State of Play hosts Joe Pignataro and Gemma Bastiani preview the big topics ahead of this weekend's VFL and VFLW action.
A must-win match in Tassie
Box Hill’s loss to the GWS Giants in Round 14 saw it slide to fourth on the Smithy’s VFL ladder. The Hawks now have Sydney, Williamstown, Frankston and Coburg breathing down their necks, as well as this weekend's opponents, Tasmania, who suffered a shock loss to the Brisbane Lions last round. Dial Park in Penguin is set to host a classic as the Devils take a home game on the road as part of a VFL/VFLW double-header. With the race for a top-10 spot tightening, there’s no room for error on Saturday in what shapes as a must-win clash for both sides.
VFLW breakaway
Should Collingwood, Williamstown and North Melbourne Werribee all win this weekend, the race for this year's premiership could become a three-horse race. At the halfway point of the season, the trio would hold a three-game buffer over the rest of the competition. The Magpies and Roos were widely tipped as the teams to beat before the season began, and nothing has changed in that regard. A perennial finalist in recent years, Williamstown appears to have taken the next step and the Seagulls are confident they can match it with the competition's best. And with a new finals format this year, which sees the top-two teams advance directly to a home preliminary final, there never has been more incentive to finish in first and second place.
Corey Ellison raises the bat
Over the past fortnight the Southport Sharks celebrated club legends Jacob Dawson and Brayden Crossley, who both reached the 100-game milestone. This weekend, it's Frankston’s turn to acknowledge one of the competition's true journeymen as he reaches the same mark. Corey Ellison made his VFL debut with the Dolphins in 2019 before moving to Casey, where he was part of the Demons’ 2022 premiership side. After a stint at Williamstown, he returned to Kinetic Stadium last year, where the former defender has become a key pillar of Frankston’s forward line. Ellison has developed into one of the competition's premier power forwards, boasting a reliable set shot and converting at 65 per cent in front of goal. Standing in the Dolphins and Ellison’s way of a milestone win is ladder-leader Geelong in what shapes as a great way to kick off Round 15 in a Friday night showdown under lights at Kinetic Stadium.
Saints closing in on Wildcard opportunity
At the end of Round 6, St Kilda had a 1-5 record and languished in 20th place on the ladder. Since then, the Saints have turned their season around, recording five wins and a draw from their past six matches to look every bit a finals contender in their first season as an AFL standalone club since 2000. Coming off the bye, they’ll be fresh when they take on Essendon at Windy Hill on Sunday, where a victory could see Brendon Goddard’s side move inside the top 10. And with the Bombers also fighting for a similar place on the ladder, it’s looming as an early final for both clubs.
Can the Hawks stop the slide?
Not many, if any, would have predicted Box Hill to be sitting in 10th place on the ladder after the opening seven rounds of the VFLW season. But with just two wins to their name, that’s exactly where the Hawks find themselves. Having now lost three straight matches, the they’ll be desperate to return to the winners’ list when they travel to Penguin to face Tasmania. Following Matilda Van Berkel's elevation to the AFLW list, the structure of the side has again required adjustment. Annabelle Embleton and Ella Stoddart have both been used as swing players in recent weeks as coach Michael Ericson searches for the right combination to get the Hawks back in finals contention.
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