AFLW round 7: All the latest news and updates from Sunday’s games
Ebony Marinoff continued her stunning form as the Crows dismantled the Giants, while North Melbourne’s brilliant season has continued with a big win over the Swans in Hobart.
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Another Ebony Marinoff masterclass was the feature of a commanding Adelaide win against GWS, the Crows finding their attacking mojo to kick their highest score of the season and inflict a 64-point drubbing on the Giants at Henson Park.
Danielle Ponter and Caitlin Gould led the charge with three majors apiece, Matthew Clarke’s side finishing with nine goalkickers in a dominant display on Sunday.
Marinoff continued her stellar season with a jaw-dropping performance, the three-time premiership superstar finishing with a career personal-best 41 possessions, 17 tackles and 12 clearances.
She had plenty of willing helpers, Anne Hatchard and Niamh Kelly also influential on the ball, and Jess Allan finishing with 48 hitouts.
The percentage-boosting result moved Adelaide back into the top four with a 6-2 record, while GWS slipped to a fifth defeat in a row.
The Crows were playing their fourth game in 15 days, but showed no signs of fatigue, piling on 11 goals in a row before the Giants booted two consolation goals.
OPENING ONSLAUGHT
Kicking against a stiff breeze, the Giants barely made it into their forward half in the opening 10 minutes, let alone their attacking 50, Adelaide with the first 11 inside 50s of the match.
After comfortably winning their opening four games of the season, the Crows hit a rough patch, losing two of their past three going into the GWS clash, with their inefficiency in attack a key factor.
And so it was again early, despite Stevie-Lee Thompson finding the middle with just 30 seconds on the clock.
Adelaide was unable to capitalise on that territorial dominance, GWS unable to muster a score, but defending well to repel repeated attacks and restrict the visitors to one major in the first quarter.
PONTER PASSES 75
The Giants found some rhythm in attack in the second term, Maddie Brazendale and Zarlie Goldsworthy finding the middle, but Ponter equalled that tally off her own boot as the visitors made their move.
Adelaide’s two-time leading goalkicker brought up her 75th career goal after she took a diving mark and coolly slotted her set shot from a tricky angle.
The major took her past Richmond’s Katie Brennan into outright second spot on the AFLW all-time goalkickers’ list, behind Melbourne’s Kate Hore.
Ponter edged closer to the Demons’ star, who has 78 career goals, when she took another diving mark late in the term and put her side up by 26 points at the main break with her second, and added a third in the final term.
In a pleasing turnaround for Clarke, Adelaide’s first-half score of 6.3 eclipsed its totals for its past three matches.
ROOS CONTINUE SMILING AFTER PERFECT START
North Melbourne’s brilliant season continues after a strong 10-goal win over Sydney on Sunday to maintain its undefeated run and lift to top spot on the ladder at the end of week seven.
The Roos percentage also rises to a stellar 313.1 as Darren Crocker’s side produced another top-class defensive display, holding the Swans to 27 points in their seventh win of the season at North Hobart Oval.
At the attacking end, the Roos were superb, notching their highest score of the campaign as a stellar five goals were scored in the opening term before four in each of the last two quarters to win 14.3 (87) to 4.3 (27).
The Swans whose season is all but over following the loss were in it for good parts of the game winning inside 50s (32-31) but were frustrated by a stubborn Roos defence that capitalised on their chances when going forward.
Jasmine Garner was instrumental for the Roos with three goals and 25 disposals while midfield teammate Ash Riddell had a game-high 30 touches. Sofia Hurley was best for the Swans with a team-high 23 touches in the midfield and game-high 15 tackles.
The Roos win came at a cost, however, with defender Erika O’Shea going down with a right ankle injury in the final term. Swans defender Julie O’Sullivan was also withdrawn from the game with an elbow injury in the second term.
HIGH-SCORING START
It was a thrilling start to the game with eight goals kicked in the opening term in one of the highest scoring quarters of the season.
Both sides went goal-for-goal for the first six majors before the Roos scored two in the final two minutes to take a 12-point lead at the first break.
Swans tall Lexi Hamilton scored two goals while Montana Ham had the Swans’ other major in the term. The Roos had five different goal scorers in Bella Eddey, Jasmine Garner, Alice O’Loughlin, Tahlia Randall and Kate Shierlaw.
Fast starting clash and Alice O'Loughlin has a goal of her own! 🔥#AFLWRoosSwanspic.twitter.com/9hxqTmoSy7
— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) October 13, 2024
“Three goals to two has been the final score in some games recently, we’ve got it in five minutes,” Jason Bennett said after the fifth goal in eight minutes on commentary.
“It’s what the competition needs,” he continued later in the term.
“This feels like the sort of balance we want, it’s tough and tight on the inside but teams are able to get it out to the outside and then use it.
“Scott Gowans and Darren Crocker are two coaches who are very much in the camp that we want to play attacking footy, interesting, free-flowing football that is entertaining for the fans to watch.
“They are both committed to that and so far we are seeing that in this opening term.”
In another remarkable aspect to the quarter, both sides were pinpoint accurate in front of goal, registering no behinds as the scoreline read 5.0 (30) to 3.0 (18).
GARNER STARS
Roos midfielder Jasmine Garner had a brilliant first half to help get her side to a 20-point advantage at half time.
The six-time All Australian had a game-high 15 disposals, five clearances, two goals and a goal assist to the main break.
It continues another top-notch season for the leading midfielder who is chasing her first league best and fairest.
SWANS MISS CHANCES
The Swans had eight inside 50s in a row from midway through the second term to the start of the third but didn’t register a goal in a period of missed opportunities.
Further frustration mounted for the visitors when North’s Tahlia Randall scored a snap goal with the Roos’ first inside 50 back.
Despite the Swans proving they could match it with the Roos, the home side piled on another three goals to finish the third term, extending their lead to 41 points.
Originally published as AFLW round 7: All the latest news and updates from Sunday’s games
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