CHECK out what we saw in round four of the 2026 season.

Brilliant Bulldogs hand Swans first loss of the season

THE WESTERN Bulldogs have broken Sydney’s undefeated streak this season with a 27 point win on a windy Saturday afternoon at Mission Whitten Oval.

A seesawing affair, the Swans kicked four in a row across the second and third terms but the Dogs held their nerve, ramming home six consecutive goals to finish 9.6 (60) to 5.3 (33). It means both sides sit at a handy 3-1 record a third of the way into the season.

Bulldogs co-captain Isabelle Pritchard led the way with 23 disposals, nine clearances and four tackles. Firecracker Rylie Wilcox finished with a career-high three goals, while teammate Emma McDonald bobbed up with three of her own in the final term.

Young star Swan Zippy Fish held up her end of the bargain, with 25 disposals and 546 metres gained, although she came off worse for wear late after running into the goalpost. Chloe Molloy scored three goals, while Tanya Kennedy made a successful return from a pre-season back injury, finishing with a game-high 12 tackles.

Kangaroos stay perfect with Saints demolition

NORTH Melbourne’s tall timber had a day out against Euro-Yroke on Saturday afternoon at RSEA Park.

Kangaroos forwards Tahlia Randall and Kate Shierlaw kicked bags of five and four respectively to guide the Roos to a 92-point win. The two kicked nine of their side’s 14 goals to help guide the Roos to 14.15 (99) to 1.1 (7) in front of a crowd of 1832.

It was first playing last on the ladder, but for periods of Saturday’s game, it seemed a lot closer. Euro-Yroke came out ready to compete with the back-to-back premiers, challenging the Kangaroos in the windy conditions. But it was like waiting for the dam wall to break, which it eventually did off the back of North Melbourne’s tall forwards, Randall and Shierlaw. North's Emma King played her milestone 100th match and celebrated with a goal in the final quarter.

Suns outshine Power in Alberton Oval thriller

A STUNNING star turn from Daisy D’Arcy has spurred Gold Coast to a thrilling three-point win against Yartapuulti, the Suns grinding out their second win of the season in difficult conditions at Alberton Oval.

Strong blustery winds affected the contest throughout, but D’Arcy’s class shone through with a career-high 33 possessions, as her side restricted the Power to just one goal.

Matilda Scholz continued her impressive start to the season and was Yartapuulti’s best player, but a return of just 1.8 was the fifth-lowest score in club history as the Power slipped to a 2-2 record.

Gold Coast hit the lead for the first time late in the third quarter and hung on grimly in a tense final term with neither side able to muster a goal.

The Power were able to launch a last-ditch bid to snatch the win, but the young Suns showed impressive grit to dig deep, repel the attack and maintain possession until the final siren sounded.

Lions bounce back with clinical win over Giants

BRISBANE has bounced back from last week's 56-point loss to Melbourne with a 31-point win over Greater Western Sydney at Brighton Homes Arena on Saturday.

Shanae Davison kicked two goals, Orla O'Dwyer racked up 21 disposals and a goal and Belle Dawes (20 disposals, eight clearances) also impressed as the Lions won 7.13 (55) to 3.6 (24) in slippery conditions.

The Lions moved to 2-2 with the victory, but the Giants held their own in patches, with the scoreline ultimately belying the effort and endeavour with which GWS played.

Injury to star ruck mars Dockers' strong win over Tigers

WALYALUP secured a commanding 25-point win over Richmond, but its All-Australian ruck Mim Strom suffered a shoulder injury in the process.

The Dockers started inauspiciously, with the forwards and defenders lining up at the wrong end of the ground, but the temporary blip in concentration was just that, and the visitors were a class above in the 9.6 (60) to 5.5 (35) victory.

Gabby O’Sullivan’s pressure in the forward line was first class when the game was up for grabs, kicking three goals, while Issy Bacon was the pick of the half-strength Richmond midfield without Mon Conti and Ellie McKenzie, finishing with a career-high 24 touches - Sarah Black

Crows crash Hawks' Dingley debut with a powerful win

Kuwarna spoiled Hawthorn’s celebrations in Emily Bates’ 100th AFLW game with a resounding 28-point win in the first ever official AFLW match at the Kennedy Community Centre. 

The Crows dominated the match from start to finish, getting the better of the Hawks both inside and outside the contest on the way to a big 10.7 (67) to 5.9 (39) victory.

Ryan Davis’ Kuwarna side was ultra impressive in controlling the game from the outset, changing gears at will to punish the Hawks.

Star midfielder Ebony Marinoff worked through some close attention to finish with 24 disposals, 13 tackles and a goal, while winger Maddi Newman was a key contributor and key defender Chelsea Biddell blanketed dangerous Hawthorn forward Jac Dupuy.

Cats keep wins coming downing Bombers for three on the trot

GEELONG has continued its recovery from a round one thumping, claiming a third consecutive win to sit inside the top four after the first month of football.

The Cats kept Essendon winless with a powerful 13.5 (83) to 7.9 (51) victory over Essendon at GMHBA Stadium on Sunday, despite the visitors providing a strong fight early and looking well up for the fight.

It was Geelong that kicked off the scoring with the first goal of the game, but the Bombers found their feet to kick the next three either side of quarter-time.

The second term was an arm wrestle before Geelong blew it open, kicking six of next seven goals before half-time, four of them coming off the boot of Aishling Moloney.

Blues train rolls on at full steam over Magpies

CARLTON is undefeated after the first month of the season, comfortably accounting for Collingwood by 39 points, with Ruby Schleicher having scored all of the Pies' tally until the dying minutes of the game. 

Collingwood was always an outside chance of securing a win over the fancied Blues, but it was a task made tougher by the late withdrawal of former No.1 pick Ash Centra and winger Jemma Rigoni.

Carlton was also without its own young star, with Sophie McKay (ankle) a last-minute out, but it had no bearing on the final 10.8 (68) to 4.5 (29) victory at Ikon Park.

Mimi Hill led the way for the Blues with a game-high 31 touches, with Lila Keck booting three, while Schleicher kicked 22 of Collingwood’s 29 points. Georgia Knight’s behind at the 16-minute mark of the final term was the first non-Schleicher score for the visitors - Sarah Black

Demons crank up claims as genuine contender after accounting for Eagles 

NARRM used a second-quarter demolition to continue its undefeated start to the season, kicking seven unanswered goals through the middle stages to beat a desperate Waalitj Marawar team by 37 points at Mineral Resources Park on Sunday.

Trailing by 11 points late in the first quarter, the Demons kicked 10 of the next 13 goals to make another powerful statement as they stake their claims in 2026, winning 12.9 (81) to 6.8 (44) as Eliza McNamara (32 disposals and two goals) starred in a classy performance.

Cleaner with the ball and more organised across the ground, Narrm further cemented its status as the main challenger to North Melbourne this season, staying clear in second after a super impressive 4-0 start to the season.

For the winless Eagles, Sunday's loss matches the club's worst ever start to a season after also going 0-4 in 2021, 2022 and 2023 before registering their first win, with the team hosting Grand Finalist Brisbane at Mineral Resources Park in round five.