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.