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."

AFLW 2018 Collingwood Preview

Collingwood News

2018 AFLW 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 5%: < 1mm Wind: SSW 14kph Betting: Collingwood $2.45 Carlton $1.55

1. It’s one of the biggest events of the season
Last year’s inaugural match was a lockout. A lockout! We don’t see those in football too often these days. More than 24,000 fans packed Princes Park to watch history as Collingwood and Carlton launched the new national women’s competition. Huge crowds are expected to flock to the precinct again on Friday night, and the match is quickly drawing notice as one of the showpiece matches of the football season.

2. It’s time to atone
What many may have forgotten is that Carlton won that first match, and won it quite convincingly (by 35 points, in fact). Collingwood will be keen to make amends this time around, as noted by captain Steph Chiocci during the team’s Season Launch.
“We’ll be fierce. We’re not going to let them get one up on us again. We’ve got a point to prove.
We’ve done all the hard work and we’ve got a great program in place. We want to do it justice, we want to go out there and play Black and White footy and get the four points on the board.”
Say no more.

3. New faces aplenty
While some, such as Nicola Stevens (Carlton) and Alicia Eva (Greater Western Sydney) have moved on from the 2017 squad, Collingwood has added plenty of talent to its ranks for the new season.
Top draft choice Chloe Molloy, the leading goal kicker in the VFLW last season, headlines a host of new arrivals, including former Western Bulldog Jamiee Lambert.
Three international athletes have traded in the green and gold for Collingwood’s Black and White. Georgie Parker (hockey) and Eliza Hynes (volleyball) have completed their first pre-seasons at the club, while Ashleigh Brazill has made history, representing Collingwood in both netball and football since making the choice to switch to footy late last year.

4. The dawn of a new era
The Collingwood Football Club has undergone plenty of change in the past eight months.
New staff in both women’s and men's football and fresh blood in playing personnel have given the club a fresh look heading into 2018.
The club’s AFL Women’s outfit will lead the Magpies into a new era when they run through the banner on Friday night.

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Herald Sun

Collingwood

THE HOOK: Will it be as big as last year? The AFLW01 season opener resulted in a lockout after it was shifted and more than 20,000 turned up, and they’re much better prepared this time around. If you can’t get in, there’s a big screen on the grass. Not a bad result if it’s a nice night.

BOOM OR BUST: The Pies will come up against a familiar face in last year’s best-and-fairest Nicola Stevens who is now a Blue. Both have plenty to play for — Stevens to show she’s at home as a Blue and the Pies to show they can do it without her. Exciting.

WHAT’S AT STAKE: Like every Blues v Pies clash — men’s or women’s — bragging rights. There’s not a lot bigger rivalries than this one.

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The Age

Collingwood

Captain: Steph Chiocci
Coach: Wayne Siekman

Ins and outs 

Collingwood's most recent top draft pick Chloe Molloy. Photo: Joe Armao

In: Jaimee Lambert (Western Bulldogs), Chloe Molloy, Darcy Guttridge, Iilish Ross, Sarah Durgan, Kristy Stratton, Ashleigh Brazil, Holly Whitford, Georgie Parker, Eliza Hynes
Out: Nicola Stevens (Carlton); Alicia Eva (GWS); Penny Cula-Reid, Kendra Heil, Helen Roden, Lou Wotton, Kate Sheahan and Georgia Walker (delisted)

Key player: Jasmine Garner
Excellent second target up forward in 2017, she has been impressing track watchers with her talent. The hard-running Garner could play as a high half-forward as she has great running power.

How they went last year: 5th
Looked to get it wrong last year from the start with the list's athleticism below par and their wingless structure found wanting. By season's end they were playing winning football but they were still a way off the best teams.

Prediction for this year: 6th
It's hard to see the Magpies winning the competition although the first match against Carlton will be telling. With a new structure, a good opening result would give the team confidence and momentum. Unfortunately early draftee Darcy Guttridge suffered a broken collarbone in a practice match.

AFLW 2018 Preview

The Roar

Teams

2018 AFLW 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 5%: < 1mm Wind: SSW 14kph Betting: Collingwood $2.45 Carlton $1.55

The number of teams hasn’t changed in 2018. The AFL postponed expansion of the AFLW competition until 2019, when North Melbourne (together with Tasmania) and Geelong will enter new teams into the league. In 2020 West Coast, Gold Coast, Richmond and St Kilda will enter, taking the total number of teams to 14.

The fixture
The season opens on 2 February with Carlton playing Collingwood at Princes Park, and it continues until 24 March, meaning the latter parts of the competition will be up against the men’s preseason competition and the AFLX weekend. Despite this, the AFLW fixture has no double-headers with men’s games in 2018.
Matches will be played at Traeger Park in Alice Springs for the first time for AFLW, with Melbourne scheduled to play Collingwood there in a move to support programs in the Northern Territory.
The Pies have not moved to play at Victoria Park, with two games at Olympic Park and a game at Moe.
Like last year, Adelaide will play one game in Darwin and GWS will play one game in Canberra. The Crows games in Adelaide have been moved from The Barton Oval to The Parade after the success of games held last year at the larger capacity venue.

Ticketing
Like last season, all matches will have free entry, with the sole exception of the Fremantle vs Collingwood game at Perth Stadium on 10 February, where entry will cost $2.

Broadcast
At least one game per round will be broadcast on Channel Seven or 7mate across the entire competition, including the season-opening fixture. Adelaide and Fremantle games will also be broadcast locally into Adelaide and Perth. GWS and Brisbane games will not be shown locally on the Seven network unless they’re part of the Saturday night fixtures.
All games will be broadcast live on Foxtel as well as free on the AFL website.

List changes
There were some big movements over the offseason through various trades. Carlton traded picks for Nicola Stevens from Collingwood and signed Tayla Harris from Brisbane while losing Nat Exon and Isabella Ayre to Brisbane and Bianca Jakobsson to Melbourne, who traded Deanna Berry to the Bulldogs as part of a three-way trade.
Melbourne later traded Pepa Randall to GWS for Ashleigh Guest. Collingwood would get Jamie Lambert from the Dogs, while the Giants would gain Alicia Eva from Collingwood in another three-way trade.

Rule changes
Three rule changes come in for the 2018 season, the biggest being that the AFL has decided to modify the out of bounds rule. A player will now give away a free kick if they kick or handball the ball over the boundary line without it being touched by an opposition player.
There will also be a reduction in the number of interchange players from six to five, meaning teams will now have 21 players in total – 16 on the field plus five on the bench.
Finally, there will be the implementation of time-on for the last two minutes of each quarter, as happened in the women’s grand final last season.

Pay
Total player payments have increased by $500,000 this year under a revised payment system whereby the minimum wage of a senior listed player rose from $8,500 to $10,500. However, it should be noted that it amounts to a 36 per cent increase in contracted hours but only a 20.96 per cent increase in total player payments.
Players have signed 24-week contracts which include two weeks of annual leave. Players will now commit 13 to 15 hours per week during the preseason and ten hours during the season proper. Matchday hours are on top of the ten-hour week.

Postseason
At the close of the season there will be a period during which Victorian AFLW clubs will have to give up certain players to be recruited by incoming clubs to the value of 100 points, with players being ranked by an AFLW committee that will place a value of between ten and 50 points on every listed player. Points will be based on performance and will also take into account injury, age and other relevant factors.