© Provided by The GuardianPhotograph: Rob Prezioso/AAP
Collingwood continued their march to the finals with a resolute win over the Western Bulldogs at Victoria Park on Sunday afternoon. The Magpies now sit one game clear of the competition, and with only three rounds left are certain to play finals. But just how far will they go?
As round six unfolded, the battle between the Bulldogs and the Magpies shaped up as the match of the weekend. Wins to Adelaide and Brisbane had solidified their spots at the top of the ladder before the first bounce at Victoria Park. While it was a rocky start for the Pies, with the Dogs keeping them goalless for the first half, in the second half they seemed to have all the answers.
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Those answers were names like Bri Davey, Chloe Molloy and Stacey Livingstone. Co-captain Davey collected 28 disposals in yet another impressive performance. Molloy kicked two goals and the one-woman defensive machine that is Livingstone was an almost impenetrable wall in the backline. Davey collected 11 disposals alone in the third quarter. Alongside her in the midfield are stalwarts Britt Bonnici and Jaimee Lambert. The trio are consistently in the top five disposal getters, while Davey and Bonnici lead the competition for average disposals. Molloy, not to be left out of the party, is in the top five goal kickers in the league.
© Photograph: Rob Prezioso/AAPJoanna Lin (centre) celebrates with Collingwood teammates during the round six AFLW match against Western Bulldogs at Victoria Park.
Of course, statistics and numbers don't tell the whole story. Football is a team sport, after all. And that team extends beyond the boundary. Because while the pieces of the puzzle look to be falling into place on field, they're doing similar off field.
When North Melbourne joined the competition in 2019, they raided the Magpies to build their list. Jasmine Garner, Emma King, Jess Duffin and Moana Hope all left for Arden Street. It must have hurt. And it certainly left some holes in Collingwood's list. The Magpies got one back last year when they added North Melbourne's inaugural coach, Scott Gowans, to their coaching team.
Collingwood demolished the Kangaroos in round four, keeping them goalless. There's a delicious kind of irony in the knowledge that Gowans, in charge of the midfield at the Magpies, played a role in that win. He's undoubtedly played a role in the way Davey, Bonnici and Lambert have combined to great effect, too. But he is not the whole story.
Ahead of the 2019 season, Collingwood recruited Stephen Symonds as senior coach. Like Gowans, Symonds has plenty of experience, particularly in women's football. In 2016, he was brought on board by Norwood to establish their women's program. He led the team to a flag the following year, the first SANFLW premiership.
In their first three seasons, the Magpies didn't qualify for finals. In 2019, they won only one game and collected the wooden spoon. In Symonds' two years with the Magpies, they've played and lost a close-fought final against North Melbourne and now they sit atop the ladder eyeing off a second run at a flag.
Collingwood seem to be finding their groove. In a run reminiscent of Fremantle last year, the Magpies have strung together their longest winning streak. In fact, they've been breaking their own records since they started the season with three consecutive wins. With that squared away, they won their fourth straight game and broke their longest winning streak record. Now, with six consecutive wins under their belt and the kind of confidence that such success breeds, the only question is what next?
The Pies don't have an easy run home. Next weekend, they'll head to Brisbane - their first interstate game of the season. In round eight, they'll host the Saints at home at Victoria Park. And in the final round, it's the Crows on the last Sunday in March at Norwood Oval.
The Lions and Adelaide are biting at the heels of the Magpies at the top of the ladder. They won't be easy games. Adelaide were a point away from equalling the highest ever score in the AFLW in their win over Gold Coast Suns on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Lions followed their round five win over Fremantle - ending the Dockers' 11-game winning streak - with an emphatic win over the Giants. They won't be Collingwood's only challengers in the march to a grand final, either.
After the disappointing end to 2020, there is a hunger for a more straightforward end to this season. No asterisks are required or indeed wanted. There's an urgency too that permeates the competition and has done from its inception. In such a short season, there's little room for error, for lapses in judgement or missteps. The pointy end of the season requires not just precision, strength and focus. It requires belief. If the Magpies are to continue their winning ways, that belief is not just important, it's necessary.