IT'S BEEN a long 10 months, but the NAB AFLW competition is back and firing on Thursday night.

Take a look at all the round one action to come.

WATCH IT LIVE How to catch every AFLW match in 2021

CARLTON v COLLINGWOOD

7.15pm AEDT, Thursday, January 28
Ikon Park, Carlton North, Vic

• All pre-season, Carlton has been talked up as one of the premiership favourites for 2021, but flags aren't won in January. The Blues will unveil star new recruit Elise O'Dea to partner AFLW best and fairest Maddy Prespakis in the middle.
• Collingwood caught the eye with an impressive pre-season win over top side North Melbourne, and the Magpies seriously look like they could contend this year. Watch for Bri Davey playing against her old side for the first time.
• Tip: The Magpies are yet to beat Carlton in a season-opener, but this is the best shot they've had thus far. Saying that, the Pies may struggle against the Blues' backline. Carlton by five points.

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ST KILDA v WESTERN BULLDOGS

7.10pm AEDT, Friday, January 29
RSEA Park, Moorabbin, Vic

• St Kilda will be without star recruit Bianca Jakobsson (collarbone), but Jayde Van Dyk is a handy inclusion to the backline. Check the team sheet to see if father-daughter selection Alice Burke will be playing against the side her dad Nathan coaches.
• It'll be a battle of new faces in the midfield, but keep your eyes peeled for Jess Fitzgerald taking on Tyanna Smith. The pair have had teammates at their respective clubs raving about their work and form over summer.
• Tip: The Dogs shot out of the blocks in this match last year and held the Saints at bay, but will be faced with a much sterner and more experienced side this year. Saints by 10 points.

GOLD COAST v MELBOURNE

2.10pm AEST, Saturday, January 30
Metricon Stadium, Carrara, Qld

• The Suns will debut their new-look forward line for the first time, adding experienced premiership Crow Sarah Perkins to work alongside All Australian Kalinda Howarth. They've also added plenty of run in the middle through Lucy Single and ex-Saint Ali Drennan.
• The Dees have already confirmed they will have three debutants on Saturday, with 18-year-olds Alyssa Bannan (key forward) and midfielders Eliza McNamara and Megan Fitzsimon set to play.
• Tip: Gold Coast weren't an easy-beat side by any means last year, and the club is pleased at the progression made by players over winter. Despite their personnel losses, Melbourne just still have too many experienced players. Dees by 16 points.

CRYSTAL BALL Check out Sarah Black's 2021 AFLW predictions

WEST COAST v ADELAIDE

2.10pm AWST, Saturday, March 7
Mineral Resources Park, Lathlain, WA

• It will be new coach Daniel Pratt's first match in charge after Luke Dwyer parted ways with the club. Recruit Aisling McCarthy and draftee Bella Lewis should add some much-needed depth to the midfield after a tough first season.
• Adelaide will be welcoming back newly standalone captain Chelsea Randall with open arms, as well as a fully fit Erin Phillips and Rhi Metcalfe. The Crows will be desperate to improve on just two wins last year.
• Tip: A very tough ask first up for West Coast, even at home, with Adelaide piling on 2.21 against GWS in its practice match. Crows by 27 points

GEELONG v NORTH MELBOURNE

12.10pm AEDT, Sunday, January 31
GMHBA Stadium, Geelong, Vic

• Geelong let another strong start slip in its practice match against Melbourne, something which happened a few times last year. Two of the side's best players – Liv Purcell and captain Meg McDonald – have full pre-seasons under their belt after carrying shoulder and finger injuries respectively last summer.
• It was an uncharacteristically undisciplined North Melbourne who faced Collingwood in the practice match, but the Roos should be better for the run. All Australian defender Jess Duffin is set to make her return after a year on the sidelines due to pregnancy.
• Tip: Geelong's last official game happened to be against North Melbourne, and it conceded eight straight goals. While that's unlikely to happen again, the Roos bat too deep. Kangas by 22 points.

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RICHMOND v BRISBANE

2.10pm AEDT, Sunday, January 31
Swinburne Centre, Richmond, Vic

• Still winless, the Tigers will be desperate to break that duck in their seventh overall AFLW match, their first under new coach Ryan Ferguson. They'll be boosted by recruits Harriet Cordner, Sarah Hosking, D'Arcy and Dargan, and No.1 draftee Ellie McKenzie.
• After a tumultuous few off-seasons, the Lions have been quietly going about their business this pre-season, with a stable list for the first time in a while. They hit the ground running last year, undefeated until round five, and will be hoping for the same strong start in 2021.
• Tip: The Tigers will be hungry, but the Lions have plenty of experience and have had fewer personnel changes, important in a short pre-season. Lions by eight points.

FREMANTLE v GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

1.10pm AWST, Sunday, January 31
Fremantle Oval, Fremantle, WA

• If the Tigers are hungry for their first win, the Dockers are even more desperate to keep their undefeated streak alive. Fremantle last lost a game in 2019, and haven't dropped one at home since 2018.
• There's no disputing GWS has had the toughest pre-season of anyone, having left home due to COVID-19 restrictions at the start of January. The Giants didn't make too many changes to their squad – it remains to be seen if ex-Dee Katherine Smith (ACL) is fit for round one, while athletic draftee Tarni Evans is one to look out for.
• Tip: The Giants leaked scoring shots all over the place in their practice match against Adelaide, conceding 23 of them. It doesn't bode well for a game against the highest-scoring team of 2020 in Fremantle. Dockers by 29 points.

ADELAIDE'S comeback season is off to a fast start, with the 2019 AFLW premiers overpowering West Coast to win by 38 points at Mineral Resources Park on Saturday.

EAGLES v CROWS Full match coverage and stats

The Eagles held their ground in the first half under new coach Daniel Pratt but were no match for the imposing Crows after half-time as superstar Erin Phillips stepped up to spearhead the 8.8 (56) to 2.6 (18) win.

The Crows booted four unanswered goals in the third quarter, including a brilliant snap out of a stoppage from Phillips, who was a gamebreaker with two goals and 23 disposals in a best-on-ground performance.

The former captain looked in fine touch after an interrupted 2020 season that netted just two games, stamping her authority on the game both midfield and forward as the Crows got on top at the contest.

Midfielder Ebony Marinoff (21 disposals, five clearances and a goal) was outstanding through the midfield, proving why the Crows fought so hard to have her three-game suspension overturned at the Appeals Board this week. 

The Eagles showed significant improvement in the first half, particularly in a strengthened midfield led by captain Emma Swanson (17 disposals and five clearances) and star Dana Hooker (19 and three).

They won the clearances 11-9 in the first half and were able to control possession, showing plenty of pace to kick their goals over the top of the Adelaide defence.

They ran out of steam in the second half, however, and were held goalless after the main break, losing their ability to compete at the coalface.

Second-year midfielder Mikayla Bowen impressive when the Eagles were at their best, marking courageously in the goalsquare to kick her team's first goal and slicing through the midfield to finish with 13 disposals.

Sliding doors moment
The Crows were pushing hard but had missed opportunities early in the third quarter when Erin Phillips marked inside 50. She looked to have played on when Maddy Collier overstepped the mark and gave away a crucial 50m penalty. The resultant goal was for the first of four unanswered for the Crows in the quarter as the Eagles' resistance ended. 

Work in progress
A strengthened West Coast midfield was on show in the first half, with Aisling McCarthy and Mikayla Bowen providing solid support to stars Emma Swanson and Dana Hooker. Debutant Bella Lewis showed glimpses in the midfield too but was challenged by hardened opponents. Swanson's 11 tackles showed the game was eventually played on Adelaide's terms in the middle.   

The difference
It was a big two weeks for Ebony Marinoff, whose three-match suspension from a pre-season match was only overturned on Thursday night. She was exceptional in the third quarter, winning all three centre clearances to get the game going Adelaide's way. Phillips was the star in attack, with Marinoff making sure it got there.

Say what?
"I've been coaching for three seasons and this is the first time we've won round one, so I'm particularly pleased. The group changes, the dynamic changes, and it does take time to get that cohesion, so to have a good win first-up is really pleasing." - Adelaide coach Matthew Clarke

"They showed our girls how to get their hands dirty, particularly around the ball and we lost field position. It made it really difficult for us to wrestle it back. Not displeased with the effort, but there's some really good learnings for our girls." - West Coast coach Daniel Pratt

What's next?
The Crows have an eight-day break before hosting Fremantle at Norwood Oval next Sunday at 4.40pm ACDT. West Coast heads to South Australia to take on Greater Western Sydney at Norwood Oval on Saturday at 12.40pm ACDT.

WEST COAST     0.1     2.3     2.3     2.6     (18)
ADELAIDE          2.1     3.2     7.5     8.8     (56) 

GOALS
West Coast: Bowen, N.Kelly
Adelaide: Phillips 2, Woodland 2, Marinoff, Jones, Considine, Biddell   

BEST 
West Coast: Swanson, Hooker, Bowen, N.Kelly, McCarthy 
Adelaide: Phillips, Marinoff, Randall, Allen, Metcalfe, Gore, Allan 

INJURIES 
West Coast: Nil
Adelaide: Hatchard (calf)  

Reports: Nil 

Crowd: 1,929 at Mineral Resources Park

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