AFLW 2021 Round 1: The Team

AFLW 2021 Round 1 COLLINGWOOD v CARLTON Time & Place: Thursday January 28 7:15pm EDT Princes Park TV: 7mate 7:00pm Weather: Min 16 Max 27 Chance of rain 70%: 1-5mm Wind: ESE 12kph Betting: Collingwood $2.60 Carlton $1.48

B: L.Butler (23) J.Allen (6)

HB: R.Schleicher (18) S.Livingstone (12) A.Porter (9)

C: S.Chiocci - C (17) J.Lambert (13) E.Fowler (15)

HF: A.Velardo (5) B.Smith (19) A.Sheridan (14)

F: C.Molloy (2) A.Newman (16)

Foll: S.Norder (1) B.Davey (3) B.Bonnici (8)

I/C: M.Cann (25) S.Alexander (24) S.Casey (22) E.O'Dea (50) T.Brown (26)  

Debutants: Tarni Brown (26) Amelia Velardo (5) Bella Smith (19)

Emerg: J.Lin (20) A.Moloney (40)

Herald Sun Chris Cavanagh | Nick Smart | Matt Turner Collingwood AFLW star Steph Chiocci says she is expecting Carlton to target her newly elevated co-captain and former Blue Brianna Davey in Thursday night’s season opener. Davey will on Thursday night become the first player to captain both Carlton and Collingwood when she meets her former teammates for the first time. She played for the Magpies last year but missed the clash with her former teammates through injury. Brianna Davey takes on her old teammates at Carlton for the first time on Thursday night. Steph Chiocci says former Blue Brianna Davey will handle the pressure. “I have no doubt some of them will get a little bit lippy and it will be really physical, but good luck taking Bri on I’d say,” Chiocci said. Chiocci said her Magpies co-captain would be ready for anything on the night. “She says she’s not too nervous but I think when she gets to Wednesday she’ll start to think about it, but she’s the ultimate professional,” she said. “She’s represented Australia so if anyone knows how to cope with nerves, it’s her. “And we’ll make sure we get around her, but we have 20 other girls on the park we need to make sure are ready to go as well. “But Bri’s a professional and she’ll get through it no problems at all.” The Magpies made their first AFLW finals series in 2020 before the season was cancelled due to COVID-19. They were knocked out in the elimination final and they’re still yet to win a final in four seasons. “We think our best is good enough to be up there with the top teams, there’s no doubt about that,” Magpies coach Steve Symonds said on Monday. “It’s just our consistency as we go along and how we put that together. “So we’ve got no limits about what we’re trying to do. “We’re just keeping it pretty simple. We just want to get better each week and see where it leads us.” Collingwood News Alanna Mullan Collingwood has named three debutants for Thursday night’s season opener against Carlton at Ikon Park. The club’s first ever father-daughter pick, Tarni Brown will make her debut in the midfield wearing the number 26 made famous by her Dad, Gavin Brown. She’ll become the fourth member of her family to put on the stripes as she joins her brothers Callum and Tyler who currently play for the club’s AFL side. Amelia Velardo and Bella Smith will play their first AFLW game in the forward line alongside club debutant, Aliesha Newman.  Velardo was picked by the club at pick 25 with only three games of footy under her belt. The 18-year-old made the switch to football from basketball last year where she spent time with the Western Jets. Reigning from the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, Smith was picked up as a free agent in October’s draft from SANFL side Norwood. In the Pies most recent practice match she showed some exciting signs up forward while also spending time in the ruck. Newman will don the black and white for the first time on Thursday. Having played 25 games for Melbourne across four seasons, she's gained a reputation as one of the league's best small forwards.      Draftees Joanna Lin and Abbi Moloney have been named as emergencies for the match. Not only will the game mark the first occasion Brianna Davey will meet her former teammates, it will also be the first time she’ll lead the Pies as co-captain alongside Steph Chiocci. Sharni Norder (nee Layton) will also run out as the side's vice-captain.