<p>Wasn’t that just a great way to start the 10th season of AFLW!</p> <p>There were some shock results, with a few perennial competition heavyweights suffering opening-round defeats, while on the flip side, some sides tipped to rise got their seasons off to the perfect start.</p> <p>Daisy’s Eagles continued to take strides, Chloe Molloy returned like she hadn’t missed any footy at all, and the Roos picked up where they left off last year… planting their first flag in their premiership defence.</p> <p>And how about the kids, aye? The influx of talent and new draftees strutted their stuff on an AFLW field for the first time.</p> <p>Ash Centra, Poppy Scholz, Soph McKay, Havana Harris, Zoe Besanko, Zippy Fish, Lucia Painter — just to name a few. If they’re not household names yet, it won’t be long until they are.</p> <p>How many times have you tried the Ash Centra bounce between the legs and kick the goal?</p> <p>We keep moving with another busy week, with nine games crammed into two days! The action will be fast and furious.</p> <p>Let’s crack on with Round 2. For all the latest analysis, odds, and betting tips for this week’s action, check out our AFLW Round 2 tips and predictions below.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Collingwood vs GWS Giants Prediction</h2> <p><em><strong>Saturday, August 23, 1:05pm AEST - Victoria Park, Melbourne</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>On the evidence of Round 1, there might not be many better chances to get a win on the board for both these sides. Especially for the Giants, who now have to play the rest of the season without their midfield star Alyce Parker.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Pies got the jump on the Blues early last week before they were overrun and overworked. They desperately need the likes of Bri Davey and Sarah Rowe back from injury ASAP if they want to find their footing in this season.&nbsp;</p> <p>They should be good enough to win here without them, but it might be their only nourishment in the win/loss column for a while</p> <p><strong>Head-to-head prediction:</strong> <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/australian-rules/womens-afl/collingwood-w-v-gws-giants-w--9529692">Pies by 18 points</a></p> <p><strong>Betting tip:</strong> Mikala Cann 15+ disposals</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Melbourne vs St Kilda Prediction</h2> <p><em><strong>Saturday, August 23, 3:05 pm AEST - Casey Fields, Melbourne</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Fair play, Sainters! That was mighty impressive.</p> <p>Not many teams have done that to Adelaide before. Their fitness and ruthlessness were on full display in front of their home crowd at Moorabbin.</p> <p>First-round draftee Zoe Besanko didn’t take long to announce herself as a star of the future, with the opening goal of the game coming merely 30 seconds into the game. How good was it, too, to see Georgia Patrikios back playing footy and close to her best?</p> <p>The Dees proved they were back in a big way against the Dogs, romping away to a big win and having all their guns firing.&nbsp;</p> <p>You sense there’s some unfinished business from last season for the Dees that they’re looking to rectify.</p> <p>It should be a free-flowing contest here, with (weather depending down in Casey) some good scoring on both ends.</p> <p><strong>Head-to-head prediction: </strong><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/australian-rules/womens-afl/melbourne-w-v-st-kilda-w--9529694">Dees by 21 points</a></p> <p><strong>Betting tip:</strong> Liv Purcell 20+ disposals &amp; anytime goal</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Gold Coast vs Sydney Prediction</h2> <p><em><strong>Saturday, August 23, 3:05 pm AEST - People First Stadium</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Welcome back to coaching, Rhyce Shaw.</p> <p>He would have been thinking, ‘Why have I gotten myself back into this? ' as the Suns kept on missing gettable chances when they went down to the Eagles on the opening night.&nbsp;</p> <p>It was a poor start from the Suns, but they would have been buoyed by the first-up performance of young gun Havana Harris. We can’t wait to see how this special talent develops.</p> <p>The Swans were in control almost all night against the Tigers. Chloe Molloy returned in a big way with a goal in every quarter. A nice way to return after a year out with an ACL injury.</p> <p>How fun is it going to be watching Zippy Fish this season? If she isn’t a cult hero already… it won’t be long!</p> <p><strong>Head-to-head prediction:</strong> <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/australian-rules/womens-afl/gold-coast-suns-w-v-sydney-swans-w--9529695">Swans by 15 points</a></p> <p><strong>Betting tip: </strong>Montana Ham 25+ disposals</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Fremantle vs Brisbane Prediction</h2> <p><em><strong>Saturday, August 23, 5:05 pm AEST - Fremantle Oval, Perth</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>We said we shouldn’t be sleeping on Freo… they were very, very good against a pretty decent Port Adelaide selected side last week.</p> <p>They get another look at a contender type here when they host the Lions at home, who will be filthy about losing yet another opening-round game, this time to the Hawks.</p> <p>Lions coach Craig Starcevich warned that things could be a little bit “clunky” to start things off, and he was proven correct.&nbsp;</p> <p>The run-and-gun Lions were stopped in their tracks by the Hawks.. And with how dominant they have been since the start of the competition, expect every opposition to study how they did it.</p> <p>You think the Lions bounce back soon enough to get things back on track, but these Dockers are no pushovers. Especially at home.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Head-to-head prediction:</strong> <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/australian-rules/womens-afl/fremantle-w-v-brisbane-lions-w--9529704">Lions by 5 points</a></p> <p><strong>Betting tip:</strong> Courtney Hodder 2+ goals&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Hawthorn vs Carlton Prediction</h2> <p><em><strong>Saturday, August 23, 7:15 pm AEST - Kinetic Stadium, Melbourne</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Our pick for the match of the round here on Saturday night in Frankston.</p> <p>Two first-up winners, and two sides who play an attractive brand of footy, with a chance to keep their winning starts going.&nbsp;</p> <p>Once the Blues settled, they got past Collingwood with relative ease. The kids certainly gave the teams some energy, as did the returning Erone Fitzpatrick, who lit up Ikon Park with her magnificent running goal.&nbsp;</p> <p>They’ve certainly improved their base level of performance, but this is a different test against one of last year's finalists. Even if they are still kind of the new kids on the block.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Hawks were awesome up north last week, upsetting the Lions. Their backline was super impressive in surviving the avalanche of last quarter inside 50s, while their midfield brigade in West, Bates, Lucas-Rodd, and Fleming all started strongly.&nbsp;</p> <p>And, they still have starting players to come back in..</p> <p>It will be a good test to see where the Blues can go this season. The Hawks are still a level or two above them, you think.</p> <p><strong>Head-to-head prediction:</strong> <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/australian-rules/womens-afl/hawthorn-w-v-carlton-w--9529722">Hawks by 24 points</a></p> <p><strong>Betting tip:</strong> Kaitlyn Ashmore anytime goal</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Richmond vs Western Bulldogs Prediction</h2> <p><em><strong>Sunday, August 24, 12:35pm AEST - Ikon Park, Melbourne</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>It’s looking like another long year for the Dogs.&nbsp;</p> <p>Yes, they were playing Melbourne, and they look like they are going to go deep this year, but only kicking one goal for the game would be a concern moving forward for Doggies fans.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Tigers were good enough against the Swans, remaining a consistent threat on the counterattack. As the game wore on, they were unable to stay with the slick Swans, but with the quality they have on the park, it should be enough to get over the Dogs comfortably here.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Head-to-head prediction:</strong> <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/australian-rules/womens-afl/richmond-w-v-western-bulldogs-w--9529727">Tigers by 33 points</a></p> <p><strong>Betting tip: </strong>Mon Conti 30+ disposals &amp; anytime goal</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>North Melbourne vs Port Adelaide Prediction</h2> <p><em><strong>Sunday, August 24, 1:05pm AEST - Arden St Oval, Melbourne</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Roos will unfurl their flag at their spiritual home before they take on the Power, in what will be a massive moment for the entire footy club.</p> <p>On the field, the Roos wasted no time in reminding the rest of the competition why they went undefeated last year all the way to the flag…. Spoilers, they’re just a bloody good side.</p> <p>2-0 loading…</p> <p><strong>Head-to-head prediction: </strong><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/australian-rules/womens-afl/north-melbourne-w-v-port-adelaide-w--9529728">Roos by 35 points</a></p> <p><strong>Betting tip:</strong> Gemma Houghton 10+ disposals &amp;&nbsp; 2+ goals</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Essendon vs West Coast Prediction</h2> <p><em><strong>Sunday, August 24, 2:35 pm AEST - Windy Hill, Melbourne</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Colour us intrigued about this one.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Bombers put on a scoring clinic against the Giants, while the Eagles could very much be the bolter this competition needs.</p> <p>If Ella Roberts isn’t in your top five favourite players in the competition already, she will be before too long. The young superstar, combining with the old guard of Swanson and Hooker in the midfield, with skipper Charli Thomas i might add, it’s a fun little quartet to watch this season.</p> <p>The regular suspects in the Dons midfield dominated, with Prespakis, Nanscawen and Cain winning the lion's share of the ball, while skipper Bonnie Toogood started strongly in front of goals too.</p> <p>The Dons should be too good at home.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Head-to-head prediction:</strong> <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/australian-rules/womens-afl/essendon-w-v-west-coast-eagles-w--9529730">Bombers by 14 points</a></p> <p><strong>Betting tip:</strong>&nbsp;Brooke Walker 2+ goals&nbsp;&amp; Georgia Gee anytime goal&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Adelaide vs Geelong Prediction</h2> <p><em><strong>Sunday, August 24, 3:05pm AEST - Unley Oval, Adelaide</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>What was that, Adelaide?</p> <p>While the Saints were very good, it certainly wasn’t the way they intended to start Doc Clarke’s last season as coach of this group.&nbsp;</p> <p>Anne Hatchard was well held, and the usually prolific Crows' forward line just couldn’t generate enough shots on goal.</p> <p>The promising part is, there’s way too much talent, experience and footy nous on this list for that type of performance to be considered the norm.</p> <p>The Cats became the first of many teams to feel the wrath of the Roos this year. Their failure to capitalize on the scoreboard after a period of ascendancy ultimately cost them when it came to the final margin, but they left the contest with plenty to like.</p> <p>G Prespakis, Bowen, McDonald and Morrison are a very exciting midfield group to build around.&nbsp;</p> <p>Still, we’re expecting a big response here from the Crows at home, though, where they’re rarely beaten.</p> <p><strong>Head-to-head prediction:</strong> <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/australian-rules/womens-afl/adelaide-crows-w-v-geelong-cats-w--9529732">Crows by 15 points</a></p> <p><strong>Betting tip:</strong> Danielle Ponter first goal</p>