In-form Port Adelaide have extended their winning streak to seven games after launching their maiden AFLW finals campaign with a clinical 24-point victory over Richmond in the elimination final.
The Power amassed their highest score of the season in their 11.6 (72) to 7.6 (48) triumph in front of a bumper crowd of 5172 at Alberton on Sunday, punching their ticket to a semi-final date with Hawthorn next weekend.
Matilda Scholz and Abbey Dowrick celebrated their returns from injury by starring in the centre square, while Ash Saint (three goals), Julia Teakle (two) and Gemma Houghton (two) kept Port's scoreboard moving.
The Tigers limped towards the line, literally, slumping to their season-ending fourth successive defeat and finishing with superstar captain Katie Brennan spending most of the final quarter bench-bound after injuring her right hamstring.
The Power's direct approach and tall attack stretched Richmond's defence from the outset.
Houghton got Port on the board early before back-to-back goals to Saint and Teakle - returning after a knee injury - inside the last 90 seconds of the opening quarter gave the hosts a 14-point cushion at the first change.
Richmond were favoured by the prevailing southerly in the second term and, led by Brennan and Eilish Sheerin, looked dangerous in space.
The Tigers sliced the margin back to seven points before Ella Boag threaded a superb major for Port on the half-time siren.
Richmond burst out of the blocks to start the third period, racking up the first seven inside-50s and pinching their first lead when Caitlin Greiser kicked her second and third in the opening six minutes.
But the Tigers' revival was brief.
Port flipped the script with the last 10 inside-50s of the quarter, started by Caitlin Wendland's superb left-foot snap from the Power's first third-quarter entry.
Olivia Levicki slotted a free kick before Saint, with 16 seconds left before three-quarter-time, dribbled through her second to extend Port's buffer to 19 points.
Emelia Yassir nailed a wonderful fourth-quarter goal from a tight angle to give the Tigers a pulse, but their faint hopes ended with Brennan's injury, several others succumbing to cramps, and Saint booting her third.
Lions fight past Hawks into prelim final
Reigning premiers Brisbane are straight through to another AFLW preliminary final after claiming a six-point away qualifying win over a gutsy Hawthorn.
But Brisbane will nervously await the match review officer's assessment of Belle Dawes' front-on contact on Hawk Ainslie Kemp early in the second quarter.
The Lions will host the winner of next week's semi-final between Adelaide and Fremantle for a place in a sixth grand final after fighting back from an 11-point second-quarter deficit to win 6.2 (38) to 4.8 (32) in front of 4985 fans at Ikon Park.
Daniel Webster's Hawks next face the winner of Sunday evening's elimination final between Richmond and Port Adelaide in a home semi-final.
Craig Starcevich's Lions will enjoy a week off before their fifth preliminary final but could have to prepare for a potential rough conduct charge to Dawes.
The gun midfielder was running full-throttle towards Kemp when she attempted to pull out of a tackle but instead crashed straight into the defender.
Kemp required treatment but was able to jog to the Hawthorn bench before passing her concussion assessment.
The umpire didn't award a free kick at the time.
Hawk Aileen Gilroy won a holding-the-ball free kick for a fierce tackle on Brisbane's Cathy Svarc in the first term, but it could attract attention given she drove the Lion into the ground.
Svarc (two goals) was excellent, Ally Anderson (17 disposals, 13 contested possessions) grew into the game while Orla O'Dwyer (17 disposals) and defenders Bre Koenen, Nat Grider and Jennifer Dunne were also among the Lions' best.
Hawthorn skipper and ex-Lion Emily Bates (22 disposals) led from the front, with help from Eliza West (19 touches) and boom youngster Jas Fleming (17 disposals), while Mattea Breed had an entertaining duel with Anderson.
Brisbane drew first blood through Dakota Davidson before the first quarter proved an arm wrestle.
Hawthorn's Aine McDonagh capitalised on some loose Lions defending to help the Hawks snatch a four-point lead at quarter-time.
Kaitlyn Ashmore extended Hawthorn's lead with a wonderful snap midway through the second term.
The Lions responded in the third term, hitting the front through back to-back goals to Svarc and Taylor Smith.
When Davidson goaled early in the final term, the Lions led by 12.
Louise Stephenson cut the deficit to less than a goal to make for a nervous finish but the Lions held on, while Fleming limped off late.
Prespakis injured as Freo eliminate Bombers
Star midfielder Madison Prespakis has suffered injury heartbreak as Essendon's finals hoodoo continued in a 10-point AFLW elimination final loss to Fremantle.
The Bombers entered Saturday's match in front of 4934 fans at Fremantle Oval under huge pressure to win the club's first final since 2004.
The absence of skipper Bonnie Toogood (ankle) and ruck Steph Wales (ACL) meant their challenge was a tough one, and it became even harder when Prespakis injured her hip while taking a regulation mark early in the second quarter.
Prespakis struggled to walk as she made her way off the field.
She bravely returned later in the term, but lasted just 15 seconds before limping off for good.
Despite the loss of Prespakis, Essendon refused to give up and entered the final change with a shock four-point advantage.
Orlagh Lally kicked a goal on the run to give Fremantle back the lead early in the final term, and Gabby O'Sullivan nailed the sealer with less than four minutes remaining when she sliced through two opponents and finished the job from 50m.
The 5.6 (36) to 4.2 (26) win thrusts Fremantle into a knockout semi-final against the Crows in Adelaide next week, while Essendon's season is done.
Fremantle ruck Mim Strom feasted with 56 hitouts, 11 clearances, 26 possessions, 441m gained and a goal in a dominant display.
Essendon's makeshift ruck pair of Matilda Dyke (17 hitouts) and Sophie Alexander (four hitouts) were powerless to stop Strom.
Georgia Nanscawen (20 possessions, seven clearances) did her best to lift Essendon, but the absence of Prespakis proved too hard to overcome.
Fremantle suffered a late blow when star defender Ash Brazill was ruled out with the ankle injury she suffered several weeks ago.
It was all about efficiency in the first quarter for Essendon.
The inside-50 count read 7-2 in favour of Fremantle after nine minutes, but Essendon's two entries resulted in goals to Amber Clarke and Emily Gough.
The Prespakis injury proved to be the turning point.
Hayley Miller intercepted a wayward Essendon kick a minute later to kick Fremantle's first major.
And when Strom monstered Alexander in the ruck to kick Fremantle's second in the dying moments of the first half, the Dockers had a three-point lead.
Strom had 30 hitouts and 14 disposals to her name at half-time, and things looked glum for the Bombers when Airlie Runnalls ran into an open goal early in the third quarter to extend the margin to 10 points.
But Essendon refused to give in, and against all odds took a four-point lead into three-quarter-time on the back of goals to Brooke Walker and Daria Bannister.
Fremantle's Amy Mulholland was forced off early in the final term after she landed on her neck and back while taking a courageous mark.
The Dockers, spurred on by their home fans, kicked the only two goals of the final quarter with the aid of the breeze to snatch the win.
Roos beat Crows in qualifying final
Premiership favourites North Melbourne remain unbeaten in 2024 after advancing to their third straight AFLW preliminary final with a seven-point victory over Adelaide in the qualifying final.
The Kangaroos found themselves firmly under the pump in the second quarter at Ikon Park on Friday night, before willing their way back into control to prevail 5.8 (38) to 5.1 (31).
Gun on-ball trio Ash Riddell (34 disposals, 10 clearances), Jasmine Garner (29, 10) and Mia King (24, nine) masterminded North's charge, aided by small forward Bella Eddey's two second quarter goals.
"What a cracking game," Eddey said.
"Adelaide are a great outfit -- we know that -- and they really challenged us in that second quarter.
"We worked so hard for this.
"I'm really proud of the way we fought back. Super."
Ebony Marinoff racked up 30 touches and 13 tackles for Adelaide, while Chelsea Randall and Caitlin Gould slotted two goals apiece.
The match was barely a minute old when the Kangaroos were up and away, with Tahlia Randall marking strongly and goaling.
Gould set up Adelaide's initial reply, with a tough tackle on Jasmine Ferguson leading to Danielle Ponter's successful snap, before converting herself from the goal square.
North pinched the lead back right on quarter-time after Crows defender Zoe Prowse was penalised for a deliberate rushed behind.
The second term was all Adelaide, as North could barely muster a clean possession all quarter as the visitors dominated inside-50s 11-1.
But somehow, the Kangaroos kept Adelaide scoreless until the last 30 seconds of the half, when Randall's inspirational chase down tackle on Erika O'Shea set up Gould's second major.
The Roos would answer the challenge superbly in the third, making the Crows pay for their second-quarter inefficiency.
Randall's bullocking, tackle-shrugging beauty was Adelaide's sole shining light in the quarter as the hosts flipped the script spectacularly, controlling the outside through a kick-mark method, racking up 15-2 inside-50s, 13-6 clearances and leading by 10 points at the last break.
North fashioned just four behinds in the fourth but it provided them enough breathing space, with Randall's six-pointer in the closing minutes a consolation reward.
Adelaide will next weekend host the winner of this Saturday's first elimination final between Fremantle and Essendon.