HAWTHORN will welcome back a footballing favourite from injury for the second time in three weeks with Jess Trend to make her return from a knee reconstruction in the Hawks' clash with Port Melbourne at ETU Stadium on Sunday.

Trend, 30, who was recruited from Essendon to play in North Melbourne's inaugural AFLW match in 2018 and lined up for Melbourne University, was traded to Fremantle for the 2021 season but didn't play for the Dockers, instead being named VFLW captain of Hawthorn, only to suffer the knee injury in her first game for the Hawks.

She took part in last year's series of Big Brother during her recovery, but has finally managed to work her way back into the Hawks' set-up for a premiership tilt.

The upheavel across the rebel VFLW competition continues this week with several young stars missing as they take part in the Under-23 All Stars v AFLW Academy match at Swinburne Centre on Sunday, with no less than 14 new NAB League Girls players being handed their chances to impress at the higher level.

rebel VFLW ROUND 11 TEAMS, click here

rebel VFLW ROUND 11 INJURY LIST, click here

Southern Saints' matchwinner Caitlin Greiser won't play against Western Bulldogs, while Essendon has made six changes to play Darebin, losing Cecilia McIntosh, Renee Tierney and Jordan Zanchetta but recalling Mia-Rae Clifford and Nicole Julian from their rest.

Darebin star Angelica Gogos, who was leading the VFLW Coaches Player of the Year award when she suffered a hand injury last month, has now been ruled out for the season in a cruel blow to the Falcons' hopes of returning to the finals for the first time since their 2017 premiership win.

Twitter: @BRhodesVFL

NORTH MELBOURNE v GEELONG

Saturday, May 7, 9.30am @ Aegis Park
(www.warfradio.com.au, 8.30am; https://vflw.tv, 9.25am)
HEAD-TO-HEAD: Geelong 1-0. At Arden St: Never Met. Streak: Geelong 1. Last time: Geelong 7.6 48 def North Melbourne 5.2 32 (Queens Park, April 18, 2021)

NORTH MELBOURNE
IN: G Alomes, T Bradley, P King, A Rhodes, L Wright
OUT: B Slaney (illness), A Bissett, J Blair, C Fitzgerald, A O'Loughlin (omit)
DEBUT: Georgia Alomes (19, Tasmania Devils)

GEELONG
IN: L Dowling, A Haigh, K Hardingham, M Maguire, G Rankin
OUT: E Coventry (concussion), C Leonard, P Sheppard, T Smith (All Stars)

Prediction: Geelong by 14

SOUTHERN SAINTS v WESTERN BULLDOGS

Saturday, May 7, 9.45am @ Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval
(https://vflw.tv, 9.40am)
HEAD-TO-HEAD: Saints 3-2. At Trevor Barker: 1-1. Streak: Saints 1 (last loss 2021). Last time: Southern Saints 8.10 58 def Western Bulldogs 3.2 20 (Whitten, February 27, 2022)

SOUTHERN SAINTS
IN: O Flanagan, T Kearns, E Nixon, C Slater
OUT: C Greiser (managed), C Keohane, K Prendergast, E Stuber (omit)

WESTERN BULLDOGS
IN: I Barker, L Bibby, M Chadwick, M Freeman, B Hards, A Ling, M Walton, N Wright, A Xanthos
OUT: M Marks, T Meier, J Speakman, E Vale (All Stars), L Elliott (AFLW Academy), L Condon, N Ferres, P Ryan, J Woods (omit)
DEBUT: Molly Walton (18, GWV Rebels)

Prediction: Southern Saints by 50

WILLIAMSTOWN v CARLTON

Saturday, May 7, 10.05am @ Williamstown
(www.afl.com.au, 10am)
HEAD-TO-HEAD: Carlton 3-0. At Williamstown: Carlton 1-0. Streak: Carlton 3. Last time: Carlton 6.7 43 def Williamstown 2.4 16 (Williamstown, June 27, 2021)

WILLIAMSTOWN
IN: A Manoah, A Price, A Whelan
OUT: S Hosking, S McCarthy (All Stars), L Stepnell (calf)
DEBUT: Akima Manoah (18, Western Jets)

CARLTON
IN: T Nicolaou, E Smallacombe, J Stramandinoli
OUT: R Wilcox (All Stars), S Ingram, M Wilson (omit)
DEBUT: Ella Smallacombe (18, Northern Knights)

Prediction: Carlton by 10

DAREBIN v ESSENDON

Saturday, May 7, 11am @ Preston City Oval
(https://vflw.tv, 10.55am)
HEAD-TO-HEAD: Essendon 3-1. At Preston: Never Met. Streak: Essendon 3 (last loss 2018). Last time: Essendon 7.10 52 def Darebin 0.2 2 (Bill Lawry, June 26, 2021)

DAREBIN
IN: P Kearney, T Mills, C Weston-Sirett
OUT: A Caddy, A Mifsud, S Ruedin (omit)

ESSENDON
IN: L Caruso, M Clifford, J Davies, N Julian, O Manfre, D Ryan
OUT: M Appleby (concussion), C McIntosh (hamstring), A Morcom (omit), S Orritt (illness), R Tierney, J Zanchetta (health and safety protocols)
DEBUT: Drew Ryan (19, Bendigo Pioneers)

Prediction: Essendon by 53

CASEY DEMONS v COLLINGWOOD

Sunday, May 8, 10am @ Casey Fields
(https://vflw.tv, 9.55am)
HEAD-TO-HEAD: Collingwood 3-1. At Casey Fields: Collingwood 2-0. Streak: Casey 1 (last loss 2021). Last time: Casey Demons 5.6 36 def Collingwood 4.5 29 (AIA Centre, April 2, 2022)

CASEY DEMONS
IN: B Borchard, T Gatt, B Smith
OUT: T Fellows (All Stars), S Fairchild (ankle), M Chaplin (omit)
DEBUT: Taylah Gatt (17, Dandenong Stingrays), Brooke Smith (18, Dandenong Stingrays)

COLLINGWOOD
IN: J Membrey, A Smith, E Woodford
OUT: N Dojiok, G Matser (All Stars), E Chaston (omit)
DEBUT: Amelie Smith (18, Oakleigh Chargers), Erin Woodford (18, Oakleigh Chargers)

Prediction: Casey Demons by 19

PORT MELBOURNE v HAWTHORN

Sunday, May 8, 2pm @ ETU Stadium
www.warfradio.com.au, 1pm; https://vflw.tv, 12.55pm)
HEAD-TO-HEAD: Hawthorn 1-0. At North Port: Never Met. Streak: Hawthorn 1. Last time: Hawthorn 8.4 52 def Port Melbourne 6.8 44 (Box Hill, June 27, 2021)

PORT MELBOURNE
IN: M Gray, T Gray, L Grocock, M Kennedy
OUT: N Borg (concussion), S Dargan (managed), L Atkinson, J Joyce (omit)
DEBUT: Madison Gray (17, Murray Bushrangers), Tayissa Gray (17, Murray Bushrangers), Molly Kennedy (18, Murray Bushrangers)

HAWTHORN
IN: C Granville (debut), L Guastella (debut), A Holmes, E McLinden, G McRae, J Trend, J Williams
OUT: Z Barbakos (knee), M Busch (All Stars), O Meagher (ribs), D Carbone, B Deed, K Hay, N von Bertouch (managed)
DEBUT: Charli Granville (18, Eastern Ranges), Leesa Guastella (17, Gippsland Power)

Prediction: Hawthorn by 38

Brendan Rhodes’ winners: Last Round: 6. Season: 47

In a first for VFLW, all matches in 2022 are live streamed free. One VFLW feature match per week can be watched live via afl.com.au and the AFL Live Official App. All remaining games will be streamed live and on demand via https://vflw.tv. Multiple matches are also broadcast at WARFRadio.com.au.
To access live scores, results, ladder, stats and to link to live streams/replays, download the VFL/W Official App from the Apple or Google Play app stores.
Keep track of your VFLW team via our VFLW Match Centre, which features live scores, team and player stats, match timeline, events summary and Fantasy points. Check it out here (https://www.afl.com.au/vfl/fixture)