IT WAS a weekend that saw the younger siblings turn the tables.

For the first time in five attempts, all 'little sisters' in the two-team states have beaten their older, more established rivals.

Sydney kicked things off with a comfortable 31-point win over Greater Western Sydney three weeks ago.

Then the rest of the intrastate rivalries were rolled out over the weekend.

Port Adelaide secured its second straight Showdown victory over Adelaide after a maiden win last year.

After a draw in the very first QClash back in 2020, Gold Coast finally got a breakthrough victory against Brisbane, while West Coast defeated Fremantle in its first Western Derby triumph (also dating back to 2020) to round out the quartet.

The Showdown welcomed 5,441 through the gates, which set a record for an AFLW game at Port Adelaide's Alberton Oval base.

Likewise in the west, 5,711 filled Sullivan Logistics Stadium. While not an AFLW Western Derby record, given the first few matches were at Optus Stadium, it was the second-highest AFLW crowd ever at the ground (2024 W Derby holds the record with 6,047).

The 3,968 at Brighton Homes Arena was the largest W QClash crowd at the Lions' home base, which has also hosted the 2022 (season seven) Grand Final.

Each state grouping has slightly different circumstances.

The youth-driven rise of the Suns – who have added 13 of its 32 players directly from its Academy over the past two years – has coincided with the Lions going through a form dip of their own, with 2026 fast appearing to be an "off year" for the perennial powerhouse.

That's not to discredit the work of Gold Coast in finally securing a win over its fiercest rival, but Brisbane has been seriously struggling around the ball, as well as with its method of ball movement heading inside 50.

Injuries have hit the usually ultra-fit side for the first time, and the kids – who are finally getting a game – have been underconfident with ball in hand, having barely been exposed at AFLW level until now.

The game has moved beyond the bomb into inside 50, particularly to a forward line that lost Taylor Smith, has had Dakota Davidson below her best and is missing Courtney Hodder, to hassle, harry and create at ground level, and a growing number of teams are employing North Melbourne's zone defence.

The Suns took seven marks inside their 50 – holding the Lions to just three down the other end – while Charlie Rowbottom is covering the ground with ease this year, motoring from contest to contest and using the ball more effectively.

Havana Harris' confidence in attack has risen in her second season, while the natural chemistry honed over years of Academy matches and training sessions has followed the graduates into the elite league.

West Coast has come agonisingly close to securing a Derby win over the years, including three losses under 10 points.

Last season had appeared to be the Eagles' best chance yet, having shaken clear of years of false starts and underinvestment to emerge as a legitimate side with a steady list build under their belt.

But once again, the mature bodies of Fremantle triumphed in wet and slow conditions, and it took until this year for the tide to finally turn with the young talent that West Coast had exclusive access to early in its list build – Ella Roberts chief among them – leading the club home in a barnstorming finish.

Port Adelaide has now secured two Showdown victories over Adelaide, with Abby Dowrick going back-to-back in the Showdown medal.

Given Adelaide's dominance in the early years of the league – and a coincidentally beneficial split of SANFLW academy zones – the Power were able to lock away Matilda Scholz (who was approved by the AFL to play a year before she was draft eligible), Lauren Young, Shineah Goody and Molly Brooksby, as well as taking Piper Window, Sachi Syme and Ella Boag before Adelaide could get a crack.

Hannah Ewings and Sarah Goodwin were also taken by the Power before Adelaide had access, but jumped ship to the Crows.

It's left Adelaide with somewhat of a hole in the early-to-mid 20s bracket, but the Crows are making up for lost time now, fielding a host of 18- and 19-year-olds this year.

With a host of senior Crows retiring, moving to other clubs, or in the case of Danielle Paredes, unavailable through pregnancy, there's a chance Port Adelaide is in for a period of dominance in the Showdown until the baby Crows start to blossom.

In an era of hot takes and fast, disposable content, the AFLW was always going to need at least a decade to take root.

As rivalry round has shown, footy tipping is no longer a straightforward exercise and being an old hand doesn't necessarily automatically assign an upper hand.