AFLW Finals: Results and news from week one of finals

It was defeat that really stung the Demons, but as captain Daisy Pearce revealed, it would turn their season around and see them eventually charge into a preliminary final. Finals wrap.

The Magpies have won their first AFLW final. Picture: Getty Images

With his side’s impressive 17-point win over Fremantle on Saturday, Melbourne coach Mick Stinear became the first AFLW coach to register 25 wins across five seasons.

But midway during 2021, it didn’t look like Stinear would hit that milestone with his side dropping back-to-back games against the Western Bulldogs and Collingwood in Rounds 4 and 5.

Captain Daisy Pearce, who will this week battle to prove she’s overcome the damaged tendon in her right knee and play in Saturday’s preliminary final against Adelaide, described the loss to Collingwood as a critical moment in the season.

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After that loss, the team sat down and had “honest conversations” about what needed to change.

She said in the past, the Demons had found themselves “paralysed by the fear of losing” which prevented them from fighting back during games and playing courageous football.

Injured Melbourne captain Daisy Pearce celebrates her side’s qualifying final win over Fremantle. Picture: Getty Images

“Some of what we know about what makes us a competitive side requires us to move the ball with courage; you have to take the riskier kick at times and when you’re playing in a mode of worrying about losing, it doesn’t lend itself to playing that way,” Pearce said.

“And we’ve gotten stuck in that position in a number of games over our history.

“I think sitting down and acknowledging that was about us and that we needed to work on that.”

Pearce, who has had a big impact in Melbourne’s forward line in 2021, missed Saturday’s qualifying final win over Fremantle with a damaged medial collateral ligament.

Shelley Scott stepped up and kicked two goals in the Dees’ thrilling win, Melbourne’s fifth straight since that loss to Collingwood.

They now travel to Adelaide to take on the minor premiers at Adelaide Oval.

The Demons beat the Crows by 28-points in Round 7 at Casey Fields. This time, the game will be played on Adelaide’s turf — the stadium where they won the 2019 Grand Final in front of more than 53,000 spectators.

Pearce injured herself in the opening minutes of the Demons’ win over Brisbane. Picture: Getty Images

Crows defender Najwa Allen is looking forward to playing on Adelaide Oval. Picture: Getty Images

Defender Najwa Allen said the Crows were looking forward to playing Melbourne again.

“We weren’t happy with how we played that game, so it’s nice to get a second chance,” she said.

Adelaide will go into the game coming off the bye after finishing top, and forward Eloise Jones said the week off had given a couple of players who were battling niggles the chance to recoup.

But she said squad was looking forward to cracking back into full training this week.

Jones described Melbourne as a talented and physical team.

“If we can get in and around and hold that contest with it, it will be a fantastic game and I definitely think we can,” she said.

Crows footballers Eloise Jones and Allen with Adelaide Oval in the background. Picture: Matt Loxton

She said the Crows were hoping to get a good crowd to the game.

“It very much is true that when you have a crowd and the support and you can hear the noise, it definitely drives you on as a team and if we can get as many people out there as we possibly can, that would be amazing,” she said.

The Crows play Melbourne from 1.40 (local time) and the winner will face either Brisbane or Collingwood in the 2021 Grand final, after they do battle at the Gabba on Saturday from 4.10pm (local time) in the second prelim.

PIES SNATCH THRILLER WITH INCREDIBLE COMEBACK

Collingwood have come back from the brink to snatch an incredible six-point win over North Melbourne – locking in their first ever AFLW preliminary final.

The Magpies went into the final term down by 14 points at the final change before kicking three unanswered goals to nil to come away with the victory.

Tarni Brown was the hero kicking a late goal to seal the win – setting up a blockbuster contest with the Brisbane Lions next weekend.

In a game of momentum changes, North was in full control in the middle stages but were unable to sustain their ferocity late in the game as the Magpies came home with a head full of steam.

Chloe Molloy had a major influence for the Magpies. Picture: Getty Images

After being jumped out of the blocks by Adelaide a week prior, the Pies were on song early as Brianna Davey raced out to ten of her 31 disposals in the opening term.

Sophie Alexander opened the scoring for the Magpies before former Pie Jasmine Garner answered back with one of her own.

However, two clever goals from Chloe Molloy and Jaimee Lambert brought Collingwood’s margin out to 14 at quarter time.

North was able to wrestle back control in the second-term as both Ash Riddell (22 disposals) and Kaitlyn Ashmore (17 disposals) began to assert themselves on the contest.

Late goals from Bethany Lynch and Sophie Abbatangelo brought the Kangaroos within three points at the main break as they finally broke down a resilient Magpies defence.

The Kangaroos’ momentum carried over in the third kicking four goals to the Magpies’ one taking a 14-point lead into the final change.

When it seemed as if the game was out of their grasp, Collingwood roared back kicking three unanswered goals of their own as Brown ran into an open goal to kick the eventual matchwinner.

Beth Lynch from the boundary! 😮#AFLWFinals | #AFLWPiesNorthpic.twitter.com/6T0cKsVF3i

— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) April 3, 2021

DAY OF FIRSTS FOR PIES

Saturday’s final was a day of firsts for Collingwood’s AFLW outfit.

Not only was it the sides first home final but it was also the first time Collingwood had hosted a final at Victoria Park in their 129-year history.

In fitting circumstances, the Magpies marked the occasion with their first ever AFLW finals victory to lock in their first ever Preliminary Final in a week’s time – capping off a memorable day in the history of the club.

KANGAS RISE TO OCCASION

North did not look like a side which had just snuck into the finals.

As the mercury rose, so did the ‘Roos pressure around the ball and their dominance was asserted with a six goal flurry between the second and third term as Ash Riddell, Emma Kearney and Kaitlyn Ashmore reaped the superb ruckwork of Emma King.

However, for all their good work, it was bookended by two impressive quarters by the Magpies who were able to repel and close out the win.

Ashleigh Riddell celebrates after her goal. Picture: Getty Images

BROWN DOES IT AT VICTORIA PARK AGAIN

The Brown surname has been synonymous with some big moments at Victoria Park.

After a brain-fade late in the second term which saw her accidentally have a shot at the wrong end of the ground, Brown repaid the faith kicking a late goal to send Collingwood into the Preliminary Final.

Just as her father, Gavin did many times at Victoria Park, Tarni had her own moment on Lulie Street – stamping yet another famous Brown moment into Magpies folklore.

Tarni Brown puts the Magpies in front! 🙌#AFLWFinals | #AFLWPiesNorthpic.twitter.com/eEdLQ5XPaR

— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) April 3, 2021

SCOREBOARD

COLLINGWOOD 3.2, 3.4, 4.6, 7.8 (50)

NORTH MELBOURNE 1.0, 3.1, 7.2, 7.2 (44)

BEST

Pies: Davey, Livingstone, Sheridan, Schleicher, Brown, Molloy

Roos: Riddell, Ashmore, Kearney, Garner, King, Lynch

GOALS

Pies: Alexander 2, Molloy 2, Lambert, Stratton, Brown

Roos: Abbatangelo 2, Lynch 2, Garner, Riddell, Bannister

INJURIES

Pies: Lambert (head)

Roos: nil

Venue: Victoria Park

How Dees triumphed without Daisy

Midnight Oil’s Power and the Passion blared over the speakers at Casey Fields, before an inspired Melbourne unleashed a pressure-packed demolition of Fremantle in their AFLW Qualifying Final.

Without injured captain Daisy Pearce, the Demons played with both power and passion, choking the Dockers with a ferocious attack on the footy in a 5.10 (40) to 3.5 (23), book a date with Adelaide in the Preliminary Final.

The match-up was a year in the making, with these two teams scheduled to play each other in the 2020 Prelim before the season was cancelled as the coronavirus pandemic took hold.

And, to keep with the musical theme, it was a case of hello darkness, my old friend, as Maddison Gay — who booted the sealer two weeks ago against Fremantle in Perth — capped off the Demons’ victory with a goal just before the final siren.

Maddi Gay celebrates with teammates after slotting a goal. Picture: Getty Images

Karen Paxman, stand-in captain for Pearce, took on the responsibility of leading her team from the front.

The mulleted one was involved from the opening minute, burrowing in at the first bounce to win a freekick and send the Demons forward in the face of a strong wind.

Melbourne made a mockery of the breeze, dominating with 12 inside 50s to four — but only managed one goal through Alyssa Bannan, who weaved her way out of traffic and mongrelled one through after being injected off the bench.

It was more one-way traffic in the second term, Paxman again starting proceedings, using the breeze to launch a long bomb that allowed Shelley Scott to get out the back and toepoke it through for the Dees’ second.

Hugs for Daisy on the siren 🥰#AFLWFinals | #AFLWDeesFreopic.twitter.com/Qsal9jw4xw

— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) April 3, 2021

It kicked off a purple patch for Scott who moments later gathered the footy and snapped across her body from outside 50, allowing the wind to do its trick, the ball bouncing between the big sticks for her second.

Those goals sandwiched a near-mark-of-the-year contender from the busy Eden Zanker, who stood on two Dockers’ heads, but couldn’t reel in the footy.

The Demons’ pressure was relentless — and they should have kicked more goals in the second term with the Dockers under siege.

To their credit, the likes of Janelle Cuthbertson, Ebony Antonio and Angelique Stannett held up in the face of a constant onslaught.

The Dockers have made a habit out of falling into an early hole, before digging themselves out after halftime. And they came out hard, Ashley Sharp booting the first of the third quarter from outside 50m.

Ashley Sharp kicked one of the Dockers’ three goals. Picture: Getty Images

But the Demons produced their best chain of footy for the match, keeping the footy low with a series of marks that left Brenna Tarrant with a golden opportunity that she duly converted.

It looked like the goal against the grain that would seal the match, but the Dockers hit back immediately through Sabreena Duffy and then made things very interesting. Gemma Houghton seized her opportunity across the body to bring the margin back to four points at the last break.

Sabreena Duffy snaps a quick response for the Dockers âš“#AFLWFinals | #AFLWDeesFreopic.twitter.com/hT6ZKmJnP5

— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) April 3, 2021

Gay’s bone crunching tackle on Phillipa Seth early in the last quarter showed how badly the Demons wanted it — but they couldn’t buy a goal as nine shots resulted in seven behinds and two out on the full.

But the brilliant Gay was there to sink the dagger in, winning a freekick for holding the ball and duly slotting her set shot through.

The goal capped off a best afield performance from Gay, who collected 19 disposals with nine brutal tackles, while Paxman had 20 touches and Tegan Cunningham played one of her better games for the club with 16 touches and six hit-outs.

Karen Paxman was busy as always for the Demons. Picture: Getty Images

Fremantle superstar Kiara Bowers led the way for the Dockers with 20 disposals, but she fought a losing battle against the tide.

The Demons go through the season unbeaten at Casey Fields and will now wait on a venue for their date with the Crows — and sweat on the fitness of Pearce.

SCOREBOARD

MELBOURNE: 1.2 3.3 4.3 5.10 (40)

FREMANTLE: 0.2 1.2 3.3 3.5 (23)

GOALS

DEMONS Scott 2 Gay Bannan Tarrant

DOCKERS: Houghton Duffy Sharp

RANDALL’S BEST

DEMONS: Gay, Paxman, Cunningham, Mithen, Lampard

DOCKERS: Bowers, Sergeant, Seth, E Antonio, Stannett, Cain

Originally published as AFLW Finals: Results and news from week one of finals