2021 VFL Women's season

The 2021 VFL Women's season was the fifth season of the VFL Women's (VFLW). The season commenced on 27 February^[2][3] and was eventually curtailed on 10 September 2021 by the COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria, causing the grand final to be cancelled and no premiership awarded.^[1] Collingwood were recognised as the minor premiers for their undefeated regular season.

2021 VFL Women's season
Teams	12
Premiers	Not awarded[1]
Minor premiers	Collingwood 3rd minor premiership
Best and fairest	Georgia Nanscawen Essendon (17 votes)
Leading goalkicker	Imogen Barnett Collingwood (20 goals)
Matches played	90
← 2019 2022 →

Prior to the start of the season, the Coburg Football Club formed a women's team with a plan to join the VFLW in 2021. However, the plan did not eventuate.^[4]

Clubs

• Carlton, Casey, Collingwood, Darebin, Essendon, Geelong Cats, Hawthorn
• North Melbourne, Port Melbourne, Southern Saints, Western Bulldogs, Williamstown

Ladder

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	D	PF	PA	PP	Pts	Qualification
1	Collingwood	14	14	0	0	704	237	297.0	56	Finals series
2	Geelong Cats	14	10	4	0	570	327	174.3	40
3	Port Melbourne	14	10	4	0	597	463	128.9	40
4	Casey	14	8	6	0	641	410	156.3	32
5	Essendon	14	8	6	0	523	336	155.7	32
6	Southern Saints	14	7	7	0	508	441	115.2	28
7	Western Bulldogs	14	7	7	0	424	559	75.8	28
8	Carlton	14	6	8	0	437	548	79.7	24
9	Hawthorn	14	5	9	0	500	531	94.2	20
10	North Melbourne	14	5	9	0	390	619	63.0	20
11	Williamstown	14	2	11	1	242	545	44.4	10
12	Darebin	14	1	12	1	235	755	31.1	6

Source: SportsTGAustralian Football
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.

Finals series

Match-ups set using the second McIntyre final six system.

Elimination and Qualifying finals

	Elimination finals
Saturday, 3 July (12:00 pm)	Casey 5.2 (32)	def. by	Essendon 5.5 (35)	Casey Fields	Report
Sunday, 4 July (2:00 pm)	Port Melbourne 3.5 (23)	def. by	Southern Saints 7.15 (57)	ETU Stadium	Report

	Qualifying final
Saturday, 3 July (12:00 pm)	Collingwood 4.2 (26)	def.	Geelong Cats 2.8 (20)	Holden Centre	Report

Semi finals

	Semi finals
Saturday, 10 July (12:00 pm)	Collingwood 2.6 (18)	def.	Essendon 1.5 (11)	Victoria Park	Report
Saturday, 10 July (2:00 pm)	Geelong Cats 6.4 (40)	def.	Southern Saints 5.3 (33)	GMHBA Stadium	Report

Preliminary final

	Preliminary final
Saturday, 31 July (12:00 pm)	Essendon 2.5 (17)	def. by	Geelong Cats 6.9 (45)	Windy Hill	Report
Match originally scheduled for 17 July 2021, but was postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak causing a lockdown in Victoria from 16 July 2021.[5] Match played behind closed doors.

Grand Final

	2021 VFLW Grand Final (cancelled)
	Collingwood	v	Geelong Cats
		Q1 Q2 Q3 Final
Match originally scheduled for 25 July 2021, but was originally postponed to 8 August due to a COVID-19 outbreak causing a lockdown in Victoria from 16 July 2021.[5] The Grand Final was further postponed with the lockdown extended into September.[6][7][8] On 10 September 2021 the AFL cancelled the VFLW Grand Final and advised no premiership would be awarded for the 2021 season.[1][9]

Awards

• Lambert-Pearce Medal (Best and Fairest): Georgia Nanscawen (Essendon) – 17 votes^[10][11]
• Rohenna Young Medal (Leading Goal kicker): Imogen Barnett (Collingwood) – 20 goals
• Debbie Lee Medal (Rising Star): Eliza West (Casey)^[12][11]
• Coach of the Year: Chloe McMillan (Collingwood)^[13][11]
• Lisa Hardeman Medal (Best on ground VFL Women's Grand Final): Not awarded

2021 VFL Women's Team of the Year^[13][11]

B:	Victoria Blackwood (Darebin)	Jasmine Ferguson (Collingwood)
HB:	Molly Eastman (North Melbourne)	Lucy Burke (Southern Saints)	Alice Burke (Southern Saints)
C:	Airlie Runnalls (North Melbourne)	Georgia Nanscawen (Essendon) (c)	Laura Gardiner (Geelong Cats)
HF:	Sophie Locke (Port Melbourne)	Tara Bohanna (Southern Saints)	Alana Barba (Essendon)
F:	Imogen Milford (Casey)	Imogen Barnett (Collingwood)
Foll:	Olivia Fuller (Geelong Cats)	Eliza West (Casey)	Megan Kiely (North Melbourne)
Int:	Aimee Whelan (Williamstown)	Claudia Gunjaca (Geelong Cats)	Caitlin Bunker (Collingwood)
	Jorja Borg (Carlton)	Matila Zander (Collingwood)
Coach:	Chloe McMillan (Collingwood)

Club best and fairest winners

Club	Best & Fairest	Ref
Carlton	Akayla Peterson	[14]
Casey	Eliza West
Collingwood	Imogen Barnett
Darebin	Nicole Callinan
Essendon	Eloise Ashley-Cooper
Geelong Cats	Claudia Gunjaca
Hawthorn	Tamara Luke
North Melbourne	Meagan Kiely
Port Melbourne	Claire Dyett
Southern Saints	Tara Bohanna
Western Bulldogs	Simone Ruedin
Williamstown	Ruby Tripodi

See also

• 2021 VFL season

References

1. "VFLW Grand Final called off, no premiership awarded". afl.com.au. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
2. "A new era for women's second-tier football in Victoria begins this Saturday with the release of the first round of the 2021 @rebelsport VFL Women's Premiership Season". VFL. Twitter. 22 February 2021.^{[self-published]}
3. "Some details for 2021 #VFLW season / 14 games over 16 weeks / Top Six finals starts in June over four weeks with Grand Final weekend of July 10, 2021 / 2019 VFLW GF re-match between Western Bulldogs and Collingwood in round 3 / Collingwood v Essendon on ANZAC Day weekend". Casey Radio VFL. Twitter. 22 February 2021.^{[self-published]}
4. "Coburg ready to enter women's team for first time, names coach". Herald Sun. 20 August 2020.
5. "VFL fixture update: Bye for all teams in round 14 amid Vic lockdown". afl.com.au. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
6. Rhodes, Brendan (20 August 2021). "One day in September: VFLW Grand Final options being explored". afl.com.au. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
7. Negrepontis, Nic (1 September 2021). "AFL abandons 2021 VFL season, VFLW Grand Final remains up in the air". sen.com.au. Sports Entertainment Network. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
8. Zita, David (1 September 2021). "VFL season scrapped for second straight year as VIC lockdown drags on". foxsports.com.au. News Corporation Australia. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
9. Williams, Peter (13 September 2021). "2021 VFL Women's Grand Final cancelled". Rookie Me Central. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
10. Rhodes, Brendan (7 October 2021). "Inspirational Bomber's stunning Lambert-Pearce Medal win". afl.com.au. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
11. Black, Sarah (7 October 2021). "Bombers skipper claims VFLW's top prize, Pies dominate TOTY". womens.afl. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
12. Rhodes, Brendan (7 October 2021). "West is best: Casey gun wins Debbie Lee Rising Star Medal in debut season". afl.com.au. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
13. Rhodes, Brendan (7 October 2021). "Pies dominate VFLW Team of the Year, Don named skipper". afl.com.au. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
14. Rhodes, Brendan (2 December 2021). "Former Saint, retired Dog among VFLW best-and-fairest winners". afl.com.au. Australian Football League. Retrieved 7 July 2022.

External links

• Official website