DETAILS: Adelaide v Melbourne
DATE: Friday 26 August
TIME: 7:10pm (local) | 7:40pm (AEST)
LOCATION: Glenelg Oval, Adelaide
BROADCAST: Seven Network, Kayo Sports and womens.afl
GAME DAY GUIDE: Available here
TICKETS: Available here
LAST TIME WE MET: S6 Grand Final, 2022 | Adelaide v Melbourne
The stage was set for an epic AFLW Grand Final when these two sides last met at Adelaide Oval. The Demons were looking for their inaugural premiership win, but it wasn't the fairytale finish they'd hoped for, with the Crows sealing their third premiership in six years.
The home side opened the match with their experienced finals energy, dominating the first quarter and restricting Melbourne from making any kind of scoreboard impact. Montana McKinnon kicked the first goal of the match, with Erin Phillips following suit in the second quarter.
The Demons kicked into gear in the second half following an impressive running goal from Alyssa Bannan in the dying minutes of the second term. Despite this momentum shift, they struggled to use it to their advantage on the scoreboard, aside from one quick goal from Kate Hore.
Adelaide continued to push their lead out in the final term with Melbourne ultimately suffering a heartbreaking loss at 4.5 (29) to 2.4 (16).
PLAYER TO WATCH: Melbourne
Olivia Purcell
Demon Olivia Purcell was just getting back into the swing of things towards the back end of season six, returning from an ACL injury that saw her sidelined for nearly 12 months. However, the timing of the in-season return didn’t quite give Purcell the chance to get back to her best.
Now with a full pre-season under her belt, the tenacious midfielder is primed for an explosive start to season seven. Her on-field aggression and attack at the ball will be key during Friday night’s game, as Melbourne looks to match the contest work of the reigning premiers.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Adelaide
Anne Hatchard
Adelaide’s star midfielder Anne Hatchard has been an ominous presence within the Crows line-up for some time now and following a standout individual campaign in season six, will no doubt be the one to watch come Friday night.
Hatchard has proven that she can compete with Melbourne's midfield on multiple occasions, starting season six with a display of strength in the Demon's Round 5 loss to the Crows. She was a dominant force throughout, registering 29 disposals and creating an effective delivery inside 50.
During last season's Grand Final, Hatchard was again the catalyst in Adelaide's win, receiving the award for best on ground, recording 25 disposals, nine marks, six tackles, five clearances and 568m gained.
COACH’S VIEW: Mick Stinear
“It’s a great way to start our season against the best in the competition over a long period of time,” Stinear told Melbourne Media.
“We’re looking forward to being a bit more effective and efficient in defence and then creating some more scoring opportunities in offence.
“Hopefully you’ll still see that Demon Spirit, ferocious attitude and will to win the ball…and I know the team is looking forward to getting stuck into it.
“We’re thrilled that we’ve got another season of women’s footy in this calendar year and our team is certainly going to make the most of it this season.”
