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Late ‘spite’ after ‘Norfie Time’ blitz; awkward finals curveball for AFLW’s most in-form team
WHAT'S GAMBLING REALLY COSTING YOU? Set a deposit limit. For Free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au. Just when we thought North Melbourne’s three-peat hopes were vulnerable, Darren Crocker’s side delivered an almighty response in a prime time match.
The Kangaroos left their shock Round 6 defeat at the hands of Hawthorn — their first loss in 32 games — in the rear-view mirror and handed Melbourne its first defeat of 2026 on Grand Final Eve at Ikon Park. After the Demons kicked the first three goals in star skipper Kate Hore’s 300th game, the Roos flicked a switch with a breathtaking blitz that saw them kick the next nine goals of the contest,“It felt like someone might’ve hit the Wharfie Time button,” Fox Footy’s Kelli Underwood said on The W Debrief.
Having already banked comprehensive victories over top-four sides Geelong and Carlton, North Melbourne proved it remains the unwavering favourite, despite the Round 6 hiccup in Cairns.
“I wouldn’t call it a ‘chip on the shoulder’, but there was definitely that real spark and electricity in their eyes, the Roos,” CODE Sports reporter Lauren Wood said onSource: Getty Images“Emma Kearney was absolutely on one, getting into her opponents, getting into umpires – and paid the price at different times. But it really showed that on the big stage against a really big opponent with a lot on the line, they didn’t like being on the losers’ list and were determined to turn the tables.
” There was plenty of heat during the game, especially on the final siren as Melbourne players remonstrated with dual premiership Roo Vikki Wall after her late collision with Demons star Tyla Hanks. Wood added: “It sets the tone nicely, an entree for what we might see in the finals series. We know Vikki Wall is tough as a wall, she doesn’t take a backwards step and she showed exactly that on Friday night.
“There’s certainly a lot of spite between these two teams. They’ve been right there at the top of the table over a number of seasons now, two powerhouses of the competition, and you’d expect them to be in the thick of it when it matters in November. ”One team coming with a rush in the premiership race is Geelong, which is now well placed to finish inside the top four.
After suffering a crushing 73-point loss to North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium in Round 1, the Cats have surged under new coach Mick Stinear, winning six consecutive games for the first time in their AFLW history. Their 36-point triumph over Hawthorn on Thursday night was arguably their most impressive yet, with the Cats booting five first-quarter goals on their way to 12.10 for the match – their fourth-highest score of the season and sixth-highest in club history.
“It’s really exciting,” in-form Cats star Georgie Prespakis told The W Debrief. “We’ve obviously had Mick come in this year and a little bit of a freshen up from our coaching staff. “I think early on into the season last year we probably had a few more losses, so to be able to go in with six at the moment it’s exciting and the girls are super pumped.
“ Prespakis said Stinear, who led the Demons for their first 10 AFLW seasons including the Season 6 premiership, had “come in and really set the standard for everyone to fall under”. “Not only is he a really good person, but his knowledge of the game is super impressive,” Prespakis said. “What he’s been able to do and bring out everyone’s strengths and enjoyment, it’s been super exciting.
You’ve got girls just wanting to come in and get to work and get better all the time. ” Prespakis herself is in scintillating form, averaging a career-high 29.0 disposals, while also ranking first in the AFLW for contested possessions and score involvements and third for clearances . She sits third on the AFLCA AFLW Champion Player of the Year leaderboard behind North Melbourne’s Jasmine Garner and Gold Coast’s Charlie Rowbottom.
Asked why she’s in such good form, Prespakis said: “There’s a few things. Maturity definitely being one of them. When you’re getting a little bit older and been around the competition a bit more, you start to understand what you need to improve on and how you can get better.
“My teammates around me too, I’m pretty fortunate with the midfielders I get to play alongside like Mikayla Bowen, Amy McDonald and Nina Morrison. I love what they do for me and the way they challenge me, because it makes me a better player. ” The Cats will play the Tigers, Giants, Eagles, Dockers and Bulldogs in their final five home and away games, with Underwood declaring Stinear’s side would start as favourites in each.
Three of those matches will be at GMHBA Stadium, which Prespakis said the Cats have tried to make a “fortress” this year.
“It’s something we don’t want to shy away from. Particularly from the very start of the season, we were set on wanting to get ourselves back in finals. We obviously haven’t been there for two seasons.
“We’re pretty keen at the moment just to get our process and our gameplan right. We want to play a way that’s exciting and we’re really happy with. ” A possible curveball, as Wood reported for CODE Sports earlier this month, is having to potentially play a home qualifying final away from GMHBA Stadium due to a booking clash.
Round 3 of the AUSX Supercross Championship will take place at Kardinia Park on Saturday November 7, which lands on the same week as the first week of AFLW finals.
“Hosting rights are on the line, it’s a little bit unfair. But that’s my view. ”Like the Cats, the Gold Coast Suns are on a club-record winning streak to put themselves in finals contention for just the third time in their AFLW history. The Suns on Sunday night defeated St Kilda off the back of a stunning second-half blitz, piling on eight goals to one to set up a 30-point win.
Their final score of 10.9 was the team’s equal second-highest score ever. In fact five of their seven highest AFLW scores have come this season “It’s their ability to score quickly,” six-time Bulldogs best and fairest winner Ellie Blackburn said during Fox Footy commentary.
“We saw in that first half St Kilda had good control of the game and Gold Coast were thereabouts. But in the second half, their ability to transition and get really good scoring opportunities fast, it’s dangerous and lively when they’ve got momentum on their side.
“They move it so nicely when their confidence is up and then it just creates more opportunities for them and they make the most of their moments. These young guns love it, celebrate it and enjoy it out there.
“They’re a dangerous prospect moving into the second half of the year, teams have certainly got to look out for them. ” The result saw the Suns jump up to fifth on the ladder. It has them well-placed to return to the finals for the first time since 2023, given they’ll probably only need two more wins from their last five games.
As for the battling Saints, they put up a brave fight against the Suns, with Jessie Tawhiao-Wardlaw returning to form with a career-high five majors from her 14 disposals and eight marks. But a seventh straight loss means the Saints and Bombers remain the only two winless teams in 2026 so far, following Collingwood’s win over the Giants.
St Kilda’s club-record losing streak has now stretched to 10 matches, while Essendon’s loss to West Coast on Friday means it has now lost 15 of 16 games across the past two seasons. The Saints had ample list turnover during the off-season, delisting six players and allowing Nic Stevens to be traded to Geelong. The Bombers also delisted five players, but recruited Zoe Prowse from the Crows and used Pick 10 to draft exciting midfielder-forward Maggie Johnstone.
Underwood said “the spotlight in the second half of the season will definitely be on Essendon and St Kilda”.
“ Natalie Wood is the first female coach to coach into a fifth year, she’s out of contract at the end of the year,” Underwood said. Source: Getty Images “Both these clubs have struggled culturally when you look at the issues they’ve had in their men’s teams, so it’s not just the women’s teams that have the issue. You’ve got to ask questions more broadly.
“With St Kilda, Nick Dal Santo is also out of contract at the end of the year. They made the finals last year, so the expectations are a little higher. They haven’t received the rub of the green when it comes to the draft and being able to snare high-end talent as such. So you need to take all of that into account.
Wood said it was important the Saints nailed the next 24 months from a recruiting perspective.
“We’ve got Tasmania coming in as well, which is going to further dilute the talent. They’re going to receive concessions at the draft and the like,” she said.
“It’s something that needs to be taken into a little bit of context, but the pressure is definitely going to come. ”Underwood and Wood both believe a Melbourne Gather Round would help solve a Grand Final weekend issue and boost the “one-club mentality” set-up. As in previous seasons, the AFLW round that lands on the same weekend as the AFL Grand Final had games across Thursday night, Friday and Sunday, with Saturday left free for the men’s decider.
But both Grand Final clubs, Fremantle and Brisbane, were unable to have their women’s teams in Melbourne for the game and post-match celebrations, with both sides also interstate for their Sunday fixtures. The AFLW Lions went down to Sydney at Henson Park on Sunday, while the Dockers knocked off the Crows in Adelaide on the same day. Kelli: “You felt a bit sorry for Fremantle and Brisbane’s AFLW teams, particularly the Lions,” Underwood said.
“Both were scheduled to play away from their home grounds and, therefore, the Lions missed out on celebrating with the men’s team today. ”“We talk about the one-club mentality and what that means for the AFL and AFLW teams,” she said.
“For both Fremantle and Brisbane to be playing not only the day after their men’s teams, but also both away … unfortunately the Lions were in Sydney, so not only unable to take in the game at the MCG but then also be no part of the celebrations. “It’s an interesting watch, because I think there is going to be more of a push for whether it’s a floating fixture as we get deeper into the men’s finals series for where these games could sit.
”“You’re trying to push a one-club mentality. The blokes and fans are there and the AFLW team misses out,” she said.
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