collingwood plays Fremantle in the first game at Perth Stadium on Saturday night.                                  AFL COLLINGWOOD forward Sarah D'Arcy has been reported for kicking Carlton opponent Sarah Hosking in Friday night's AFLW season opener at Ikon Park. D'Arcy's name went in the umpire's book after lashing out with her leg in frustration after Hosking tried to stand the mark. The 26-year-old took an intercept mark and was set to lineup for goal until the umpire reversed the ball and handed the ball to Hosking. Hosking got to her feet and took her kick and did not appear to be injured following the incident. After the match, Hosking was asked about her opinion on the incident. "You don't want that sort of stuff to happen but we'll leave it up to the umpires and the Match Review (Panel) to deal with that," she told Channel 7. Asked about the force involved in the contact, Hosking said it was not a pleasant feeling. "Yeah, look it hurt I'm not going to lie," Hosking said. "I'm just glad I'm not a boy, that's for sure. I'm sure I'll have a little bit of a bruise later." The incident will act as a challenging first case for newly appointed Match Review Officer, and long-time MRP member, Michael Christian. Collingwood's Sarah D'Arcy is on report for kicking Sarah Hosking

AFLW 2018 Round 1: The Team

AFLW 2018 Round 1 COLLINGWOOD v CARLTON  Time & Place: Friday February 2, 7:45pm EDT Princes Park TV: 7mate / Foxtel 7.40pm EDT Weather: Min 14 Max 24 Chance of rain 10%: < 1mm Wind: SSW 16kph Betting: Collingwood $2.76 Carlton $1.45

B: S.Casey 22, S.Livingstone 12, C.McIntosh 20

HB: S.Chiocci 17, C.Edwards 1, E.Grant 5

C: M.Hope 23

HF: B.Bonnici 8, S.D'Arcy 4, C.Molloy 2

F: C.Bernardi 6, J.Garner 43, J.Duffin 27

Foll: E.King 60, J.Lambert 13, A.Barden 38

I/C: I.Ross 21, E.Hynes 11, S.Dargan 46, M.Kuys 9, B.White 33

Emg: R.Schleicher 18, H.Whitford 28

The Age Collingwood president Eddie McGuire's head "may just burst" if their women's team manages to upset the old enemy Carlton in the AFLW season opener at Princes Park on Friday night, according to Magpies captain Steph Chiocci. The Blues have been touted as competition favourites this year, having added star players Tayla Harris and Nicola Stevens from the Brisbane Lions and Collingwood respectively via last year's trade period. The captains' survey tipped Carlton to make the grand final and they are warm favourites to account for Collingwood in round one. Conversely, the Magpies are on the sixth line of betting to win the premiership in the eight-team competition, but flying under the radar suits Chiocci just fine – and taking the wind out of Carlton's sails is her sole focus. "I'm actually loving that we've got some doubters out there," Chiocci told Fairfax Media. "It takes the pressure off us and we just take it in our stride. We're happy with how we've been preparing, we've learned a lot from last year." Chiocci added she "couldn't care less" about starting underdogs against the Blues this week, either. "We've got a job to do. We learned a lot from [the corresponding fixture] last year, I think we were a bit overawed by the situation being that it was the first ever game," she said. "Whilst it was a really good event for women's footy, we didn't take home the chocolates which is what we're trying to do ... we'll be a lot calmer and a lot more composed this year." Both Chiocci and her Carlton counterpart Brianna Davey were excited about the season opener and both were hoping for another lockout as there was for the season opener last year when more than 24,000 spectators flocked to the Blues' home base to watch the teams play in the historic first AFLW match. "I'm probably less nervous than I was last year and the feeling amongst the group's really good. I think we just can't wait to kick off the season," Chiocci said. Davey added: "Hopefully we get a huge crowd again, that would be lovely". "Last year they told us 15,000 (fans) were going to show up and then it completely exceeded expectations so it could be the same case where they could be expecting hopefully the same number but we get even more knocking on the door at the gates." As for Carlton's favouritism for the match, Davey was keen to play that down. "(We're) putting our energy into the there and the now and ignoring anything too external because we don't want that to affect the way we approach the game," Davey said. And she certainly wasn't having any of the talk that her team was a flag contender. "It's a bit early I reckon," she said. "Definitely we'll block out that sort of hype. It's nice and it's nice to hear, but at the end of the day we'll take it week by week and just go with that. "I think GWS looks like a bit of a dark horse, considering especially their result in the practice match [against the Brisbane Lions], they'll be interesting to watch for sure."