Kellie Gibson celebrates a goal during West Coast’s upset win over Essendon at Windy Hill. Photo: AFL PHOTOS
HAWTHORN 4.6 (30) def by RICHMOND 6.5 (41)
Don’t completely count out the Tigers from finals contention — not quite yet. Richmond snapped a three-match losing streak, rallying from nine points down in the final term late on a steamy Friday night in Cairns to upend a feisty Hawks side. Tigers’ skipper Katie Brennan had a captain’s game, kicking two goals among her five score involvements, while Mon Conti brought her own footy, winning 35 possessions (12 contested) and seven clearances, and chalking up seven inside 50s. Emelia Yasir snapped truly in the final term and Caitlin Greiser provide the sealer, dropping a 45-metre set shot bomb. Hawthorn’s two off-season recruits from Brisbane, Emily Bates (18 touches, 11 tackles) and Greta Bodey (one goal) played significant roles in the club’s effort, which ultimately fell short.
WESTERN BULLDOGS 6.3 (39) def by SYDNEY 14.12 (96)
The Swans set alight the scoreboard to register their highest output in their brief, two-year existence, and handed the Bulldogs one of their worst-ever AFLW humiliations. With its win, Sydney sits 10th and has flickering hopes of make finals. With their loss, the Bulldogs are edging perilously close to a winless campaign, with two rounds remaining. Chloe Molloy led Sydney’s goalkicking parade, notching three majors from seven shots on goal. In an off-the-charts statistical day, Molloy also gained 636 metres and had 17 score involvements. Molloy’s teammates Cynthia Hamilton, Sofia Hurley, and Ruby Sargent-Wilson all booted two majors each. Swans’ AFLW Player of the Year contender Laura Gardiner starred, piling up 33 possessions, six clearances, and eight tackles. Again, the Bulldogs’ best were their “usual suspects,” Ellie Blackburn (30 possessions, eight clearances, nine tackles) and Kirsty Lamb (24 touches and six clearances). But with the Bulldogs’ arm’s length long list of injuries, the stars lack help from the supporting cast.
BRISBANE 5.12 (42) def ADELAIDE 6.3 (39)
This first v fourth, bruising AFLW heavyweight bout should’ve had boxing’s three bells, not the final siren, signal the end, with the exhausted Lions winning by technical knockout, handing the Crows their first loss of the season, and dropping them to second spot on the ladder. Ultimately, Brisbane won despite itself. The Lions entered the major break with a 12-point edge that could’ve easily been around three times more — if not for missing five gettable shots on goal. Despite their teammates’ off-kilter radars, Brisbane’s Ally Anderson (28 touches, six clearances) and Sophie Conway (26 touches, six clearances) were the key drivers, while Courtney Hodder (one goal, eight tackles), Bella Dawes (eight tackles), and Cathy Svarc (seven tackles), brought the toughness. The Crows were hurt by star midfielder Anne Hatchard’s absence for more than 10 minutes because of a hard collision with an opponent, but teammate Ebony Marinoff picked up the slack, touching it a match-high 34 times and laying nine tackles, while Danielle Ponter provided firepower, kicking three goals.
GWS 8.1 (49) def CARLTON 7.5 (47)
Losing prolific goalkicking Irishwoman Cora Staunton to retirement before this season hurt GWS’ finals chances, but if the last three matches are anything to go by, 18-year-old Zarlie Goldsworthy already is filling Staunton’s legendary boots. In addition to the tall forward kicking a bag of five majors (three in the final term), Goldsworthy took seven marks, had 14 contested possessions, and laid 12 tackles. In such a tight game, every key performance indicator she achieved was crucial in this seesawing thriller. The Blues, who have faint finals hopes, managed to lose despite dominating the clearance count, 45-24 (with ruck Breann Moody winning 12, to go with 46 hitouts, and Abbie McKay winning 10, among her team-high 25 possessions), but the two sides were nearly even in winning stoppages. Mia Austin kicked two goals for Carlton, but it was GWS defender Jodie Hicks kicking her first goal of the season — a snap from a stand start — to seal the win.
YAARTIPULTI/PORT ADELAIDE 7.3 (45) drew with GOLD COAST 7.3 (45)
While the Suns rallied from 12 points down in the dying minutes to level the scores with a brilliant, bending snap by Jac Dupuy, they wouldn’t have had to produce such magic if they hadn’t squandered a 19-point, first half lead. Gold Coast’s hot early season start made it look like a finals lock. With the draw, the Suns sit seventh — but their defeating either GWS or Essendon in the last two rounds is hardly guaranteed. Gold Coast AFLW Player of the Year Candidate Charlie Rowbottom can again hold her head high after gathering 30 possessions, winning nine clearances, and laying eight tackles, while exciting, speedy teammate Niamh McLaughlin burned up the track and kicked two majors. Yaartipulti, meanwhile, easily played one of its best-ever matches in its short existence. The Power’s Julia Teakle booted three goals, Gemma Houghton kicked two brilliant, running goals, and Abbie Dowrick had 18 touches, laid 14 tackles, and won seven clearances.
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NAARM/MELBOURNE 5.7 (37) def NORTH MELBOURNE 2.2 (14)
Statistically, the Kangaroos are by far the comp’s stingiest club, but in this second v third clash, the Dees were the more miserly. Naarm — which returned to the top of the ladder and dropped North Melbourne from second to third — conceded 2.1 midway through first term, but for the final three, all North Melbourne could muster was a solitary behind. Naarm’s Olivia Purcell (28 touches), Blaithin Mackin (21 touches), and Tyla Hanks (26 touches, seven clearances, eight tackles, and a goal) were forces in the middle of the ground, while Paxy Paxman (18 touches) was a welcome return. While prolific Roos’ ball-winner Ash Riddell (31 possessions) had more touches than anyone else on ground, Demon Shelley Heath restricted Riddell’s teammate Jasmine Garner to a quiet 21 possessions. Demons Eden Zanker and Kate Hore kicked a major each, to continue top the comp’s goalkicking table, with 18 and 17, respectively.
COLLINGWOOD 4.6 (30) def GEELONG 3.6 (24)
On their soggy Victoria Park deck, The Magpies ambushed the Cats, kicking the match’s first four majors, then withstood a late Cats’ charge to win their fourth straight match elevate to sixth on the ladder. The struggling Cats (4-4) have now lost three of their last four and now sit eighth. Collingwood’s Mikala Cann led her side with 24 possessions and kicked a goal, Brit Bonnicci continued her purple patch, accumulating 19 possessions, winning five clearances, and laying seven tackles, and Bri Davey gathered 19 possessions and won six clearances. Geelong’s Georgie Prespakis was a force, with a match-best 26 touches, eight clearances, and eight tackles, but the Cats couldn’t ever recover from their sluggish start, which doomed their efforts.
WALYALUP/FREMANTLE 6.9 (45) def ST KILDA 3.3 (21)
By kicking their highest score of this season, the Dockers ended the Saints’ four-match win streak. Walyalup got off to a blistering start, kicking four goals in the first term — three in the first 10 minutes — with speedburner Gabby O’Sullivan claiming two, including a sensational banana snap from an acute angle in the forward pocket. Walyalup captain Hayley Miller added two goals of her own, while the Dockers dominated the match’s tackles and tackles inside 50 departments. Walyalup’s Ange Stannett’s 10 and Megan Kauffman’s nine would delight their champion tackling teammate Kiara Bowers, who returned to action from injury and quietly laid seven. St Kilda’s Jaimee Lambert battled strongly, winning seven clearances among her 15 possessions.
ESSENDON 2.7 (19) def by WEST COAST 3.5 (23)
This result defies explanation. The Eagles — losers of six of seven matches, including a 70-point belting last round — pulled off the season’s biggest upset. After attacking early in the first term, West Coast never trailed. In the final term, the Eagles withstood a two-goal, fourth quarter burst, then ultimately hung on for a four-point win over the Bombers, who narrowly retain fifth spot by percentage, over sixth place Collingwood. West Coast’s Emma Swanson gathered 25 possessions, won eight clearances, and laid 10 tackles, while teammate Aisling McCarthy kicked a goal, won seven clearances, and laid six tackles. The Bombers won many key statistical categories, with star midfielder Madison Prespakis getting 30 touches, laying 11 tackles, and winning nine clearances, and Georgia Nanscawen equaling a season league-best season by laying 17 tackles. In the frenetic fourth quarter, Essendon co-captain and sharpshooter Bonnie Toogood opened the term with a goal, but later missed two potential match-winners that went for minor scores. The Bombers suffered another blow, as co-captain Steph Cain suffered a concussion in a collision with Swanson and will miss at least next round’s action.
