TAGGED co-hosts Sarah Rowe and Jordyn Allen believe there's a reason why Brisbane has had its slowest start to the season in five years.
It's not that it has changed personnel or its gameplan.
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The Collingwood teammates think it comes down to one thing – fitness.
Allen and Rowe said they had both noticed that the other AFLW clubs are catching up to the Lions, a team renowned by the competition for its work ethic and athleticism.
"When you look at Brisbane, I think why they've stood out over the last couple of years is their athletic ability, their strength and conditioning was clearly head and shoulders ... above everyone else," Rowe said.
"I think now teams are catching up and teams are probably as fit and as strong as them, and their gameplan hasn't changed, so I think that we're seeing that gap close."
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The Lions have won three of their first six games and are sitting in seventh position on the ladder. It's their slowest start since the 2020 season.
Since 2020, the Lions have gone on to play in four of five Grand Finals, winning the AFLW premiership on two occasions.
But this season they are yet to win at home, losing their first three games at Brighton Homes Arena to Hawthorn, Carlton and North Melbourne.
"I think what we're seeing this year is now teams have this great blend of defence and offence, which is challenging the teams like Brisbane who probably don't have a second option to rely on," Allen said.
"They are being shut down in their athleticism and they have the same gameplan, but when it's challenged, what else do they go to?"
The Lions will be looking to break their run of losses on their home deck when they take on 18th-placed Richmond on Sunday afternoon.
The Tigers are the only side yet to win a game this season despite having some of the competition's best players.
"You look at their list, they've got Ellie McKenzie, Mon Conti, Caitlin Greiser, they've got a brilliant backline, they've got Gabby Seymour, I could go on. On paper they look so strong, why aren't they putting it together?" Allen said.
Rowe believes a lack of cohesion is letting the Tigers down.
"It looks like there's a lack of chemistry within the group, but there doesn't seem to be anything fundamentally wrong, we haven't heard any rumours that there's something going on, but there has to be speculations at this point as to why they're performing the way that they are," Rowe said.
"They also are facing Brisbane this week, so their hopes of finals are becoming very marginally tight. They need to put everything into this weekend to come across and beat Brisbane."
The Lions and the Tigers meet at 3.05pm AEST on Sunday at Brighton Homes Arena.
You can watch Tagged every Tuesday on AFL.com.au/AFLW and the AFLW and AFL Live Official apps, and listen to the podcast on your preferred platforms on the same day.
