GEORGIE PARKER: Ranking best of the rest from AFLW season 2025

18th Gold Coast Grade: below expectation

Injuries cost the Suns, particularly in their defence, so tough to gauge. But it felt as though they had lost matches before they even got on the park. Part of it felt effort oriented. Gold Coast had the lowest amount of tackles for the season with 641, 300 behind the leader of Fremantle. Hopefully next year they can keep players on the park and their youngsters can get some confidence.

Highlight: Matching it with the Crows for three quarters in round six. It took Crows superstars to kick 5.0 in the last for them to win. That should be the standard they expect of themselves next year.

17th GWS Grade: met expectation

I didn’t expect much from the Giants this season. I do feel it’s an uphill battle for this side so they get some grace for this. How do the Giants recruit players to western Sydney particularly with the Swans now in the picture? They showed grit in the win against the Swans in round six, but they had checked out by the end of the season with blowout defeats against Carlton and Port Adelaide. Don’t expect much next season.

Highlight: The win against Sydney was tight, gutsy, and reminder that anyone can win a rivalry match.

16th Richmond: below expectation

From a team that played finals last season, to where they ended up tells you something is not right at the club. Will be interesting to see what they find in the review they are doing.

Highlight: Win against the Crows showed that when their stars such as Mon Conti fire, they can be damaging.

15th Collingwood: exceeded expectation

With no Bri Davey , I had zero expectations on this team saying I thought were going to win the wooden spoon again. Ending up with three wins and some close losses against top-four sides. They were hugely disappointing against the Dogs and Richmond though, and need to find some forward power.

Highlight: Being within winning distance of Melbourne and Hawks.

14th Essendon: met expectation

Had the perfect start then the injuries stacked up as did the losses with eight on the trot. They debuted 11 players so never had any continuity on the field and given the list sizes had to pull them from their VFLW training squad.

Highlight: In their final match against Sydney, they took the Swans’ finals hopes away from them in ugly conditions. If you can’t make finals yourself, the next best thing is ruining it for someone else.

13th Geelong: below expectation

Really poor start but part of that was luck of the fixture. They faced North first up, followed by Adelaide, and then the Swans (who were in form at the time). Starting the season 0-3 is always tough to come back from in a 12-match season. They have a decent list with some guns through that midfield but the cohesiveness from end to end wasn’t here. Dropping captain Meg McDonald was a powerful sign but cost the much-needed leadership on the field.

Highlight: A seven-point loss to the Hawks in round seven. The Thursday night before the grand final is a showcase time slot so it was important that it was a good spectacle.

12th Western Bulldogs: exceeded expectation

Took a step forward. Boosted by Ellie Blackburn being fit, they looked like a new unit with a brand of footy that was more exciting, with more layers to their game. Looking forward to watching them next year.

Highlight: Alice Edmonds in the ruck was outstanding and should be All-Australian.

11th Fremantle: below expectation

I was hot on this team and they disappointed. The return of some experienced players made me excited but the team couldn’t string form together. Blowout losses to the Lions and Kangaroos made them look weak and vulnerable. Being unable to stop the bleeding against these sides is a worry, so will need to recruit for that for next year.

Highlight: Former No.1 pick Gabby Newton being fit and healthy is exciting. After an injury-riddled start to her career, seeing her fit enough to run through the midfield is what the game needs.

10th Port Adelaide: below expectations

After making a preliminary final last year I had high hopes. Their best can match it with nearly anyone but their worst was nowhere near it. Their sluggish first half of the season cost themselves a finals berth. They became the in-form team at the end but it was too little too late. Expectations will be high next year.

Highlight: Their first-ever Showdown win in round 11. They’ve caught up to their city rivals, and next year should be the team to beat in the City of Churches.

9th Sydney: below expectations

A great start to the season but showed their lack of experience with their inconsistency throughout the season. Relying on a few key players is dangerous, so improvement from their middle-tie should be the focus in the off-season. Chloe Molloy’s injury cost them dearly

Highlight: Explosive midfielder Zippy Fish should be the Rising Star winner.