Saturday looms as an enormous day in shaping the 2019 Women's Super League table. The top two sides are facing significant tests in an afternoon that may well prove decisive in settling the title.
At Warrior Park, the ladder leading Olympia Warriors take on Ulverstone side who have proved a close match up for them in all 3 of their meetings so far in 2019. They have split the meetings one win apiece, and then played out a 2-2 draw in the other game. Olympia did win the one game of the three that was at Warrior Park, though Ulverstone have welcomed back some key players since that 3-1 result which came all the way back in Round 2! A 6-1-0 record on their home track suggests the Warriors have a narrow edge but this is a genuine coin flip of a game. To win the title you need to win these games, though getting at least a point might be the key for Olympia. If they have a points advantage over the Zebras heading into the final day, a draw would suffice for them. But if they lost this, and the Zebras won, the goal difference means it would be the Zebras holding that key edge.
Down at the Den, the Hobart Zebras take on the Kingborough Lions, but it's been the Zebras doing their best Lion impression in recent weeks, clinging to the title race like Mufasa on the ledge. Twice they have rallied from 3 goal deficits to keep their fate in their own hands, drawing with Ulverstone 3-3 and beating Kingborough 4-3. So the question is, will Zoe Horgan and co play the role of Scar and exact some revenge by tipping them over that edge? Certainly a Kingborough win could well tip the title race, pending what transpires at Warrior Park. The form of the Zebras is a bit of a conundrum, should they be worried about how they are starting in games? Or be confident that they have shown no lead is safe against them? Perhaps a little of both is the answer; either way, expect a highly entertaining game here, all the meetings between these two sides have been so in 2019 including the riveting Statewide Cup final.
Over at Wentworth Park, Clarence and South Hobart will meet in a battle to avoid the wooden spoon. The sides both have two wins apiece this season, and whilst Clarence do have 2 extra games in hand, the winner here will be in the prime position to finish fifth. The sides have met thrice this year, with Clarence taking the first meeting 4-3, before South struck back with two big victories of 4-1 and 8-0. Whilst both sides have leaked goals this season, Clarence have kept it down a little in the past couple of games despite facing an avalanche of shots. In two games they've have 60 shots against, so to have only conceded 6 speaks volumes about the goalkeeping of Amelia Vanderniet. She is unlikely to face such a shelling this week, but if she can maintain her form then there are definitely goals to be had back the other way, and the upset could be on the cards. South meanwhile will look at the past two games against the Reds and feel they have shown they are the stronger side, so should take this one out. Whilst this game won't have the same ramifications for the title race as the other 2 games this week, it's also a very interesting contest.