THE POWERFUL Melbourne midfield of Daisy Pearce, Karen Paxman and Elise O'Dea dominates AFL.com.au's round five AFLW team of the week.
Elsewhere, Western Bulldogs midfielder Emma Kearney broke through a tough tag from Britt Bonnici to take her place on the interchange bench, featuring in her fifth consecutive team of the week.
Adelaide and GWS cannot afford to lose another game and the teams played with that in mind over the weekend, with four players from each side represented.
Carlton managed just one representative, the tireless Katie Loynes, after its disappointing 35-point loss to Adelaide.
The team is selected to mirror the All Australian format: five defenders, six midfielders (including a ruck), five forwards and five interchange players.
Like the All Australian team, we have selected players in general categories, rather than in traditional positions. The 16-a-side set-up often means teams play with differing configurations, making set selections (for example, wings and flanks) difficult.
Defenders
Ebony Antonio (Fremantle), Ellie Brush (GWS), Jasmine Garner (Collingwood), Kate Lutkins (Brisbane), Chelsea Randall (Adelaide)
Lutkins' excellent season continued against Melbourne, where she generally played as a loose defender and was integral in Brisbane's late comeback.
Usual forward Garner was highly impressive in her second game in defence, her contested marking halting numerous Bulldogs forward entries.
Randall and Antonio, as always, showed great run from defence, while Brush (15 disposals) was prominent for GWS.
Midfielders
Erin McKinnon (ruck, GWS), Ellie Blackburn (Western Bulldogs), Courtney Gum (GWS), Karen Paxman (Melbourne), Daisy Pearce (Melbourne), Elise O’Dea (Melbourne)
McKinnon recorded the equal-highest number of hit-outs in an AFLW match (39), as well as managing two clearances.
The trio of Paxman, Pearce and O'Dea completely overran Brisbane's midfield, combining for 72 disposals and 12 clearances.
Blackburn (17 disposals) and Gum (16) were midfield bulls for their sides, and kicked a goal each.
Forwards
Jacinda Barclay (GWS), Monique Conti (Western Bulldogs), Caitlyn Edwards (Collingwood), Sabrina Frederick-Traub (Brisbane), Ruth Wallace (Adelaide)
Frederick-Traub returned to her dominating best, keeping Brisbane in the match almost single-handedly with three goals.
Wallace proved to be a dangerous opponent early against Carlton, kicking the first two goals of the match and setting up the Crows for a big win.
Conti had the best of fellow young gun Chloe Molloy in an intriguing match-up, while Edwards and Barclay were strong marking targets up forward for their respective sides.
Interchange
Dana Hooker (Fremantle), Eloise Jones (Adelaide), Emma Kearney (Western Bulldogs), Katie Loynes (Carlton), Ebony Marinoff (Adelaide)
Hooker (19 touches) battled hard in an under-siege Fremantle defence, as did midfielder Loynes for Carlton.
Marinoff and Kearney continued to be a bullocking presence in their teams' midfields, while Jones (two goals) showed why she was such a highly rated under-18 player last year.
The regulars – players who have been selected in three or more AFLW Teams of the Week in 2018:
- Emma Kearney (Western Bulldogs, five)
- Chelsea Randall (Adelaide, four)
- Kate Lutkins (Brisbane, four)
- Courtney Gum (Greater Western Sydney, four)
- Chloe Molloy (Collingwood, three)
- Ebony Marinoff (Adelaide, three)
- Ebony Antonio (Fremantle, three)
- Elise O’Dea (Melbourne, three)
- Karen Paxman (Melbourne, three)
- Daisy Pearce (Melbourne, three)
- Ellie Blackburn (Western Bulldogs, three)
