We are in for two gripping rebel VFLW semi finals this weekend if the home and away outings are anything to go by.
SECOND SEMI FINAL: COLLINGWOOD vs BOX HILL HAWKS
The first spot in the 2025 premiership decider is up for grabs when Collingwood and Box Hill Hawks do battle at ETU Stadium on Saturday.
While both sides head into the match with plenty of momentum, the Magpies’ confidence will be sky-high after their impressive qualifying final triumph over reigning premiers North Melbourne-Werribee last week.
The Magpies have lost just once since a fadeout defeat to Darebin in Round 4, that being an after-the-siren loss to a stacked Carlton team, and they’ll be confident they can kick a winning score against any opposition in the chase for their first flag since 2019.
Amelia Peck has played a huge role in Collingwood’s ability to produce big scores, averaging three goals across her past three games. Although the in-form key forward has been held to two goals combined in her two matches against the Hawks in 2025.
Meanwhile Tamara Henry will be looked upon to hold the fort up the other end for Collingwood, coming off an excellent qualifying final performance. She averages 16.5 disposals and 7.5 intercept possessions in her games against the Hawks this year.
The Magpies have just had the wood over the Hawks so far in 2025, notching two and 11-point wins in their two home and away meetings.
However, Box Hill has shown an ability to kick big totals of their own and can match the Pies in their goal kicking ability, highlighted by having the second largest percentage across the home and away campaign.
Isla Baldwin was excellent in the elimination final victory over Essendon last week and can be relied upon again to help get her side over the line on Saturday.
She posted a career-high 17 tackles against Collingwood when the two sides met in Round 5 and averages five clearances against the Magpies in their previous two outings.
Tess Cattle will help Baldwin set the tone with her ferocity in the contest, while Paige Price will continue to have a say in the ruck and also has the ability to win key clearances at stoppages.
Matilda van Berkel has been important in keeping Collingwood to only four goals in each of their previous meetings this season and has collated 15 total intercept possessions in those two games. A similar performance by the 22-year-old will go a long way to Box Hill moving into the decider.
Meanwhile, the return of skipper Ellie McLinden is timely having not featured in the second half of the year due to an ankle injury.
2025 MEETINGS
ROUND 10 – Box Hill City Oval
BOX HILL HAWKS 0.1 1.4 1.4 3.5 (23)
COLLINGWOOD 2.3 3.5 4.9 4.10 (34)
BEST
Box Hill Hawks: Matilda Van Berkel, Paige Price, Isla Baldwin, Stasia Stevenson, Annabelle Embelton, Gabby Collingwood
Collingwood: Tamara Henry, Tahlia Sanger, Lily-Rose Williamson, Kasey Lennox, Charlotte Brewer, Bella Clarke
GOALS
Box Hill Hawks: Emma Juneja, Jess Matin, Matilda Van Berkel
Collingwood: Mackenzie Bourne 2, Dom Carbone, Amelia Peck
LEADING DISPOSALS
Box Hill Hawks: Ruby Murdoch 17, Isla Baldwin 16, Tess Cattle 16, Paige Price 16, Gabby Collingwood 15, Stasia Stevenson 15
Collingwood: Lily-Rose Williamson 26, Tahlia Sanger 24, Bella Clarke 23, Tamara Henry 21, Dom Carbone 19
ROUND 5 – Victoria Park
COLLINGWOOD 2.2 3.2 4.3 4.3 (27)
BOX HILL HAWKS 0.1 0.2 1.5 3.7 (25)
BEST
Collingwood: Bella Clarke, Lauren Szigeti, Dom Carbone, Tamara Henry, Tahlia Sanger, Kasey Lennox
Box Hill Hawks: Tess Cattle, Isla Baldwin, Matilda Van Berkel, Paige Price, Stasia Stevenson, Natalie Exon
GOALS
Collingwood: Sophia de Castella, Tahlia Fellows, Chloe Hunt, Amelia Peck
Box Hill Hawks: Paige Price, Olivia Fogarty
DISPOSALS
Collingwood: Lauren Szigeti 19, Dom Carbone 18, Molly Eastman 16, Zoe McCurdy 16
Box Hill Hawks: Tess Cattle 22, Isla Baldwin 19, Stasia Stevenson 18
FIRST SEMI FINAL: NORTH MELBOURNE-WERRIBEE vs WILLIAMSTOWN
A fascinating first semi final awaits us on Sunday afternoon when North Melbourne-Werribee hosts Williamstown at Arden Street Oval.
Many will be surprised to see the Kangaroos in a knockout final this early in the finals series, given their dominance across the 2025 home and away campaign.
However, the reigning premiers will now need to win three successive finals to defend their 2024 title after they were blown away by Collingwood in the second quarter of last week’s qualifying final and could not recover to fall to their first loss since Round 6.
But it would take a brave person to write off Brett Gourley’s team and they will have an opportunity to respond against a side they have beating seven times in out meetings in the competition.
Star goal kicker Nyakoat Dojiok was kept to just one major in last week’s defeat to the Magpies and has only kicked two total goals in her two matches against the Seagulls this year.
But with her team’s premiership defence riding on it, it’s only a matter of time before the Rohenna Young medallist has a huge game, as she has produced in big finals previously.
Alana Barba remains one of the keys to this North Melbourne-Werribee side and still managed to put together a colossal performance in her side’s loss last Saturday.
Barba did register her lowest disposal count of the season against Williamstown back in Round 2, however she has averaged 28.5 touches in her past month while also producing 40 tackles in that same time.
The last time these two sides met in a final was last year’s second semi, in which the Roos accounted for the top-of-the-ladder Seagulls with a brilliant 18-point triumph at DSV Stadiym on their way to their maiden premiership.
It will be a game that sits firmly in the minds of Williamstown as they look to replicate their elimination final triumph over Sandringham last week.
Emily Eaves has been almost impossible to stop through the middle of the ground in recent weeks and has put up some excellent numbers against strong opposition. She’s also one that can hit the scoreboard and has done so in both meetings with the Kangaroos in 2025.
Her battle against the likes of Alana Barba and Maddie Di Cosmo through the middle of the ground will be pivotal on Sunday.
Ash Thorneycroft ensured she added another VFLW game to her resume following an outstanding 21-tackle effort in the Seagulls triumph over the Zebras last week. Only twice this season has she laid less than seven tackles, and that same ferocity around the contest will be needed again if Williamstown are to advance to a preliminary final.
Williamstown will need to make history to beat the Roos, with the Seagulls never having won consecutive finals in the VFLW competition.
But while the mission will be tough to accomplish, the opening week on the finals provided that anything is possible.
2025 MEETINGS
ROUND 10 – DSV Stadium
WILLIAMSTOWN 0.2 0.2 1.3 1.6 (12)
NORTH MELBOURNE-WERRIBEE 0.1 2.4 3.7 4.9 (33)
BEST
Williamstown: Zoe Day, Jemima Wrigley, Emily Eaves, Laura Blue, India Barker, Georgia Howes
North Melbourne-Werribee Stella Reid, Madeleine Di Cosmo, Charlotte Blair, Zoe Savarirayan, Elisabeth Jackson, Charlotte Ryan
GOALS
Williamstown: Emily Eaves
Essendon: Charlotte Blair, Nyakoat Dojiok, Elisabeth Jackson, Tahlia Meier
LEADING DISPOSALS
Williamstown: Jemima Wrigley 19, Emily Eaves 17, Ruby Mahony 14, India Barker 13, Sharnie Whiting 13, Megan Williamson 13
North Melbourne-Werribee: Stella Reid 23, Charlotte Blair 21, Maddie Di Cosmo 21, Zoe Savarirayan 18, Renee Tierney 17
ROUND 2 – Arden Street Oval
NORTH MELBOURNE-WERRIBEE 0.1 3.1 5.3 6.8 (44)
WILLIAMSTOWN 1.0 3.0 4.0 4.1 (25)
BEST
North Melbourne: Maddie Di Cosmo, Elisabeth Jackson, Renee Tierney, Zoe Savarirayan, Taylor Ortlepp, Stella Reid
Williamstown: Emily Eaves, India Barker, Gabriella De Angelis, Megan Williamson, Georgia Howes, Mia D'Agostino
GOALS
North Melbourne: Zoe Savarirayan 2, Maddie Di Cosmo, Nyakoat Dojiok, Taylor Ortlepp, Matilda Zander
Williamstown: Teagan Brett, Neve Crowley, Gabby De Angelis, Emily Eaves
DISPOSALS
North Melbourne-Werribee: Stella Reid 25, Maddie Di Cosmo 21, Elizabeth Jackson 21, Caitlin Fletcher 18, Charlotte Ryan 18
Williamstown: Emily Eaves 21, Sharnie Whiting 15, Neve Crowley 12, Mia D’Agostino 12, India Barker 11
