AFLW’s Preseason Insights: Fremantle and Collingwood Under the Spotlight

With the AFLW season just around the corner, fans have something exciting to look forward to as the team behind ‘Credit to the Girls’ returns with a nine-part preseason special. Led by AFLW reporter Sarah Black, broadcaster Lucy Watkin, and analyst Gemma Bastiani, the series will dive deep into every club’s prospects for the upcoming season.

This time, the focus is on Fremantle and Collingwood. The discussion kicks off by addressing some pressing questions about these teams, with an invitation to check back later in the week for insights on Geelong and Greater Western Sydney.

For Fremantle, there’s uncertainty about how they will adapt without their key leaders, Kiara Bowers and Ange Stannett, particularly on the field. Sarah Black highlighted how significant their absence will be, saying, ‘The leadership aspect is really important, but it’s not just that, it’s also what these two provide on the field.’

The Dockers have set a challenge: they need to achieve more consistent scoring this season. Over the past two years, their scoring has seen a decline, even when they had more game time last year. They’re aiming to score more than 35 points per game.

In terms of player movement during the offseason, Fremantle welcomed Ash Brazill from Collingwood and Aisling McCarthy from West Coast while saying goodbye to several players, including Mikayla Hyde, who also joined Collingwood through a trade. Kiara Bowers is currently inactive due to pregnancy, and Ange Stannett is recovering from an ACL injury.

Next up is Collingwood, where the big question revolves around their ability to create an attacking game under a new coach. Black emphasized the importance of capitalizing on their star players and how their forward line has been a work in progress for years.

For the Pies, returning to the finals is a priority after missing out on the top eight last season. With new faces like Kalinda Howarth joining from Gold Coast and Mikayla Hyde from Fremantle, the hope is to build a more consistent performance this year.

The excitement is palpable as Collingwood looks forward to a season free from major injuries for some of their key players. Fans are especially curious to see which small forward will have the biggest impact.