AFLW 2019 Round 4: The Team

AFLW 2019 Round 4 COLLINGWOOD v GWS Time & Place: Sunday 24th February, 2:05pm EDT Morwell Recreation Reserve TV: Fox Footy 2.00pm EDT Weather: Min 13 Max 26 Chance of rain 5%: < 1mm Wind: E 28kph Betting: Collingwood $2.35 GWS $1.60

Backs: Jordyn Allen, Sharni Layton, Iilish Ross

Half-backs: Stacey Livingstone, Georgie Parker, Nicole Hildebrand

Centre:  Brittany Bonnici

Half-forwards: Melissa Kuys, Sarah D’Arcy, Maddie Shevlin
   
Forwards: Sarah Rowe, Sophie Alexander, Cecilia McIntosh

Rucks: Eliza Hynes, Stephanie Chiocci, Jaimee Lambert

Interchange: Sophie Casey, Katie Lynch, Sarah Dargan, Kristy Stratton, Emma Grant

Emergencies: Erica Fowler and Jordan Membrey

In: Grant, Stratton, Kuys, Parker, Layton

Out: Whitford, Gourlay, Cann, Schleicher, Brazill (Injury)

Collingwood News Collingwood midfielder Melissa Kuys will return to the field for the first time this season when the Magpies meet the GWS Giants in Morwell on Sunday. The 31-year-old has been recovering from a tear in her left achilles, which she sustained playing for Hawthorn in the VFL Women’s preliminary final - against Collingwood - late last year. Alongside her, utility player Georgie Parker will also put on the boots for her first game of 2019. Kristy Stratton (broken hand) and Emma Grant (shoulder) will also re-join the team after recovering from injuries. The Pies will be without star Ash Brazill who failed to recover in time after suffering concussion in last week’s match against the Dockers.

Roar Crunch time arrives for both Collingwood and the GWS Giants on Sunday, with both teams the only ones to have not yet registered a win so far this season. The Pies have been the biggest disappointments of the season so far, not only have they lost all three matches, they have been beaten heavily in their past two matches in particular, only managing three goals across their losses to Melbourne and Fremantle. This has left them at the bottom of Conference B with a percentage of 49.5 ahead of the game against the Giants, who were competitive but otherwise let down by poor ball use in their defeat against Carlton last week. The loss saw them fall to an 0-3 record and facing an uphill battle to reach the finals for the first time. If there is one player who will be fired up to face her old club, it is Christina Bernardi. Three games into her career at the Giants and she is already proving her worth, as evidenced by her two third quarter goals against the Blues last week. She and Alicia Eva will be the brains trust the Giants will rely on as they attempt to break their season duck behind enemy lines this Sunday. But I have a feeling that a week of criticism that may be headed the Pies’ way might drive them to their first win in Morwell. Prediction: Collingwood by eight points.