In hot conditions the Adelaide Crows were able to hold on to win in the heat by 4 points at the TIO Stadium in Darwin over the Fremantle Dockers. The match was a tale of two halves, because the Crows dominated the first half with there tackling, scoring and overall play. Then the Dockers owned the second half of the match, as they dominated the possession and overall play. In the second half the Dockers were coming hard at the Crows and tried to end the Crows season, but the Crows leaders such as Erin Phillips, Chelsea Randall and Sarah Perkins stood up when needed for their team. As a result, the Crows have a chance of winning back-to-back AFLW premierships.

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For the ninth consecutive occasion, the Southern Districts Crocs have lost a semi-final and after leading the ladder all year they now face the prospect of going out of the NTFL finals in straight sets unless they can reverse their fortunes. Their loss to the Darwin Buffaloes could be costly, but for Buffaloes’ fans, it is manna from heaven as they contemplate the now real possibility of a premiership – just one win away.

It would be the second successive year that the Crocs topped the home and away ladder and won the minor premiership, only to stumble as soon as their finals matches began. The team would be shaken badly by the outcome of their match and its ramifications, but they didn’t finish on top of the ladder for no reason – they are a class act and will bounce back next weekend in the Preliminary Final against the Nightcliff Tigers.

The top placed Western Bulldogs held on to win by 8 points over the bottom placed Collingwood, after the Pies came at the Dogs late in the final quarter at Moe.

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It was a very high intensity aggressive game of football, which saw Steph Chiocci and Libby Birch reported in the first half of the match. There was heaps of pushing and shoving in this match in the first two quarters. The Pies came at the Dogs late in the final quarter, but the Dogs held on to win by 8 points over the bottom placed Pies.

The reigning premiers the Crows were too polished in the end for the Blues when they needed to be in the match, as they won by 35 points at their home ground the Norwood Oval. This match was played with an extremely high intensity and pressure from both teams. The Blues were in the contest for most of the match with their gameplay and it was just their wayward kicking in front of the big sticks that let them down.

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It was a high-pressured game from both teams in the first quarter. The Crows took their chances early in front of goal with two goals to the Blues four behinds, as the Blues kicking in front of goal was wayward and let them down. Sarah Perkins hand passed to Ruth Wallace who snap kicked the goal from 20m out for a nice team goal for the opening goal of the first term. Wallace was on fire for the Crows up forward, as she nailed through her second goal of the match of a snap kick around her body.

The Greater Western Sydney Giants keep their finals hopes alive in the second season of the AFLW after they ran out 18-point winners over the Fremantle Dockers at the Fremantle Oval.

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It was a do or die match for both teams who needed a win to keep there seasons alive. The Dockers came into the match after a loss last round to the Lions and the Giants came off a draw in the wet against the Crows.

The match between The match between the Melbourne Demons and Brisbane Lions at Casey Fields was a game of one per centers with great strong tackling and smothering pressure. This whole match was played with a finals type intensity and a real arm wrestle. The scoreboard at the final siren reflected this, as the Dees only won by 6 points.

The Dees came into this round 5 encounter after they had 2 losses on the road, so they were desperate for a win to keep their 2018 AFLW finals hopes alive.

As the AFL’s JLT Community Series pre-season competition wriggles its way around the country, North Queensland is preparing for its own extravaganza of AFL talent across March as first Townsville and then Cairns host matches. Townsville gets under way this weekend when the Gold Coast Suns and the Geelong Cats met in their JLT fixture. Cairns will then host the Round 1 AFL match between the Gold Coast Suns and North Melbourne Kangaroos.

The city of Townsville was looking forward to the Gary Ablett grudge match. With Ablett leaving the Sun and returning to his native Geelong last trade season, it gave the local fans the chance to watch an old-fashioned stoush between two past and present cat owners. Sadly, a hamstring injury will see Ablett ruled out of the match.

But, the people of Townsville would not be too disheartened. They will still host a great game of footy between the rising Suns from their home state and a Geelong side than has enjoyed an era of success – including three flags – since 2007.

The Darwin Buffaloes have taken an enormous stride towards winning their first NTFL premiership since the 2005/06 season by downing the Nightcliff Tigers in the Qualifying Final at TIO Stadium. It sets up Second Semi-Final showdown with Southern Districts Crocs next weekend – the team that won their last premiership the following year in 2006/07.

Nightcliff enjoyed the early running, hitting the scoreboard regularly and heading to the first break with a 17-point lead. The Buffaloes were desperate to bridge the gap, and did so by narrowing the Nightcliff lead to just two points by the half time break. By the final change, score were level in a tight tussle – the ideal finals match.

It was tough going for both the Greater Western Sydney Giants and the Adelaide Crows at Blacktown International Sports Park in Sydney, as they played out the first draw of the 2018 AFLW season in wet conditions.

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Neither of the teams was able to break away with clean disposal and this is what’s expected in wet weather football. It was an extremely physical brand of football by both teams from the first siren to the final siren and it was a credit to both teams to play with such a high intensity and skill for the entire match. This showed at the final siren with nothing separating both teams.

The Pies win in an upset over the Dees by 34 points in hot conditions up in TIO Traeger Park in Alice Springs. In this match the Dees donned their new Indigenous Guernsey designed by their Indigenous player Alisha Newman.

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The Pies started the match very well as they had a lot of the football, but they just could not score. This changed in the second quarter as the Pies did get reward for their effort on the scoreboard and the Pies continued to be all over the Dees in the third term as well. The Pies looked like a totally different team tonight from the previous three rounds with clean and slick ball movement against a premiership favourite in the Dees.