The 2025 rebel VFLW Finals Series kicks off with three-highly anticipated matches.
SECOND ELIMINATION FINAL: SANDRINGHAM VS WILLIAMSTOWN
Sandringham and Williamstown will kick off the 2025 finals, with the two teams to go at it in the second elimination final at Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval.
This will be Sandringham’ first finals appearance since losing to Essendon in the 2022 premiership decider when competing as the Southern Saints.
The Zebras will be looking to arrest a slight drop in form after dropping just one of their opening six matches of the year.
They’ve arguably got Williamstown at good time, given the Seagulls have won just one of their past five matches, which includes two losses to sides who did not feature inside the top six at the end of the home and away campaign.
Grace Hodder is one of the most in-form players of the competition in recent weeks, averaging almost 20 disposals and over seven tackles in her past three matches, and will be key to the Zebras hopes of advancing to the second week of finals.
Williamstown has plenty of finals experience on their side as it heads into its third consecutive finals campaign.
The recent return of skipper Eliza Straford from an ACL injury has been a massive boost for the club in recent weeks, with Straford having an immediate impact in the two appearances she has made this season, averaging 14 disposals, five tackles and kicking three majors
The only meeting between these sides in 2025 was gripping, with Williamstown coming from a goal down at the final change to claim a thrilling one-point triumph, ending Sandringham’s four-game unbeaten run to start the season,
If that battle is anything to go by, we can expect another terrific contest between these two sides on Saturday.
SANDRINGHAM
4th, 8-5-1, 104.8%
STREAK: Lost 2 (2025: LLWLWWWLDLWWWW)
LAST FINALS APPEARANCE: 2022 Grand Final (As Southern Saints)
WILLIAMSTOWN
5th, 8-6 (104.7%)
STREAK: Lost 1 (2025: LWLLLWWWWWLWLW)
LAST FINALS APPEARANCE: 2024 Preliminary Final
2025 MEETINGS
ROUND 5 – Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval
SANDRINGHAM 0.0 2.3 3.4 4.4 (28)
WILLIAMSTOWN 1.3 1.3 2.4 4.5 (29)
BEST
Sandringham: Imogen Evans, Deanna Jolliffe, Abbey Tregellis, Erica Fowler, Chloe Saultry, Winnie Laing
Williamstown: Ash Thorneycroft, Megan Williamson, Emily Eaves, India Barker, Krystal Russell, Sharnie Whiting
GOALS
Sandringham: Arianna Clarke, Imogen Evans, Grace Hodder, Chloe Saultry
Williamstown: India Barker, Camryn Bux, Neve Crowley, Sharnie Whiting
DISPOSALS
Sandringham: Winnie Laing 23, Imogen Evans 17, Grace Hodder 15
Williamstown: Emily Eaves 16, Ash Thorneycroft 15
FIRST ELIMINATION FINAL: BOX HILL HAWKS VS ESSENDON
After both clubs suffered elimination final exits last seasons, one of Box Hill and Essendon will go at least one better in 2025 when the two sides meet at Box Hill City Oval in the first elimination final.
The Hawks this year produced a similar home and away campaign to that of 2024, where they also finished third on the ladder at season’s end before suffering a shock home defeat to Port Melbourne.
Meanwhile the Bombers were no match for eventual premiers North Melbourne in their elimination final contest on the same weekend.
Box Hill has put together an impressive 2025 campaign and sat inside the top two for seven of the first 11 rounds. However, it was their defeat to Essendon in Round 12 that saw them settle for third spot on the ladder by the end of the regular campaign.
Paige Price will be one to keep an eye out for in the elimination final, with the ruck averaging a league-high 32 hitouts a game to ensure the likes of Isla Baldwin and Tess Cattle get first use of the footy.
The Bombers were on top of the ladder at the conclusion of Round 6 following a five-match win-streak, however a run of five-straight defeats put their finals position in jeopardy.
They were able to steady the ship with three wins from the last three games to secure yet another finals campaign, with their spot clinched in thrilling style last week when a Tia Davidge long bomb in the dying minutes secured a come-from-behind victory over the Bulldogs.
Skipper El Chaston brings red-hot form to the finals and averages 26 disposals in the two matches they have played against the Hawks this season. A similar display this weekend will go a long way towards leading Essendon to its first finals win in two years.
What is also on the Bombers side is that, remarkably, in the last three rebel VFLW finals campaigns, the sixth-placed side has advanced to the second week of finals. Will history repeat itself on Saturday?
BOX HILL HAWKS
3rd, 9-5, 153.5%
STREAK: Won 1 (2025: WLLWLWWWWLLWWW)
LAST FINALS APPEARANCE: 2024 Elimination Final
ESSENDON
6th, 8-6, 104.5%
STREAK: Won 3 (2025: WWWLLLLLWWWWWL)
LAST FINALS APPEARANCE: 2024 Elimination Final
2025 MEETINGS
ROUND 12 – Box Hill City Oval
BOX HILL HAWKS 1.1 2.1 3.1 5.3 (33)
ESSENDON 3.3 5.4 7.6 8.7 (55)
BEST
Box Hill Hawks: Amelie Prosser-Shaw, Isla Baldwin, Paige Price, Emma Juneja, Annabelle Embelton, Jess Matin
Essendon: Abbey McDonald, El Chaston, Maddison Ford, Ava Jordan, Madison Ibrahim, Christina Bernardi
GOALS
Box Hill Hawks: Olivia Fogarty, Jess Matin, Emma Stilve, Serena Gibbs, Angelina Torcasio
Essendon: Christina Bernardi, Olivia Manfre 2, El Chaston, Ava Jordan, Abbey McDonald, Kayla Peake
LEADING DISPOSALS
Box Hill Hawks: Amelie Prosser-Shaw 17, Isla Baldwin 16, Jess Matin 15, Emma Juneja 14, Olivia Fogarty 12, Tess Cattle 12
Essendon: El Chaston 28, Abbey McDonald 27, Ava Jordan 21, Drew Ryan 16, Marli Klaumanns-Moller 16
ROUND 7 – Windy Hill
ESSENDON 1.1 1.4 3.6 3.7 (25)
BOX HILL HAWKS 1.0 3.0 6.3 6.6 (42)
BEST
Essendon: El Chaston, Layla Prince, Abbey McDonald, Marnie Robinson, Maddison Ford, Christina Bernardi
Box Hill Hawks: Eleanor Butler, Stasia Stevenson, Isla Baldwin, Matilda Van Berkel, Paige Price, Gabby Collingwood
GOALS
Essendon: Tia Davidge, Abbey McDonald, Brooke Plummer
Box Hill Hawks: Amy Cariss-Brett, Gabby Collingwood, Annabelle Embelton, Mikayla Lee, Paige Price, Emma Stilve
DISPOSALS
Essendon: El Chaston 24, Abbey McDonald 21, Maddison Ford 19, Sophie Molan 17
Box Hill Hawks: Eleanor Butler 19, Stasia Stevenson 19, Isla Baldwin 18, Rosie Dillon 17
QUALIFYING FINAL: NORTH MELBOURNE-WERRIBEE VS COLLINGWOOD
North Melbourne-Werribee’s premiership defence will be put to the test when it hosts Collingwood in the qualifying final at Arden Street Oval.
The Kangaroos have looked almost unbeatable over the last two months, having won their previous eight games by an average of over 50 points.
They’ve also got a range of stars they can rely on to ensure their winning run continues in the post-season.
2025 Rohenna Young medallist Nyakoat Dojiok has 37 goals to her name and averages five scoring shots a match, while nobody in the competition has racked up more disposals than Maddie Di Cosmo, who has averaged 22 disposals a game and had 30 touches or more in two of the past three games.
On paper, it all paves the way for the reigning premiers to waltz through another finals campaign. However, the Roos’ will be more than aware that an easy finals campaign does not exist, and they’ll be wary of a Magpies’ outfit who are one of two sides to beat them this year.
Outside the minor premiers, Collingwood has been the most in-form team in the competition heading into the final, having tasted defeat just once since Round 5, whilst also boasting a 6-1 record against top six teams in 2025.
In fact, the Magpies sole loss came to an AFLW-stacked Carlton team, with the Blues needing a miracle goal after the siren from Keeley Skeeper to salute.
The Pies have their own goal kicking talent in Amelia Peck, who is coming off a four-goal effort against Williamstown last week, as well as their fair share of ball magnets in Tahlia Sanger (averaging 21.3 disposals) and skipper Dom Carbone (averaging 19 disposals).
Collingwood has history on their side also, having defeated the Kangaroos in five of their six VFLW meetings and although this will be their toughest battle yet, it makes for a highly anticipated contest between the two best teams in the competition.
NORTH MELBOURNE-WERRIBEE
1st, 12-2, 267.9%
STREAK: Won 8 (2025: WWWWWWWWLWWLWW)
LAST FINALS APPEARANCE: 2024 Grand Final (Premiers)
COLLINGWOOD
2nd, 10-4, 137.6%
STREAK: Won 3 (2025: WWWLWWWWWWLLLW)
LAST FINALS APPEARANCE: 2023 Grand Final
ROUND 6 – Victoria Park
COLLINGWOOD 1.2 1.4 4.4 7.4 (46)
NORTH MELBOURNE-WERRIBEE 3.2 5.2 5.2 5.3 (33)
BEST
Collingwood: Lily-Rose Williamson, Jemma Ramsdale, Dominique Carbone, Amelia Peck, Bella Clarke, Charlotte Brewer
North Melbourne-Werribee: Stella Reid, Elisabeth Jackson, Alana Barba, Madeleine Di Cosmo, Charlotte Blair, Zara Flanigan
GOALS
Collingwood: Amelia Peck, Lily-Rose Williamson 2, Sophia de Castella, Chloe Hunt, Courtney Jones
North Melbourne-Werribee: Alana Barba, Nyakoat Dojiok, Tahlia Meier, Kelsie Ternes, Matilda Zander