North Melbourne deliver smashing to Richmond, Crows top Cats, GWS Giants handle West Coast
It was a tough weekend for two of the AFLW’s newest teams, with Richmond handed an almighty smashing and West Coast forced to wait until the fourth quarter to score a goal. Is this a sign slowing expansion is the right call?
AFLW
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFLW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The earliest that Essendon, Sydney, Port Adelaide and Hawthorn can join AFLW is 2023.
Based on Sunday’s results, that looks a smart decision from league headquarters.
Shortly after expansion club West Coast was held scoreless for three quarters by Greater Western Sydney, North Melbourne jumped to a 51-4 lead against fellow newbie Richmond in the third quarter.
With waves and waves of rising teenage talent now rolling into the system each year, by 2023 those remaining four licences – if all granted at once – could make for an enthralling competition.
It was a spirited weekend for other expansion clubs as St Kilda recorded a stunning win against Melbourne and Gold Coast played out a thrilling draw to back up last week’s historic win against Richmond.
But clubs like the Tigers and Eagles need time to cement themselves first, because after three rounds they sit winless in either conference with percentages of 35.7 and 28.6 respectively.
Sadly, they do not play each other this season and so there are no guarantees that either will break the duck. No club has ever endured a winless season before.
The Kangaroos’ second-quarter goalspree in front of 3697 at Ikon Park delivered Channel 7 plenty of ad breaks but you wonder how many neutral supporters stay glued to one-sided blowouts.
For North fans it was joyous to watch. Jasmine Garner, 25, has blossomed into one of the premier players and she booted the game’s first goal and then set up Kaitlyn Ashmore for her first major.
THE PUZZLE THAT IS KB
What to make of Katie Brennan? When the Tigers have momentum it seems coach Tom Hunter deploys her as a deep forward and when the Tigers are getting beaten around the ball she returns to the midfield. Brennan was quiet in the first half on Sunday although ignited the mini-revival as Richmond drew the third quarter with a major and six disposals. Brennan’s pair of points – a steadied kick in the first term and set-shot in the last – were both gettable, while she unselfishly passed laterally to Kodi Jacques in the second term instead of taking a shot. She could’ve finished with a bag of four, but it can’t be easy playing with limited support. Fellow high-profile recruit Sabrina Frederick also has just two goals after three matches.
SPONGEY ROOS, SPIRITED TIGERS
THE Kangaroos absorbed 20 minutes of Tiger intensity and then went whoosh. But, boy, that was a spirited 20 minutes. A puffed Monique Conti couldn’t quite finish a one-two dash while Katie Brennan then sprayed a shot from 25m with a player screaming for it. Brennan then spotted a twisting and turning Christina Bernardi, but her pressured kick also sailed wide. They were three good looks that went unrewarded from a team that just lacks that lick of composure early in their league journey. At the other end, Emma Kearney (50m penalty) and Kate Gillespie-Jones (free kick) cashed in on clumsy efforts to boot majors.
EMMA FINDS HER RADAR
EMMA Kearney entered Sunday’s clash with 4.11 from her AFLW career but the determined midfielder found her range as she slotted 3.0 in a display reminiscent of her league medal form of 2018. There can’t be too many better players to watch than the scrunchie-wearing skipper, and the Kangas – tipped by eight rival captains to reach this year’s Grand Final – are going to be hard to beat when she fires.
VOTES
3. Ashleigh Riddell (NM)
2. Jasmine Garner (NM)
1. Emma Kearney (NM)
BEST:
NORTH MELBOURNE: Riddell, Garner, Kearney, Bruton, Ashmore, Saad
RICHMOND: Conti, Campbell, Brennan, Jacques, Edmonds
FOOTY ROYALTY HELPS UPSET CATS
Scott Gullan
Kardinia Park is used to playing host to football royalty given the Ablett name continues to be prominent.
On Sunday it was a visitor who showed off a family tree that is worthy of being in the same discussion.
Danielle Ponter kicked four goals and was the difference in Adelaide’s hard-fought 11-point victory over a gallant Geelong.
Her skill and class shone brightly and it’s little wonder when her background is revealed.
Ponter is the niece of AFL legend Michael Long, her cousins include St Kilda’s Ben Long and former Hawthorn premiership star Cyril Rioli.
That’s football royalty right there.
The 20-year-old showed she was something special last year where she debuted in round two, earnt a rising star by round five and at the end of her eight games had kicked 13 goals including three in Adelaide’s Grand Final victory over Carlton.
Ponter kicked two goals in the opening quarter on Sunday playing out of the goal square with her renowned accuracy again coming to the fore.
At half-time Geelong coach Paul Hood moved first-year player Millie Brown off Ponter, replacing her with All-Australian defender Meg McDonald who was playing her first game for the season after a finger injury.
But even she had her hands full with Ponter’s genius resulting in her third goal which she managed to kick while being slung to the ground by McDonald midway through the third quarter.
DANIELLE HIGGINS SHOWS OFF FAMILY TRAITS
GEELONG had its own football royalty theme happening also with Danielle Higgins playing the best game of her career.
The younger sister of North Melbourne champion Shaun Higgins showed she had a similar bag of tricks to her sibling.
Class and poise is definitely in the family DNA with Danielle’s accurate left foot a standout.
She finished with a team high 19 possessions, just ahead of youngster Olivia Purcell (18) who lifted in the second second.
SHOCKING CALL TO END FINAL TERM
TALK about a lack of understanding of the occasion.
Sadly a thrilling final quarter was ruined in the final 90 seconds when a questionable free-kick was awarded against Geelong defender Maddy McMahon.
The Cats had just kicked a brilliant goal through Rocky Cranston to reduce the margin to five points and had all the momentum.
However, Adelaide went forward and a flying shot was bouncing towards the goal line with McMahon in pursuit.
She managed to grab it a couple of metres out but her momentum took her over the line.
Unfortunately the field umpire felt he had to inject himself into the game and paid a free-kick against McMahon for deliberately taking it over.
While there was only 3195 in the stands, the boos sounded like there was 30,000 as Ponter was handed her fourth goal on a platter.
Even Crows coach Matthew Clarke was surprised by the decision saying it “didn’t feel quite right”.
“We were a little bit lucky as that last free kick was a bit controversial,” Clarke said.
MORE AFLW NEWS:
Richmond football boss Neil Balme relishing rise of women’s football as AFLW Tigers eye maiden win
Outgoing Diamonds coach Lisa Alexander considers taking on code swap with AFLW move
Tayla Harris responds after ‘useless’ sledge as Carlton defeats the Western Bulldogs
St Kilda scores first AFLW win against Melbourne after Caitlin Greiser long bomb
St Kilda claim maiden AFLW victory, defeating Melbourne by five points
THERE’S NO CATCHING EBONY MARINOFF
THERE may be a theory going around about the big names of the competition starting to get overtaken by the next generation.
That may be true about some of the original household names but it’s certainly not the case with Crows star Ebony Marinoff.
There’s no signs of her slowing down with the two-time All-Australian midfielder producing another dominant display.
Marinoff finished with a game high 25 possessions and 12 tackles to once again take up the slack for her team who is still without its biggest name Erin Phillips.
3 - Danielle Ponter (Adel)
2 - Ebony Marinoff (Adel)
1 - Danielle Higgins (Geelong)
Best: Adelaide: Ponter, Marinoff, Hatchard, J Foley, N Allen, A Foley
Geelong: Higgins, Purcell, McDonald, Ivey, McWilliams, A McDonald
GIANTS HOLD EAGLES SCORELESS THROUGH 3 QUARTERS
- AAP
GWS Giants have eased to a 28-point AFLW victory over West Coast after holding the Eagles scoreless until the last quarter.
The Giants kicked six goals to two at Blacktown International Sportspark, with Rebecca Privitelli bagging three majors.
The Eagles had several forward 50 entries but until the final quarter lacked the composure and accuracy to manufacture scoring opportunities and were frustrated by some dogged defending from GWS.
It took the visitors until the second minute of the last term to register a score.
They trailed 34-0 when Mikayla Bowen kicked a behind and within a minute she added her maiden AFLW goal.
Imahra Cameron booted a second goal just before full-time as she registered her first in the competition.
The Giants were denied their biggest winning margin, but they improved their season record to 2-1.
Alyce Parker, Alicia Eva and Rebecca Beeson won and used the ball well for GWS. Cameron, Dana Hooker and former Giant Emma Swanson all got plenty of touches for the Eagles.
FOOTY TIPS! Join Australia’s best footy tipping competition for your chance to win big. Add our experts to your league and join now at TIPS.COM.AU.
Hooker collected a match-high 23 possessions for West Coast but was forced off the ground late in the game after getting kicked in the face for a second- straight week.
Elle Bennetts was a towering presence down back for GWS collecting several intercept marks.
Originally published as North Melbourne deliver smashing to Richmond, Crows top Cats, GWS Giants handle West Coast