In Round 8 of the 2023 AFLW season, Zarlie Goldsworthy kicked a bag, Chloe Molloy led the Swans to victory, and a pair of finals-worthy clashes did not disappoint. Here's whose stocks are rising after the seventh round of Season 8.
Our footy experts cast their eye over the weekend's action to find out whose stocks are up in the AFLW.
MonCon-mentum
Monique Conti has always been a superstar and it was that star quality which helped the Tigers to an important win over the Hawks up in Cairns. The 23-year-old hit the 1000 disposals milestone in this match, picking up 35 on the night, as well as notching up seven marks, seven clearances, nine tackles, and a game-high 590 metres gained.
Conti and her Tigers aren't out of finals contention yet, but will need even more strong performances from the midfielder and her teammates with tough games against Geelong and Collingwood rounding out the season.
Massive Molloy
From pick 4 in the 2017 draft in Conti to pick 3 that same year, Chloe Molloy had her best game in the red and white as she led the Swans to a record-breaking victory over the Western Bulldogs. While she has been a standout for the Swans in previous rounds, she really made Whitten Oval her own in this 57-point victory.
With 28 disposals, 11 marks, and three goals, Molloy was not only able to impact the scoreboard off her own boot but made sure it was a team effort with a whooping 17 score involvements.
The victory was Sydney's fourth this season and sees them sit just outside the eight; a position that the club wouldn't be in without the recruitment of Molloy.
Worth her weight in Gold-sworthy
Another week, another out of this world performance from Zarlie Goldsworthy? The Round 2 Rising Star nominee has made a habit of grabbing the headlines and steering the Giants to wins in only her second season of AFLW.
In GWS' two-point win against Carlton, Goldsworthy kicked five, including some classy snaps, laid 11 tackles, and notched up 22 disposals in a performance that belied her years and experience.
Forget about being a star of the future, Goldsworthy is a star of the here and now.
Top four clashes brought the goods
In a finals preview, the top four sides did battle in a pair of clashes that all fans would have circled in their diaries. The Demons and Lions came out on top over the Kangas and Crows respectively. While the top four appears set, the actual order is far from set in stone.
Adelaide and Brisbane dished up yet another instant classic with a series of handy points pushing the Lions over the line, ending the Crows undefeated streak in the process. Meanwhile the Demons bounced back from their first loss of the season, showing their class over a North side which had few answers. Shelley Heath's hard tag role on Jasmine Garner was unbelievably effective and the reigning premiers returned to the top of the ladder.
West is best
It hasn't been an easy season for the two WA teams but Round 8 was a good week to be from the west with both Fremantle and West Coast notching up impressive wins.
The Eagles traveled to Windy Hill and were able to pull off an almighty upset against the Bombers in tricky conditions with the usual suspects -- Emma Swanson, Aisling McCarthy, and Amy Franklin -- driving the win.
The Dockers ended St Kilda's four-game winning streak, and made their finals charge all the more difficult, in a 24-point win. There was a distinctly Irish flavour to Freo's win with Aine Tighe continuing her stellar form and Orlagh Lally racking up an impressive stat line.