And then the Saints go 20-7 in the last to win. If they beat Norf next week they’re in.
Norf need to beat Port today and then the Saints next week.
Footscray can only get back in by beating Casey next week and the Saints losing.
Fark Carlton need very many things to go their way, but “only” play Willy next week.
Whoever makes it will probably get pumped in the first week of the finals.
Norf got destroyed by Port.
Ladder with one round to go:
| Team | Games | Points | For | Against | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pies | 13 | 52 | 681 | 233 | 292% |
| Cats | 13 | 40 | 566 | 304 | 186% |
| Port | 13 | 40 | 552 | 411 | 134% |
| Casey | 13 | 32 | 613 | 371 | 165% |
| Essendon | 13 | 28 | 472 | 334 | 141% |
| Saints | 13 | 24 | 448 | 419 | 107% |
| Footscray | 13 | 24 | 384 | 530 | 72% |
| Fark Carlton | 13 | 20 | 394 | 532 | 74% |
| North | 13 | 20 | 368 | 559 | 66% |
| Hawks | 13 | 16 | 448 | 487 | 92% |
| Willy | 13 | 10 | 226 | 531 | 43% |
| Darebin | 13 | 6 | 233 | 674 | 35% |
Casey play Footscray, we play Darebin. Footscray have been, let’s be kind, wildly variable in their form. They have the incentive to win, but I’m thinking that no matter how much we murder Darebin by it won’t matter ladder-wise.
Footscray play Saturday, Saints v Norf is Sunday.
Norf have a smidgen of control over there own destiny: they need to beat the Saints next week by at least 108 points to have a chance at sixth place 
Cats likely need to beat the Pies to hold onto second spot.
Their Meade and Tripodi topped the disposals on 22.
Do I even need to say who came first for us?
You can alternatively now see the stats on the AFL site. There are a number of additional stats there (e.g. we lost clearances 29-36).
(“MyStats” may or may not work for you.)
Nanscawen was the top-ranked player for the game.
Our clearances were very concentrated with Nanscawen (9) and Barba (7). Tripodi had 12 for them!
CBomb (6) and Barba (5) topped the inside fifties stat.
“Enjoy” the player images.
To be clear, it’s not impossible. We beat Darebin 70-3 earlier this year. Do that again, and all Footscray have to do is score 26 points (and win, not draw).
I just have little faith in Footscray… they have the following results against the top three this year:
18-70 vs Pies
6-40 vs Geelong
8-42 vs Port
14-99 vs Geelong
8-72 vs Pies (this round, and on a quick glance the Pies omitted a stack of their AFLW stars)
(We did not beat the above teams either, but the margins were 11, 10 and 23.)
The VFLW Bombers secured a 21-point win over Williamstown on Saturday. (Photo: Celie Hay)
Essendon VFLW has returned from the COVID-19 lockdown with a 21-point win over Williamstown at Downer Oval on Saturday to further cement its spot in the top six and a consequent finals berth.
The Bombers controlled the game from the opening bounce and kept the home side goalless in the second half to record a 4.11 (35) to 2.2 (14) victory in their penultimate game of the season, staying in fifth position and a game clear in the top six with a healthy percentage.
The energy was high early as both teams embraced the chance to be back playing, but the Bombers’ midfield, led by Courtney Ugle and Alana Barba, quickly took control.
Bombers forward Mia-Rae Clifford was the first to hit the board, but the Seagulls answered straight away, keeping the pressure on Essendon.
Cecilia McIntosh was lively across the backline, cutting off the Seagulls’ forward entries and rebounding the ball back into the Bombers’ attacking 50, but neither side managed to break away on the scoreboard.
The Bombers’ intensity continued into the second term with Zali Friswell rewarded for a strong tackle with a set shot directly in front of goals.
Friswell converted to extend the Bombers’ lead, but like the first quarter, the Seagulls responded quickly and continued to fight despite the Bombers controlling the play.
Essendon’s inaccuracy in front of goal allowed the home side to stay within five points heading into the main break.
VFLW Bombers head coach Brendan Major addresses his players during a break. (Photo: Celie Hay)
Ruby Svarc used her speed to evade multiple Williamstown defenders and converted on the run to extend the Bombers’ lead early in the third quarter.
Eloise Ashley-Cooper stood strong in midfield and fought hard at contests to get the ball to Jessie Davies and Svarc on the wing, providing Essendon with multiple forward entries.
As the wind picked up, it became more challenging to hit the scoreboard, but Clifford managed to snap the ball through for her second major to seal a 21-point win.
Alana Barba, Courtney Ugle and Eloise Ashley-Cooper celebrate at the final siren. (Photo: Celie Hay)
After a four-week break due to the COVID-19 lockdown, head coach Brendan Major said his side struggled early to adjust to being back on the field, but was happy with his side’s overall performance.
“It’s good to be back. I think that we played some really good football and got it out to space and played the way we wanted to," Major said.
“But we were a bit rusty early and I think the skill errors were probably the thing that let us down the most.”
Major said the Bombers’ struggles on the scoreboard were influenced by the lack of football the side had played over the past month.
“We got some really good looks inside the forward 50 but didn’t convert the way we wanted to,” he said.
“4.11 is probably reflective of the big break we just had.”
A best-on-ground performance from Alana Barba, who rotated between the midfield and forward lines, helped the Bombers control Williamstown’s physical presence.
Major was impressed by how his midfielders fought hard at contests, and despite being undersized, continued to tackle hard and apply pressure to their opponents.
“We were outsized pretty much all the way across the ground, not in height but physical size, but our players just cracked in,” he said.
“Players like ‘Millzy’ (Emilia Yassir), ‘Barbs’ (Alana Barba) and ‘Coops’ (Eloise Ashley-Cooper) and ‘Ugez’ (Courtney Ugle) especially, they cracked in and did what they needed to get it done.”
With one game remaining in the VFLW season, the Bombers will look to stay in the top six and qualify for a maiden finals series when they take on Darebin next weekend.
But the Bombers aren’t looking too far ahead, with their focus remaining on their final home and away match.
Coming off the break, Major said the Bombers would go back to basics to ensure their on-field skills are clean and sharp.
“It’s just the basic skill fundamentals,” Major said.
“We are shaping up the way we want to, we’re giving ourselves a good look (at goals) but we’re just not executing so that’s what we’re working on.”
The VFLW Bombers will take on Darebin at Bill Lawry Oval in their final home and away match at 12pm on Saturday.
WILLIAMSTOWN 1.1 2.1 2.1 2.2 (14)
ESSENDON 1.3 2.6 3.9 4.11 (35)
Goals: Clifford 2, Friswell, Svarc
Best: Barba, Ugle, Davies, McIntosh, Ashley-Cooper, Svarc
The AFL retrospectively put up the VFLW team for the week.
The best bit is how the system actually knows the numbers of the players wearing “00”, and sorts them accordingly. It also knows that Yassir wears 40 and not 47.
Mia-Rae is from Yorta Yorta (Goulburn/Murray River area)… a trip to NT is also illustrated below (both images from her Instagram):
EEXCUSE MEE…GET THAT NORF JUMPER OFF OUR FEARLESS LEADER!
Tara Slender during the warmup… looked so young compared to most of the others out there, but happy to bulldoze people Draper-style.
Only the last one is relevant: I just included the rest to point out Norf remain great at padding their stats while losing 12-55 
ROUND 13 STAT LEADERS:
Disposals:
Megan Kiely (North Melbourne) – 34
Kicks:
Megan Kiely (North Melbourne) – 23
Handballs:
Airlie Runnalls (North Melbourne) – 21
Goals:
Imogen Barnett (Collingwood) – 3
Marks:
Bethany Lynch (North Melbourne) – 9
Tackles:
Reni Hicks (North Melbourne) – 16
Hitouts:
Simone Nalder (Essendon) – 39
The #1 news match on Google for “Tara Slender” is this thread.
FFS.
I think the only other time I’ve had to find a tribunal result was in 2018, when Lauren Morecroft was the victim of a similarly dodgy report.
(She got off.)
