With three weeks remaining in the season, Round 18 of the Women's Super League feels a bit like the calm before the storm in some respects. Both Olympia and Zebras will be warm favourites to take the three points in their games this weekend, whilst the game of the Round will have no bearing on ladder position; with both Kingborough and Ulverstone entrenched in fourth and third respectively.
Yet Olympia will not want to get complacent ahead of their trip to Darcy Street on Saturday against a South Hobart side, who have twice come close to taking points from them. South's recent form suggests they face an uphill task this time around, but a 2-0 defeat at Warrior Park and 2-1 at Darcy Street that saw them come within inches of a late equaliser is cause for optimism. Outside of a Round 3 thumping of 7-0 that came all the way back in March, they have troubled the Warriors this year and seem to match up well with them. South being a younger side have struggled with the more physical sides at times, but against a similarly youthful Olympia they don't find themselves bullied off the ball as easily, allowing them a better foothold in the games. This is one Olympia should be winning, but it's a potential banana skin they must avoid.
Elsewhere on the Saturday, the Kingborough Lions take on Ulverstone for the fourth and final time this season. The Lions lead the ledger two victories to one from their three games thus far, and all three of those contests have been highly entertaining games. Kingborough have claimed 4-2 and 3-1 wins in their past two clashes, whilst Ulverstone took out the first meeting 2-1. Expect a similarly close game from this one in what should be a cracking game. With nothing left to play for competition wise, hopefully we get an open affair with both sides looking to attack and put on a show. With the firepower in their squads there should be no shortage of goal scoring chances created, though the absence of Zoe Horgan, who has departed on a Scholarship to Tennessee is a big blow for the hosts.
On the Sunday, Hobart Zebras will either start the day in second place, or have a chance to strike a hammer blow in the title race should Olympia have slipped up on the Saturday. They've played Clarence three times this season and chalked up wins of 8-0, 10-0 and 7-0 so this one looks to be fairly elementary. They are already leading by 9 in the goal difference department over Olympia, so appear to have a decisive break already, but given it could yet determine who wins the Super League title you'd have to expect they come out looking to make certain of it here. Clarence have been stretched to breaking point by injuries and unavailability and will need big games from their gun duo of O'Brien and Vanderniet to keep this one close against a Zebras side who have stampeded to the top of the table. They've come through an extremely tough month of football following their 3-0 loss to Olympia back in Round 14, getting results against the Lions and Ulverstone twice, and it'd be a shock to see them undo that work by dropping points here.
Round 18
Saturday 17 August
South Hobart v Olympia, 2:00pm, Darcy Street
Kingborough v Ulverstone, 2:30pm, Lightwood Park
Sunday 18 August
Hobart Zebras v Clarence, 3:00pm, KGV