Lowly West Coast was no match for the sheer might of Narrm/Melbourne on Sunday in Perth. Photo: AFL PHOTOS
ADELAIDE 9.5 (59) def WESTERN BULLDOGS 2.5 (17)
While the undefeated Crows kept rolling with another decisive win, the Bulldogs kept reeling, with more troops falling by the wayside. With ruck-forward Celine Moody and midfielder Deanna Berry done for the season with injuries, the Bulldogs played the entire second half three players short, as Kirsten McLeod, Keely Coyne and Dom Carruthers all exited with injuries too. Adelaide took control of the match in the first term, as Anne Hatchard gathered 11 touches to Bulldogs captain Ellie Blackburn’s none. The Crows rode Ebony Marinoff’s 32 disposals, nine tackles and five clearances, Hatchard’s 25 disposals and four clearances, and Caitlin Gould’s three goals to victory, but lost Abbie Ballard to an ACL injury after restricting Blackburn to just a handful of possessions by in the first half.
ST KILDA 7.6 (48) def GWS 5.5 (35)
The Saints’ fourth win on the trot boosts their outside chances of making finals, as they held off a final-term Giants revival to win by 13 points. St Kilda forward-ruck Jesse Wardlaw continued her hot form, kicking two majors and registering 14 hitouts, while teammates Nat Exon and Ashleigh Richards also booted two goals each. Saints star midfielder Jaimee Lambert ruled the guts, piling up 16 possessions, seven clearances, six inside 50s and four score involvements, while counterpart Tyanna Smith registered six clearances and had a match-best 428 metres gained. Giants tall forward Zarlie Goldsworthy, who in the previous round enjoyed a breakout game against the Eagles, was prolific, kicking two goals from 18 possessions and laying eight tackles.
GEELONG 6.11 (47) def WALYALUP/FREMANTLE 3.5 (23)
A poet could write an ode to star Cats midfielder Georgie Prespakis’ brilliant clearance work from centre bounces. In the third term, she won one, handballed to a teammate, then seconds later put on the jets while receiving the ball back, sold candy and outran an opponent before hitting teammate Chloe Scheer lace out in the attacking 50. Scheer then converted the resultant set shot for one of her two goals on the day. Walyalup, sorely missing their brightest star Kiara Bowers, never once threatened. Cat Amy McDonald had eight clearances among her 30 touches, while Chantel Emmonson and Nina Morrison both exceeded 20 disposals. Despite kicking four behinds, Geelong tall forward Aishling Moloney was a constant threat inside 50, taking five marks. Her teammate Darcy Moloney, though, may cop a suspension for an off-the-ball incident in which she struck Dockers star Ebony Antonio in the chest.
SYDNEY 3.8 (26) def by HAWTHORN 5.10 (40)
Even after kicking the match’s first two majors and holding a three-point lead as late as the third term, the Swans couldn’t capitalise on a golden opportunity on their home deck to boost their finals aspirations. From their last nine scoring shots, Sydney kicked a horrible 1.8, giving the Hawks, despite their own wastefulness, an opening to pounce, as they did in that fateful third term, surging in front. Kaitlyn Ashmore had an absolute blinder for Hawthorn with 23 disposals, nine marks, seven tackles, three clearances and three score involvements, while Aine McDonagh and Kristy Stratton kicked two goals each. For the Swans, Laura Gardiner, who headed into the weekend second to North Melbourne’s Jasmine Garner in the AFLCA Player of the Year Award, had 27 touches, eight tackles and four clearances.
GOLD COAST 3.3 (21) def by BRISBANE 8.9 (57)
The Lions kept pace with the other top-four teams, taming the upstart Suns in the annual Q-Clash. Brisbane’s reigning AFLCA Player of the Year Ally Anderson won the medal for best on ground with a 27-possession effort that included a match-best nine score involvements, six inside 50s and two clearances. Sophie Conway kicked two majors – her first came after just 19 seconds – as did Lily Postlethwaite. The Suns’ Charlie Rowbottom, who entered this match as the comp’s contested possessions leader and ranked second in clearances and hard-ball gets, had 23 possessions (11 contested), but got close attention from Brisbane’s Cathy Svarc. Gold Coast’s Vivien Saad stood tall in defence with 15 intercept possessions – indicative of most of the match being played in Brisbane’s attacking zone, as the Lions handily won the inside-50 count 45-27.
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RICHMOND 5.6 (36) def by ESSENDON 8.5 (53)
With a decisive win over an injury-depleted Tigers outfit, and with their run home consisting of matches against West Coast, Carlton and Gold Coast, only an epic collapse would keep the Bombers from missing finals. Richmond’s Emelia Yasir (three goals) kicked the match’s first major but from there, Essendon’s Bonnie Toogood and Daria Bannister kicked goals to put the Bombers in front. Madison Prespakis had 24 possessions (14 contested), to go with seven tackles and six clearances, while Georgia Nanscawen had 21 touches (14) and laid 10 tackles, while ruck Stephanie Wales, with 33 hitouts, was instrumental in giving her teammates first use of the ball. The Tigers wish they could clone star midfielder Mon Conti who was their best again with a team-leading 27 possessions, seven tackles and five clearances.
NORTH MELBOURNE 13.9 (87) def YARTAPUULTI/PORT ADELAIDE 3.6 (24)
Maybe this really is the Kangaroos’ year. What else might North Melbourne fans think after watching their team produce not one, not two, but three goal-of-the-year candidates in the same match? And each snap from three different players, uncannily, were all from acute angles near the same exact spot in the same forward pocket. Ash Riddell (35 touches, seven tackles, five clearances and two goals) delivered the first blow from the magic pocket, Tahlia Randall (two goals) then bested her effort, and finally, Alice O’Loughlin upstaged both her teammates with her goal (one of her three for the day). And don’t worry about how North’s Jasmine Garner went. All she did was reel in 39 possessions, win eight clearances, gain a ridiculous 789 metres and kick a goal. The Kangaroos used a three-goal second-term burst after scores were level at quarter-time to take an 18-point half-time lead, then utterly smashed the Power in the second half to breeze home. The result helped North build their potent percentage to a league-best 294.4 and retain second spot on the ladder.
CARLTON 1.4 (10) def by COLLINGWOOD 4.3 (27)
The Magpies vaulted into the top eight, leapfrogging the Blues and denting their finals hopes. Britt Bonnici and Bri Davey shone for Collingwood in the gloomy, rainy afternoon. Bonnici gathered a match-high 23 possessions, kicked a goal, laid nine tackles and gained 527 metres, while Davey touched the pill 21 times, laid 15 tackles and won nine clearances. Carlton couldn’t mount effective attacks, managing just 21 inside 50s for the match, and didn’t kick a major until five minutes before three-quarter time, when Mia Austin converted a set shot from point-blank range. Even with two defenders suspended, the Magpies’ backline kept the Blues at bay for most of the match. Collingwood’s Sarah Sansonetti took advantage of her recall, collecting a match-high nine intercept possessions among her 17 touches.
WEST COAST 2.0 (12) def by NARRM/MELBOURNE 11.16 (82)
It was equal parts the Eagles embarrassing themselves and the Demons smashing them because of their embarrassment of riches. Narrm has the best attack in the comp, so West Coast holding its adversary to a mere two points in the second quarter is something for it to be proud of. The only problem was the Demons tore the game open in the first term. Narrm speedster Alyssa Bannan ran riot, kicking three of her career-high five goals to help open a 19-point quarter-time advantage. The siren to signal the start of the second half barely sounded when AFLW leading goalkicking Eden Zanker joined the party, expanding the Demons’ lead with her 16h major for the season. She would later add her 17th, with her foil Kate Hore booting her 15th and 16th. In a futile effort, the Eagles managed just nine inside 50s for the entire match – the Demons’ Olivia Purcell had eight.
