Adelaide v Melbourne at Thomas Farms Oval, 11.30am AEST

Melbourne has named top-up player Lauren Jatczak (Casey Demons) at full-back after Tahlia Gillard suffered a torn MCL last weekend, with forward Madison Ibrahim (Essendon VFLW) called in on the bench. Tayla Harris will sit out with an ankle injury.

Given the extended squads for practice matches (26, benches of eight), the Dees have named injured players as emergencies.

MELBOURNE

B: S.Lampard 8 L.Jatczak 34  
HB: M.Chaplin 13 L.Ebert 19 M.O'Hehir 11
C: P.Paxman 4 T.Hanks 5 E.McNamara 22
HF: M.Fitzsimon 24 A.Bannan 6 E.Zanker 29
F: A.Pisano 3 G.Gall 9
Foll: L.Pearce 15 O.Purcell 2 K.Hore - C 10
I/C: M.Ibrahim 44 A.Dethridge 14 L.Johnson 33 S.Heath 30 M.Mahony 20 R.Wotherspoon 12 J.Rigoni 43 S.Taylor 28  

Emerg: B.Mackin 31 T.Harris 7  

How to watch: Live stream will be available on club websites.

Edited August 2, 2025Aug 2 by Dees_In_October
get the date right!

Streamed on the Club's website, 11.30.

This team's worth a look - although the talls carnage from last week puts a dent in ☹️

They eventually got going after Crows had multiple entries in the 50. Good movement with short hit ups and getting the ball into better scoring positions. McNamara with plenty of possession, Heath tackling and covering the ground, Jatczak with some important marks, Ebert with a good start.

Ist quarter Melb 12 Crows 3

Edited August 3, 2025Aug 3 by Kev

Straight goal kicking, Melb 31 Crows 5 at half-time

Crows dominated the early part of the 2nd quarter, backline doing enough to restrict and pressure them. We had some slings of the half-back (Chaplin) that created one on ones in the fwrd 50, but couldn't mark it. Then the experienced players got more involved, Hore, Hanks, Paxman later in the quarter as we kicked 3.

Edited August 3, 2025Aug 3 by Kev

This thread sharing commentary with the '10th season of the AFLW' thread. One eye on each, folks? 🤪

Crows using their wind advantage better this quarter.

Crows using the breeze with some long kicking.

2 goals in a row.

31 dees 18 crows

Pretty physical contest

Missing Gillard for Gould ☹️

A second to Caitlin Gould for the crows.

Two big marks.

We look a bit outsized for sure with a number of our talls out

Banno! 👏

Crows got another to even it up but then we respond with a good mark and goal by Bannon.

Dees 37 crows 31

Ump just stops a certain second goal to us

Edo!👏

We have our own Goulds. Phew...

Great response by the Dees with another goal this time by Zanker.

Hard work kicking into this breeze. We seem to be adjusting to get to the front of the contest when going forward

3qtr time.

Dees 43 to crows 37

We should* be able to use the breeze and our run in the last

3/4 time. 7.1 to 5.7. Home with the wind.

3 quarter time 7.1 43 to 5.7 37

Crows dominated the quarter early again, creting some easier opportunities to goal.

We responded late, with some pressure turning it and straight kicking to keep our lead after they evened the score.

Good turn around so as to wrestle back the momentum.

Error-laden first few minutes! Yuck.

Macca making some good dashes through the centre and a nice pass to Kate Hore who goes back and kicks a nice goal.

Crows fighting it out well.

We're definitely trying to play on and run hard.

7 minutes ago, Timothy Reddan-A'Blew said:

Error-laden first few minutes! Yuck.

Practice match, so dusting off cobwebs. Fatigue no doubt a factor now later in the game.

Hore off, hobbling...

😧

Melb 8.4 52 crows 5.8 38

Start of the 4th, they are looking tired, as it turns into a scrap.

Melbourne push it into their 50 and hold it there.

Crows tried a few times to sling, the Dees backline stood firm and pushed the ball forward again.

Good hit out for them.

Ebert and O'hehir did well in their first run.

Johnson couldn't find enough ball.

Great to see Wotherspoon playing, needed the run.

Mahony bit of a ball magnet, needs to do better with it. Will be better for the run as she adjust to the pace.

Jatczak has a chance to be listed with us. Marks and competes well.

Unsure about Dethridge's game, hopefully some learnings.

Hore, McNamara, Hanks, Zanker, and Chaplin, best, with Fitzsimon, Pearce, Purcell, and Heath not far behind, though in and out of it.

Edited August 3, 2025Aug 3 by Kev

All done. 8.4 to 5.8. Good travel outcome.

Apolgies: I'm not good at noticing / nominating 'best'. Anyone else?

It did seem an all-round effort. The 'in-and-under' group appeared strong, and the backs were generally pretty composed and considered. Tackling continues to be a feature.

14 minutes ago, Timothy Reddan-A'Blew said:

Error-laden first few minutes! Yuck.

Felt like a lot of those errors were in our back half trying to clear it at the start of the final quarter.

I think our backline will be really challenged this year without Tahlia Gillard. She has a real presence down back even as a young kid. We'll miss her. Maybe Taylor Harris has to go back to give us more physical presence down there as someone has previously suggested.

Really hope Kate Hore is ok or we'll miss that presence in the middle as well. Hobbled off late in the game.

The girls ran the game out well and it was a pretty good hit out.

Tyla Hanks had a great game from what I saw. Macca always in the thick of it too. Eden Zanker also had an impact.

1 hour ago, Kev said:

Melb 8.4 52 crows 5.8 38

Hore, McNamara, Hanks, Zanker, and Chaplin, best, with Fitzsimon, Pearce, Purcell, and Heath not far behind, though in and out of it.

Thanks @Kev assume you inadvertently omitted Paxman from ‘best’. Paxy appeared injury-free and looked terrific on the wing, especially early on.

And fingers are crossed that Kate is ok. Our Skip is in sublime form, dominating in the midfield and kicked 3 goals.

16 minutes ago, Meggs said:

Thanks @Kev assume you inadvertently omitted Paxman from ‘best’. Paxy appeared injury-free and looked terrific on the wing, especially early on.

And fingers are crossed that Kate is ok. Our Skip is in sublime form, dominating in the midfield and kicked 3 goals.

Yes, Paxy was great, running both ways. Looking fit and making lots of our connections. Put her in best.

Also hope Hore is OK, she is so important to us.