CURRENTLY in the throes of their fifth and fourth AFLW finals series' respectively, inaugural teams Adelaide and Collingwood are gearing up for their first head-to-head final on Saturday. Both have injury clouds over key players and will no doubt be focused on establishing control for the full four quarters.
Adelaide v Collingwood at Unley Oval, Saturday at 3:10pm ACDT
Head-to-head history
In five match-ups against one another, Adelaide has claimed victory four times. Collingwood hasn't beaten the Crows since round seven back in 2018 but has come close in their last two meetings with margins of two and five points. Against the Pies, Adelaide averages 36.8 points, while Collingwood kicks an average of 32 points when facing the Crows.
Last time they met
It was a tight, pressured match all day when Collingwood and Adelaide last met in round four this season at Victoria Park where the visitors got across the line by five points. Collingwood had been undefeated going into the match.
The Crows' dynamic midfield duo Anne Hatchard and Ebony Marinoff were immense with a combined 49 disposals, while it was Ash Brazill's first game back after winning a Commonwealth Games gold medal in Birmingham.
AFLW FINALS Get your Crows-Magpies tickets now
Collingwood tried to run the ball - especially from the back half - but Adelaide's elite fitness meant each Pie was being closely worn and had pressure applied. The only player that was regularly able to find space across the day was Hatchard, whose ability to spread from the contest saw her take 10 marks.
In Adelaide's forward line, Caitlin Gould's presence drew the attention of the Pies defenders, leaving last season's leading goalkicker Ashleigh Woodland space to get dangerous near goal, while Chloe Molloy's agility caused trouble for the Crows' backs.
Key matchup
While not a direct matchup, the battle of each side's intercepting key defenders will be a fascinating watch. Adelaide's Chelsea Biddell and Collingwood's Stacey Livingstone were each vital in their side's performance last week, and their seasons as a whole.
Last time they played one another Biddell had 18 disposals, 12 intercepts and 261 metres gained, while Livingstone had 12 disposals, six intercepts and 364 metres gained.
Each patrols the back half like a puma, reading the play expertly, guiding teammates into dangerous positions and setting up the brick wall of defence. Importantly, they don't simply intercept the ball, they propel it forward and gain plenty of ground with their disposal and set up attack as a result.
The state of play
Adelaide and Collingwood are very similar sides with very similar strategies. Trap the ball in attack, set up the intercepting defensive wall and generate repeat opportunities to score. They also had similar matches last week whereby they started very well but faded as the game went on. Both sides also copped injury concerns to important players - Ruby Schleicher, Sarah Rowe and Tarni Brown for Collingwood, Chelsea Randall, and Ebony Marinoff for Adelaide.
It took some desperate late defensive acts from Jo Lin and Imogen Barnett for the Pies to hold the lead and stay alive. Adelaide, meanwhile, was overrun after a dominant opening quarter where it lost control around the contest and was caught out on the spread.
Collingwood's impressive start was largely off the back of Schleicher and Brazill's bullocking run from the back half, taking plenty of ground by foot, going straight up the corridor and crashing through packs.
Keeping the intensity up for a full four quarters presents as the biggest challenge for both teams, with the one who can stick it out for longer putting itself in the box seat for the win. Maintaining composure under the pressure that both will no doubt bring will be crucial, because panicked long bombs out of defence will play right into the opposition's hands. While the chaotic, messy game style has worked for other sides in the past, it won't be effective here.
Forward pressure is something that both Adelaide and Collingwood can get caught out by, but in order to achieve that pressure one must get the ball inside 50 at ground level, removing the danger of each of their aerial interceptors.
Tip
The Crows will be smarting after last week's 21-point loss and come out with a vengeance. Adelaide by 12 points.
