AFLW 2022: All the action and results from Round 5
After St Kilda fell to West Coast in an all-time AFLW scrap, coach Nick Dal Santo has conceded star midfielder Georgia Patrikios is no chance of returning this season.
AFLW
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFLW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
St Kilda coach Nick Dal Santo has conceded star midfielder Georgia Patrikios isn’t a chance to return to the Saints’ line-up this season.
St Kilda, who also lost young star Tyanna Smith to a pre-season ACL injury, could dearly have used Patrikios against the Eagles after its midfield was monstered in the clearance battle 28-17.
Stream every match of the 2022 NAB AFLW Season Live & On-Demand on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-days free now.
“Not as it stands (a chance to return), that’s not my rules, that’s the government’s rules and it’s the AFL’s rules,” Dal Santo said.
“I’ve spoken about her numerous times and she’s still part of our squad, she’s a listed player.
SCROLL DOWN TO READ THE SAINTS V EAGLES MATCH REPORT
“We support her as an AFLW program and the club has been extremely supportive of her and her family, and we will try and continue those relationships.”
Patrikios, the reigning St Kilda best and fairest, has been out of action since the start of the season after opting not to get vaccinated.
West Coast coach Michael Prior says he expects his side to play Collingwood on Saturday or Sunday in Perth.
The Eagles will return home following their two-point win against the Saints on Tuesday night having been interstate since Rd 2 of the 2022 AFLW season.
While the players will have to serve a 14-day quarantine period they will still have permission to train and play, with opposition teams entering the state under strict conditions.
Prior said he expected Colingwood to fly in to tackle his side this weekend.
“We’re expecting to play either Saturday or Sunday, so it’ll be a tight turnaround for us again,” he said.
“But I thought we handled the four days in-between really well.”
Eagles get home in all-time scrap
West Coast claimed its first win of the season against the Saints by two points in a game that didn’t have a goal kicked in the second half.
It was one of the gutsiest wins in the Eagles’ history, having been on the road for the entire season and losing star Aisling McCarthy to a season-ending injury last Friday.
The Saints had opportunities to snatch it late as West Coast tired, but a lack of polish inside 50 cost them dearly.
It was one of the scrappiest games of the season with both sides combing for just nine points in the second half.
It was the Eagles’ second game in five days and the Saints’ first in 16 days, and it was West Coast who hit the ground running.
West Coast dominated the first quarter and moved the ball inside 50 on 11 more occasions than St Kilda but could only muster four behinds for their efforts.
But the Saints made the most of their one inside 50 for the quarter, kicking the only goal for the term through Jessica Matin.
The 19-year-old crumbed a ball in the goalsquare and snapped truly on her left foot.
Hannah Priest was everywhere for the Saints across their backline, collecting seven disposals for the quarter, while Tarni White continued her strong start to the season with five touches and four tackles.
Aimee Schmidt first goal of the second quarter with a snap from the forward pocket after beating her opponent.
Kellie Gibson kicked the Eagles’ second after being taken high in a tackle to give West Coast some reward for their dominance.
But the returning Caitlin Greiser kicked her first goal of the year to keep the Saints in touch with the Eagles – the sides separated by just one point at halftime.
19-year-old Bella Lewis’ star continues to rise, and she had 10 disposals in the first half to go with four tackles and three clearances. Dana Hooker provided the drive around the ball the Eagles needed and had seven clearances to halftime.
Kicking with the assistance of the wind West Coast dominated the scoring opportunities in the third quarter, but as they did in the first term failed to capitalise, kicking another four behinds.
The Saints could only scrounge a rushed behind at the start of the quarter, giving the Eagles a four-point advantage at the last break.
A last quarter scrap ensued with both teams failing to capitalise on forward thrusts, and with the Eagles tiring the Saints looked like finding a late winning goal but could only kick three behinds for the quarter.
G Train returns
Greiser returned after being dropped by coach Nick Dal Santo having failed to kick a goal for the Saints in their opening two games of the season.
Her moment of redemption loomed in the second quarter when she marked in the forward pocket 30m from goal.
Having to navigate a classic strong Sandringham beach breeze, Greiser went back and nailed her drop punt to get her season going and the Saints back into the game.
No passing Priest
With St Kilda’s defence under constant threat they needed someone to release the pressure valve, and it was Priest who stepped up for the Saints.
The 29-year-old captain led her side by example, particularly in the first quarter, as the Saints tried to get a foothold in the game.
She had a game-high five intercepts in the first half and went on to finish the game with 23 disposals, 268m gained and 10 intercepts.
SCOREBOARD
St Kilda Saints 1.0 2.4 2.5 2.8 (20)
lt
West Coast Eagles 0.4 2.5 2.9 2.10 (22)
GOALS
Saints: Matin, Greiser
Eagles: Schmidt, Gibson
MOTTERSHEAD’S BEST
Saints: Priest, Phillips, White, Jakobsson
Eagles: Hooker, Swanson, Bowen, Lewis, Gooch
JAMES MOTTERSHEAD’S VOTES
3 — D Hooker (WCE)
2 — E Swanson (WCE)
1 — H Priest (StK)
INJURIES
Saints: nil
Eagles: nil
Venue: Trevor Barker Beach Oval
Crows remain unbeaten as ACL disaster strikes
Adelaide have maintained their undefeated start to the AFLW season after easily brushing aside a hopelessly outgunned Carlton outfit to the tune of 39 points at Princes Park on Sunday.
And if North Melbourne defeat Fremantle in Tasmania, the Crows will not only be the last unbeaten side left standing, but they will also grab top spot on the ladder.
After being held goalless in the first half, Georgia Gee gave the Blues a glimmer of hope when she kicked their first goal a few minutes into the third period to cut the deficit to just 10 points.
But the wasteful Crows were a class above all day and kicked the last five goals of the game, including a pair to Ailish Considine, to emphatically slam the door shut on Carlton.
The 7.9 (51) to 1.6 (12) result is disastrous for the Blues who are now two games outside the top six after slumping to a 1-4 record at the halfway mark of the season.
The Blues will now have to win their last five matches to give themselves the best chance of qualifying for the finals, but that won’t be an easy task with meetings against another pair of flag fancies Fremantle and Melbourne in the run home.
The result was further soured for the Blues, who headed into the game without Breann Moody (Covid protocols) and Keely Sherar (broken hand), with Brooke Vickers taking no part in the second half after injuring her ankle.
Boosted by the returns of Stevie-Lee Thompson, Justine Mules, Danielle Ponter, Hannah Munyard from Covid protocols, Adelaide barely felt the loss of captain Chelsea Randall (hamstring), dominating the inside 50s (38-22) and contested possessions (110-95), while also edging the Blues in clearances 19-18 and tackles 60-58.
Anne Hatchard was prolific with 25 disposals, six tackles and a goal, while Ebony Marinoff also starred with 31 touches (13 contested) and 10 tackles, as did superstar Erin Phillips who racked up 19 possessions (11 contested) and five clearances.
Mimi Hill was superb for Carlton in her first game back from a ruptured ACL suffered 11 months ago, gathering 25 disposals (12 contested), while Grace Egan, playing less than a month after breaking two ribs and suffering a punctured lung, ended up with 18 touches.
Adelaide’s win could have been even greater, but Phillips had an uncharacteristically off day in front of goal, booting four behinds in the first half.
MARTIN PINGS DAL POS
Adelaide’s Rachelle Martin set the tone early in the pressure stakes as she pinged Carlton’s Jessica Dal Pos for holding the ball deep in the Crows’ forward line. Martin then centred it to Hatchard who kicked the first goal of the game when she converted her set shot from 30m directly in front.
ALLAN STOPS JONES
Four minutes later, Adelaide stand-in captain Sarah Allan followed suit down the other end of the ground. Carlton youngster Courtney Jones was streaming into the open goal, but just as she was about to seemingly split the big sticks from the top of the goalsquare, Allan came from nowhere to run Jones down from behind, forcing the Blue to kick a behind.
PLAIN SHOWS ENORMOUS COURAGE
Midway through the second quarter, Carlton vice-captain Elise O’Dea chipped it to the centre-half forward position where Nat Plain took a sensational chest mark backing back with the flight of the ball into the pack with little regard for her own safety.
SCOREBOARD
BLUES 0.2, 0.3, 1.3, 1.6 (12)
CROWS 1.2, 2.7, 3.9, 7.9 (51)
LERNER’S BEST
Blues: Hill, Egan, Pound, Trudgeon.
Crows: Hatchard, Marinoff, Phillips, Considine, Jones, McKinnon.
GOALS
Blues: Gee.
Crows: Considine 2, Hatchard, Gould, Ponter, Whiteley, Jones.
INJURIES
Blues: Vickers (ankle).
Crows: Nil.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
LERNER’S VOTES
3 A.Hatchard (Adel)
2 E.Marinoff (Adel)
1 E.Phillips (Adel)
Another serious knee blow as Tigers ravaged
– James Mottershead
The Western Bulldogs claimed their first win of the season with a 17-point win against Richmond in a game that was marred by another serious knee injury.
The Tigers lost three players through injury, but it was a left knee injury to Hannah Burchell that stopped the game for five-minutes that was the most serious.
It was one of the season’s most pleasing games on the eye, with both teams opting to play attacking footy.
The first quarter was highlighted by slick ball movement from both teams, opting to stretch the ground and open the game up.
But it wasn’t until 11-minutes into the game the first goal was kicked.
The Dogs used the corridor to attack inside 50 and open up the forward line, where Nell Morris-Dalton was waiting for the crumb off the pack to kick the goal.
Richmond had late chances to kick their first, and just as a Mon Conti kick set Tessa Lavey and Katie Brennan through on goal the siren to end the first quarter sounded to dash the Tigers’ hopes.
Conti was a level above in the first quarter, collecting a game-high eight disposals, while Kirsty Lamb continued her hot form with six touches for the Bulldogs.
The second quarter started with the Dogs pressing for their second goal of the game and four-minutes into the term Bonnie Toogood took a strong mark at the top of the goalsquare and extended the home side’s lead to 12-points.
Returning young star Ellie McKenzie won a free kick for a high tackle 60m from Richmond’s goal and placed the perfect pass into the pocket to captain Brennan.
Brennan ran around from the boundary and perfectly judged her snap to kick the Tigers’ first goal of the game.
Morris-Dalton gets the first goal off the left boot 🤩#AFLW | #AFLWDogsTigerspic.twitter.com/Fpv8Ewk7US
— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) February 6, 2022
Gab Seymour held the Tigers’ defence up almost single-handedly at times in the quarter and was one of Richmond’s best in the first half.
Ellie Blackburn drifted forward and got on the end of some good work up the field to kick the first goal of the third quarter from a 40m set shot.
A contested mark by Bonnie Toogood on the forward flank set the Dogs up for another deep entry inside 50 where Celine Moody was stationed.
The ruck took a strong mark and from 15m out gave the Bulldogs a 17-point lead.
Richmond peppered the goals late but could only come up with two behinds courtesy of McKenzie and Brennan, giving the Dogs a 17-point lead going into the last quarter.
Both sides had opportunities to kick goals in the last quarter but were inaccurate, kicking two behinds each as the Dogs won comfortably.
Guess who’s back?
Last year’s number one draft pick Ellie McKenzie made a successful return to Richmond’s line-up after missing the first four rounds of the season with a calf injury.
The 19-year-old immediately made up for lost time, sending Richmond forward with the game’s first kick.
McKenzie finished with nine disposals, three tackles and a goal assist.
AFLW’s most underrated midfielder
While so many of the plaudits of the Western Bulldogs’ midfield reside with captain Ellie Blackburn, it’s time Kirsty Lamb was spoken about as a potential All-Australian.
Lamb was at her industrious best again for the Dogs, finding the ball with ease and propelling her side forward at every opportunity.
Not only is the star Bulldog taking the weight of responsibility off Blackburn’s shoulders, but she’s also a must-watch player for opposition midfields now.
.@Katie_Brennan16 kicks a captain's goal ðŸ¯#AFLW | #AFLWDogsTigerspic.twitter.com/ihq9Yrm66S
— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) February 6, 2022
Not another knee
Hannah Burchell was stretchered off the ground halfway through the second quarter with what appeared to be a serious left knee injury.
The 26-year-old tried to change direction as she chased an opponent but immediately fell to the ground and clutched at her left knee.
There was a five-minute break in the game while she was taken from the field.
Richmond had already lost star defender Harriet Cordner to an ACL injury in Rd 3.
BULLDOGS 1.2 2.2 4.4 4.6 30
TIGERS 0.2 1.3 1.5 1.7 13
MOTTERSHEAD’S BEST
Bulldogs: Lamb, Blackburn, Toogood, Ferres, Lynch.
Tigers: Conti, Seymour, Shevlin, J. Hosking, Brennan.
GOALS
Bulldogs: Morris-Dalton, Toogood, Blackburn, Moody.
Tigers: Brennan.
INJURIES
Bulldogs: nil.
Tigers: Burchell (knee), McClelland (ankle), Dempsey (leg).
CROWD: 2159 at VU Whitten Oval
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JAMES MOTTERSHEAD’S VOTES
3 K. Lamb (WB)
2 E. Blackburn (WB)
1 M. Conti (RICH)
Dees bring the heat and return to winning ways
— David Gavin
Melbourne returned to winning ways and solidified its spot in the top four with a 12-point win against a gallant Gold Coast.
It was a record-breaking night in what was the highest pressure game in AFLW history, with both sides combining for 177 tackles to surpass the previous mark of 164, set last season.
The first quarter was hotly contested as the Suns showed off the improvement they have made around the ball this season, winning clearances by three and laying 23 tackles.
Melbourne dominated territory but were wasteful in front of goal, kicking just three behinds and having a number of shots drop short and be marked in the goalsquare.
Kate Hore played a big part in keeping the ball inside the Dees’ attacking end of the ground, putting on four tackles.
Alison Drennan led the way for the Suns in the midfield, winning two clearances to go with her four tackles.
An arm wrestle to start the second quarter meant chances were few and far between until Zanker snapped to the top of the square where Tayla Harris marked strongly but sprayed her shot at goal.
When Sarah Perkins grabbed the ball out of the ruck at a forward stoppage and snapped towards goal Drennan read it best and marked 30m from goal.
The 31-year-old kicked truly to give the Suns an unlikely lead.
But it didn’t last for long as the Dees won the centre clearance and moved the ball quickly forward where Daisy Pearce was waiting to rove the ball and kick Melbourne’s first.
A minute later and the Dees had their second through Eliza McNamara, who gave the home side a handy 10-point buffer in the shadows of halftime.
Such was the ferocity of both sides in the opening half they combined for the second-most tackles in a first half of an AFLW game (92).
It was Melbourne who turned up the pressure and came out firing to start the third quarter, and within four minutes added to its lead through Megan Fitzsimon.
A lucky free kick to Harris 20m out from goal handed Melbourne its fourth goal and a 23-point lead halfway through the quarter.
The Suns answered back with a clean passage of play through the middle that resulted in former soccer player Ellie Hampson kicking a goal off the ground from 15m out.
Taking a three-goal lead into the last quarter the Dees were able to quickly extend it and put the game out of the Suns’ reach with an early Harris goal, her second of the game.
The best passage of play for the game belonged to the Suns who went coast-to-coast from a kick out and was capped off with a Jamie Stanton goal from the goalsquare.
Kalinda Howarth cut the margin to just 12-points with three-minutes remaining with a clean pick up and snap from the forward pocket to give the Suns a sniff.
But there was no further scoring as the Dees kept the Suns at bay to record their fourth win of the season.
No Hanks or Gay, no worries
There were questions about how Melbourne would cover missing midfield stars Tyla Hanks (health and safety protocols) and Maddison Gay (quad).
Hanks and Gay average 32 disposals a game between them (almost 15 per cent of Melbourne’s disposals per game), and coach Mick Stinear left it up to prime movers Eden Zanker and Karen Paxman, along with Lily Mithen and Kate Hore, to fill the void.
Midfield mainstays Zanker (18 disposals) and Paxman (16) were ably assisted by Mithen (16, 12 tackles and five clearances) and Hore (10 disposals, seven tackles and two clearances) who were given the rare opportunity in the centre square.
Suns’ hot footy
Gold Coast has been one of the best tackling sides in AFLW this season and applied the clamps to the Dees, shutting down the home side’s vaunted ball movement.
The Suns had applied 40 tackles with five minutes to play in the second quarter, suffocating Melbourne at every opportunity.
The Suns, who average 70 tackles per game, finished with 91.
Ruck masterclass
Lauren Pearce put on a show in the ruck for Melbourne.
The 29-year-old was not only dominant in giving her midfield first use of the ball with her hit outs but buttered up at ground level and around the ground winning a heap of ball and clearances.
Pearce finished with a game-high 20 disposals, 20 hit outs, seven clearances and three tackles.
Lions get third win in twelve days as Pies begin free fall
Reigning AFLW champions Brisbane Lions handled the wind best in Maroochydore defeating Collingwood by 24 points on Saturday to stay ensconced inside the top six.
In contrast to last year’s memorable preliminary final at the Gabba – which Brisbane won by four points – the Lions skipped clear in the second quarter and were never headed to prevail 35-11.
It was the Lions’ third win in 12 days after previously beating Carlton and Geelong.
A little more than a week after posting a club low of seven points in the AFLW against the table-topping Fremantle, the Magpies kicked just the one goal for the second successive week.
Assisted by the powerful wind that whipped up above 40km per hour – followed by rain in the fourth quarter – Collingwood dominated territory early on but failed to capitalise on the scoreboard.
After a goalless first quarter, Brisbane made the most of the southeast wind booting three goals in the second keeping Collingwood scoreless, with forward 19-year-old Zimmorlei Farquharson kicking two of the three.
Brisbane was able to kick a goal against the breeze in the third, courtesy of half forward Emily Bates, then held the advantage with the breeze at their back.
“Obviously we got off to a disappointing start against Adelaide, so we’ve just been rebuilding from there,” Bates said post-match. “This wind was not easy today, but we got it done.”
BATES A STANDOUT FOR LIONS
Bates led the way for the defending premiers notching 22 disposals, 15 kicks, seven handballs and the one goal.
Among the other ball-getters for the victors were Greta Bodey (15 disposals), Alexandra Anderson (14 disposals), Natalie Grider (14 disposals) and Irishwoman Orla O’Dwyer (13 disposals), continuing her stellar form in the midfield.
For the Pies it was experienced midfielder Jaimee Lambert her did her best too keep her side in the contest with 19 disposals, 11 kicks and eight handballs. Ruby Schleicher (17 disposals), Brittany Bonnici (16 disposals), Lauren Butler (14 disposals) and Amelia Velardo (13 disposals) were other notables for Collingwood on the blustery day.
After being named as an emergency for the Lions’ first three matches this season, former Brisbane Roar midfielder Lucinda Pullar became the next cross-code AFLW debutant on Saturday, getting seven disposals.
PULLAR LATEST TO CROSS CODES FOR AFLW DEBUT
Making her debut off the interchange bench, Pullar rubber stamped her switch in Maroochydore joining several others to cross codes headlined by two-time AFLW champion for the Adelaide Crows, Erin Phillips, who claimed WNBA championship rings with Indiana Fever (2012) and the Phoenix Mercury (2014).
Others include basketballer Monique Conti (Richmond), netballer Ash Brazill (Collingwood), cricketer Jess Duffin (North Melbourne) and now retired netball and AFLW star Sharni Norder nee Layton (Collingwood) among many more.
Pullar – 23-year-old medical student at Bond University affectionately known as ‘Lulu’ – was picked up at No. 58 in the 2021 AFLW draft and has just three years of AFL experience behind her.
WIND WREAKS HAVOC ON THE SUNSHINE COAST
Play was hampered by the strong southeast wind throughout the entire contest at Maroochydore Oval on the Sunshine Coast, especially early on.
Such was its power the echoes permeated the acoustics of the ground.
“I don’t think I’ve seen a game where so many players have miss-kicked within such a short period of time,” expert commentator Chyloe Kurdas remarked on Fox Footy early in the second quarter. “Not just the ball in the air, but it is that ball drop, with wind like this makes it really tricky.”
First win in a year: Late goal breaks Cats’ long drought
Geelong held on against a courageous West Coast by three points for its first win in nearly a year.
The Cats, who hadn’t won a home game since February 2019, looked to have lost it late when the Eagles hit the front with just two minutes left, but were led by midfield duo Rebecca Webster and Amy McDonald to a memorable victory.
The Eagles hadn’t played a game in 14 days due to Covid protocols, and an early arm injury to Aisling McCarthy left them a player down, making it one of the club’s most resilient performances in AFLW.
Playing their first ever Friday night game, they were left to rue missed opportunities in front of goal when they had the game on their terms.
The first quarter belonged to Geelong however, and when a long handball out of a scrimmage found Rebecca Webster 35m from goal, the 21-year-old spiralled one straight through the middle for the first goal of the game.
A minute later Phoebe McWilliams took a strong mark and kicked Geelong’s second goal to give them the jump over the Eagles.
Georgie Prespakis was everywhere for the Cats in the opening quarter, collecting a game-high seven disposals to go with three tackles and two clearances.
West Coast dominated the second quarter, but Geelong was able to flood numbers behind the ball to plug holes in its defence and only give the Eagles tough looks at goal, resulting in them kicking three straight behinds.
The dam wall finally broke late in the quarter when Niamh Kelly kicked a beautiful goal off one step from 40m out to cut the margin to just four points.
A sucker punch delivered in the shadows of halftime by the Cats and McWilliams, who kicked her second goal of the game, helped Geelong to a 10-point halftime lead.
An early goal to Mikayla Bowen was as good as the third quarter got as both teams struggled to escape each other’s’ clutches in a fiercely contested 16-minutes of football.
West Coast dominated field position but struggled to penetrate Geelong’s defence, kicking 1.2 for the quarter and trailing the Cats by two-points at the final break.
The tables turned in the last quarter as Geelong had the best of field position for most of the term but were wayward in front of goal.
West Coast took its first big opportunity in front of goal through Aimee Schmidt to give the Eagles the lead with just two minutes left.
But a huge clearance from Rebecca Webster sent the Cats forward again and Darcy Moloney intercepted an Eagles handball as they tried to work their way out of their defensive goalsquare, before putting Geelong back in front.
A late snap from Schmidt bounced at right angles and almost trickled through but grazed the outside of the goalpost and from there the Cats were able to hold on.
McCarthy’s mysterious injury
An innocuous knock landed McCarthy in serious pain during the first quarter to the point the game was stopped while trainers attended to her.
The 25-year-old’s hand appeared to bend back as it got jammed between her and a teammate.
She was later seen cradling her left arm in her jumper as
Prespakis’ best yet
Prespakis played her best game for Geelong yet, helping give the Cats the early jump on the Eagles before continuing to be one of the most influential players on the ground.
The 18-year-old was able to collect 15 disposals to go with seven tackles and three clearances.
Her time forward was also fruitful as she was able to dish off a goal assist.
Swanson back with a bang
Swanson hadn’t played a game since Rd 2, but the Eagles’ captain was back with a bang.
When her side was under the pump early the 26-year-old lifted them around the ball, winning clearances and finding the ball at will.
Swanson finished the game with 27 disposals, eight clearances and three tackles.
Bowers’ league best and fairest dreams dashed
Fremantle star Kiara Bowers’ league best and fairest hopes have turned to dust with the tackling machine dealt a two-match ban for a “dangerous” off-the-ball bump.
Bowers, who shared league honours in 2021 with Magpie Brianna Davey, was found to have intentionally bumped Bulldogs ballwinner Kirsty Lamb 40 metres off the ball in the final quarter of the teams’ Tuesday night meeting.
Lamb grabbed at her jaw and required attention from trainers and was taken from the ground, before returning to the ground for the final minutes of the match.
The AFL Women’s match review officer found that the bump was medium impact and high contact, resulting in an automatic two-match penalty as per the league grading table.
The Dockers could yet appeal the ban ahead of Sunday’s clash with North Melbourne in Hobart.
Brisbane forward Jess Wuetschner labelled the style of bump “dangerous”.
“IMO (in my opinion) bumps like this off the ball when players aren’t expecting it are dangerous,” the All-Australian wrote on Twitter.
“I still remember one I got v Carlton years ago … felt like my ribs went through me.”
Bulldogs coach Nathan Burke said after the match that he thought Lamb “should be OK”, but that the same could potentially not be said for Bowers.
“They might be a different story,” he said.
“But we’ll see how that plays out.”
Bowers, who has been on the road with the Dockers in Melbourne for a month, leads the competition for tackles with a tally of 62 – virtually double her closest rival.
Freo’s flying start continues against gutsy Dogs
A gutsy six-point win against the Western Bulldogs has helped premiership favourites Fremantle move to 5-0.
It was far from the Dockers’ best showing of the season, but their grit was on full display, kicking all their goals into a strong wind.
It wasn’t until an Ebony Antonio goal with two-minutes left on the clock that Fremantle sealed the win.
The Bulldogs will rue missed opportunities in the last quarter in front of goal, kicking three behinds despite dominating territory.
Both sides failed to kick a goal in the first quarter as Fremantle enjoyed a strong wind at their back which helped them dominate field position with 16 inside 50s to two.
Ashleigh Guest proved impenetrable as the Dogs flooded players behind the ball to only find themselves two points down at the first break.
Playing her first game after being drafted last year, Amy Franklin kicked the game’s first goal six-minutes into the second quarter after a fortuitous 50m penalty.
It ignited a wave of scoring as seconds later the 18-year-old took a strong contested mark just 15m out from goal and kicked her second to give Fremantle reward for their territory domination.
A minute later the Bulldogs kicked their much needed first through Bonnie Toogood who marked a long kick in the goalsquare and played on.
When Kirsty Lamb, who was the Dogs’ best player in the first half, added a second goal for the hosts they were just two points adrift of the premiership favourites.
The third quarter played out much the same as the first, with Fremantle dominating field position as it enjoyed a strong wind advantage, but failed to capitalise on its dominance, kicking just three behinds.
Two early Bulldogs behinds brought the margin back to just one point for much of the quarter, until Ebony Antonio kicked the goal of the match from 35m out on a tight angle into the wind to give the Dockers a seven-point advantage.
Young guns shine
The Western Bulldogs broke an AFLW record by having 10 players under 21-years-old in their side, the most ever, and it was one of their young stars who shone in the first half.
Jess Fitzgerald, 19, had 9 disposals and 177m gained in the first half and provided a key link between the Bulldogs’ defence and attack.
Franklin was Fremantle’s first selection at last year’s draft, going at pick 14, and when the game needed a spark as both sides struggled to find the goals it was the 18-year-old who delivered it with two second quarter goals.
Guest star
Premiership favourite. Highest scoring team. Kicking with the wind.
It was a recipe for disaster for the young Bulldogs defence in the first quarter and conceding 15 inside 50s would normally have resulted in a flurry of Fremantle goals.
But thanks to Guest, who had a game-high eight disposals and three intercepts, the Dogs were able to stay within reach of their highly revered opposition.
Blackburn v Bowers
It was the matchup that shaped the game in the end as Kiara Bowers got the better of Ellie Blackburn in a tense final term.
Bowers had an uncharacteristically sluggish start to the game but managed to put the clamps on Blackburn as the star Dog began to get on top of the Fremantle midfield.
Bowers finished with 20 disposals, 12 tackles and four clearances, while Blackburn was able to notch 19 disposals, two tackles and three clearances.
BULLDOGS: 0.1 2.4 2.4 2.7 (19)
def by
DOCKERS: 0.3 2.4 2.7 3.7 (25)
MOTTERSHEAD’S BEST
Bulldogs: Lamb, Blackburn, Brown, Guest, Moody.
Dockers: Bowers, Miller, E. Antonio, O’Sullivan.
GOALS:
Bulldogs: Toogood, Lamb.
Dockers: Franklin 2, E.Antonio.
INJURIES:
Bulldogs: Lagioia (concussion).
Dockers: Sergeant (concussion).
982 at Victoria University Whitten Oval
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JAMES MOTTERSHEAD’S VOTES
3 K. Bowers (FREM)
2 K. Lamb (WB)
1 H. Miller (FREM)
How Miller bounced back from double disappointment
Fremantle star Hayley Miller was booted from the midfield last year and lost the captaincy this season. She tells ELIZA REILLY how she’s swallowed her pride and rediscovered her form.
AFLW’s headline act dominates again – but they deserve better
On a wet Friday afternoon, one of the best double acts in football put on another spectacular show. But the performance of Jasmine Garner and Ash Riddell raises a big question.