AFLW 2023: All the news and results from round 4
The Saints stormed over the top of Collingwood to claim a huge win for their club and coach, as the woes at the Bulldogs continue. Check out all the latest AFLW news here.
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An amazing five goal to none last quarter from an under-sieged St Kilda side has delivered coach Nick Dal Santo his first win of the AFLW season.
You would not have blamed a disgruntled Saints fan who turned off the TV as the club was looking at a fourth loss of 2023, down by 25 points at one stage against a rampant Collingwood outfit.
The Saints, who for the most part struggled to find any real fluidity or structure to their game, appeared out on their feet heading into the final quarter of action.
However what transpired was some of the more inspiring victories we have seen this season.
The Saints pulled off the unthinkable adding on five unanswered goals to run out two goal winners in possibly a season defining victory.
YOUNG STARS SHINE FOR ST KILDA
Young star Georgia Patrikios was enormous for the saints with 17 disposals, 5 tackles and 302 metres gained along with finding the sticks early in the fourth to spearhead the saints resurgence.
Along with Patrikios was 23 year-old Olivia Vesely whose 21 disposals were instrumental for the Saints.
STAR MAGPIE LIMPS FROM THE FIELD
Outside of the Magpie camp a third quarter scare to 2021 league best and fairest Bri Davey who appeared to limp from the field with an apparent ankle injury mid way through the third term.
Davey, who still managed 15 disposals and 11 tackles as part of Collingwoods best handful of players returned to the field although will be worth watching as the team now prepares to take on the 6th place Bombers next week.
RELIEF FOR DAL SANTO
As significant as the four points were this season today also marked one of the largest comebacks in club’s short history on their way to their first ever victory against the Magpies.
Now in their third AFLW season being able to come over the top of such a quality outfit such as the Pies offers nothing but positives for this gritty St Kilda team who fell just short last season of a maiden victory.
And it was relief for Nick Dal Santo who had been under serious pressure following three straight losses to start the season.
ST KILDA 0.0 1.2 2.3 7.5 (47)
COLLINGWOOD 3.2 3.3 5.5 5.5 (35)
GOALS
St Kilda: Lambert, Exon, Patrikios, Xenos, Friend, McDonald, Guttridge
Collingwood: Frederick, Smith, White, Morris
INJURIES
St Kilda: Nil
Collingwood: Nil
BULLDOGS’ WOES CONTINUE IN 2023
- Ronny Lerner
The Western Bulldogs have made their worst ever start to an AFLW season and their finals hopes are in tatters after they lost an absolute thriller to Gold Coast by four points at Carrara on Sunday evening.
After the Suns kicked back-to-back goals halfway through the third quarter, they shot out to a game-high 19-point lead and looked like they were headed for a comfortable win.
However, the brave Bulldogs refused to give in as they kicked the next three goals, including a pair to Kirsty Lamb, to get back within a point early in the final term.
Shortly after, the Bulldogs had two golden chances to re-take the lead. Firstly, Heidi Woodley’s snap from 30m out in front missed everything, but instead of going out of bounds, it miraculously bounced back in play.
Then, Jess Fitzgerald collected the loose ball and ran next to the goal post, but incredibly she failed to score after being swamped by two Gold Coast defenders which forced her kick to go out of bounds on the full.
The Suns couldn’t close the door, though, with three consecutive behinds keeping the Bulldogs alive. With four points the difference, Lamb pinged Alison Drennan holding the ball in the middle of the ground and won the free kick with 90 seconds to go.
However, her long kick towards 50 was dropped by Brianna McFarlane at centre-half forward, adding to her other costly drop in the goal square at a crucial stage in the third term.
The Bulldogs kept coming in the final minute, but Meara Girvan was a brick wall in defence for the Suns, executing three crucial intercepts, including the final mark of the match on the wing.
BURKE, DOGS UNDER THE PUMP
It was very much a must-win game for the winless Bulldogs, and the 7.6 (48) to 7.2 (44) result ensured they remain in the bottom four with an 0-4 record nearing the halfway mark of the season.
The Bulldogs must now win their final six matches to give themselves the best chance of finishing in the top eight, but with league heavyweights Adelaide and North Melbourne still to come in their run home, all hope looks lost.
The heat is set to surely intensify on Dogs coach Nathan Burke who has guided his team to just one final (a loss) in five seasons at the helm.
Conversely, Gold Coast appear to be a team on the rise, having now won three games in a row for the very first time. Their latest victory saw the Suns climb up to sixth on the ladder, but more importantly it served as an emphatic statement that they are a legitimate finals contender this year.
Adding salt to the Bulldogs’ wound was a double injury blow which saw Gemma Lagioia fail a concussion test in the third quarter and Celine Moody injure her shoulder in the final term. Neither player took any further part in the game and Lagioia at least looks set to be unavailable for the Dogs’ clash with St Kilda next week.
WASTEFUL BULLDOGS
The Suns battered the Bulldogs in the clinches, convincingly winning the contested possessions 125-101 and clearances 29-16, but the Dogs would be left to rue their inability to capitalise on their 37-32 advantage in forward entries.
The Bulldogs burst out of the blocks with the opening two goals after registering 11 of the first 12 inside 50s, thanks largely to the work from Deanna Berry in the middle.
But the visitors didn’t make the most of their pronounced territory dominance, and after the Suns absorbed the early pressure, they kicked the next four majors to grab a stranglehold on the contest in the second quarter.
ROWBOTTOM RISES TO THE TOP
Charlie Rowbottom produced another spectacular performance for Gold Coast, registering 28 disposals (18 contested), eight tackles and seven clearances, while her partner in crime Claudia Whitfort was riding shotgun as usual with 22 touches (13 contested), seven clearances and five tackles.
For the Bulldogs, Berry played one of her best games as she helped herself to 21 possessions (10 contested) and eight inside 50s, and Ellie Blackburn (20 disposals) kept trying as well.
SUNS 1.0, 5.3, 7.3, 7.6 (48)
DOGS 2.0, 3.1, 5.2, 7.2 (44)
LERNER’S BESTSuns: Rowbottom, Whitfort, Single, Girvan, Drennan, Bohanna. Bulldogs: Berry, Blackburn, Edmonds, Georgostathis, Fitzgerald, Grant.
GOALS Suns: Stanton 2, Bohanna 2, McLaughlin, Dupuy, Membrey. Bulldogs: McFarlane 2, Lamb 2, McLeod, Woodley, Berry.
INJURIES Suns: Nil. Bulldogs: Lagioia (concussion), Moody (shoulder).
UMPIRES Ferguson, Whetton, Young
VENUE Carrara
BOMBERS EDGE CLOSER TO MAIDEN FINALS BERTH
– Max Hatzoglou
Essendon has edged closer to securing a debut finals appearance after claiming a gutsy 20-point win over Fremantle to improve its record to 3-1.
The first two and a half quarters saw five lead changes before the Bombers stormed home with three goals to one leading to the top-notch 7.8 (50) to 4.6 (30) win.
It was a finals-like atmosphere in front of a healthy crowd at Windy Hill as both sides met for the very first time in hope of claiming a third win to rise into the top eight.
Boonie Toogood led the charge for the Bombers with two goals and 22 touches including eight in the first quarter where she also nailed a goal.
It continues a strong season for the 25-year-old who also claimed five kicks to hold top spot for marks in the competition this season.
The Bombers skipper could be leading the red and black to claiming their first finals win since 2004.
The win for the Bombers puts them in sixth position on the ladder at the completion of the game while the Dockers drop to 10th place.
BOMBERS PURPLE PATCH
The Bombers flicked the switch after Dockers utility Angelique Stannett kicked her second goal of the game early in the third quarter. By the end of the quarter, the red and black gained the first double-digit lead of the game and had seven of the eight scoring shots in the term. Toogood fired early in the quarter before Vogt kicked the goal of the day with a pitch-perfect banana to put the Bombers back in front. Then Georgia Nanscawen executed her set-shot from in front to give the home side the first double-digit lead of the match as they broke out to a two-goal advantage at the final break.
BIG TACKLES KEEP BOMBERS ALIVE EARLY ON
Bombers defender Georgia Clarke had the crowd roaring in the second quarter when she landed a huge chase-down tackle in defensive 50 to save what could have been an easy run-in Dockers goal. Clarke’s strong effort in front of the Windy Hill grandstand ensured the Bombers would remain three points ahead. Moments laterBomber midfielder Kodi Jacques went deep in defence to send the crowd cheering again with a big tackle to disallow the Dockers from getting in front. The Dockers eventually managed to gain the lead in the second term through Orlagh Lally who won a free kick and kick truly for her set-shot goal. Nevertheless, the Bombers kept themselves in the game at the main break with their pressure halting the inaccurate Dockers from piling on the goals. Earlier in the term, it was further up the field where Madison Prespakis laid a solid tackle in the middle of the ground. Straight after halftime Bonnie Toogood joined in the action gaining a set shot opportunity after a sound tackle. She took her chance with both hands, putting the Bombers up by four points with an accurate attempt from 35m out on a difficult angle. Coach Natalie Wood said her side “put a power of work into being better defensively” in the off-season after rating “quite low” in key areas including tackles last season.
INACCURATE DOCKERS
The Dockers had seven scoring shots to three at half time but only led by four points. It brought back memories of round two against Collingwood game where the Dockers scored 3.7 and lost by 21 points when the Pies were accurate with 7.4. It proved costly for the Dockers who could have charged ahead in the second quarter when they scored 1.3 against the Bombers.
SCOREBOARD
BOMBERS 2.0 2.1 5.5 7.8 (50)
DOCKERS 1.2 2.5 3.5 4.6 (30)
HATZOGLOU’S BEST – Bombers: Toogood, Vogt, Prespakis, Wales, Alexander, Scott, Walker. Dockers: Stannett, O’Driscoll, Tighe, Antonio, Cregg, Bowers.
GOALS – Bombers: Toogood 2, Vogt 2, Radford, Nanscawen, Doonan. Dockers: Stannett 2, Lally, Antonio.
INJURIES – Bombers: Van De Heuvel (concussion). Dockers: Bowers
UMPIRES – Birch, Compton-Robins, Howorth.
VENUE – Windy Hill
LIONS KNOCK OFF UNDEFEATED ROOS IN TASSIE THRILLER
– Max Hatzoglou
Brisbane has capped off the perfect weekend after coming from three goals down at halftime to win by two-points and hand North Melbourne its first loss ever in Tasmania.
An elegant snap from Lions utility Shannon Campbell late in the fourth levelled the score line at 33-all before Orla O’Dwyer kicked a handy point moments later to steer the Lions to their third win of the season on Sunday afternoon.
It follows a cheerful night for the Lions ladies in Tassie who watched their men’s side defeat Carlton to book a spot into next week’s grand final.
Notably the win continues the Lions’ dominance against the Roos as the head-to-head record improves to 4-0.
Meanwhile the Roos suffered their first loss of the season as they join the Lions with 3-1 start the campaign.
The Roos led for the majority of the contest but were left without answers as defender Nicole Bresnahan went down late in the first quarter to leave them with three on the bench.
Roos star midfield duo Ash Riddell (31 disposals) and Jasmine Garner (30 disposals, goal) were dominant but a third quarter comeback from the Lions saw a stunning turnaround as they find the front for the first time in the last quarter since the opening term.
MASTERFUL COACHING MOVE SWINGS MOMENTUM
Lions skipper Breanna Koenen was tasked with the role of tagging Roos superstar Jasmine Garner in the midfield after a dominant first half where the competition leader scored a goal and had 16 disposals. But Lions coach Craig Starcevich had enough of the individual brilliance as he clicked into gear switching the magnets around to push defender Koenen into the midfield. Koenen led from the front, kicking the first goal of the half as the Lions responded well from their 22 to six clearance deficit in the first two quarters, winning the first four clearances of the third term. On return from a hamstring injury Lions forward Taylor Smith nailed a goal shortly after Koenen to make it two goals in less than three minutes, cutting the Roos lead to six points. Ally Anderson was also pivotal in the Lions third quarter comeback with the midfielder gaining 15 touches in the term.
INTERCHANGE MASTERSTROKE
Roos defender Bresnahan needed medical treatment on her left ankle after landing heavily late in the first term in her defensive 50. The Roos handled the situation with intelligence as Bresnahan received medical treatment on the ground instead of on the bench, saving the Roos a substitute. Boundary commentator Sam Lane said it was “something I have never seen in men’s or women’s footy before.” A new rule introduced this season has capped interchanges to 60 rotations per team, per match.
SLING TACKLE DANGER
Lions defender Dee Heslop may find herself in trouble by the MRO this week as the AFL crackdown on dangerous tackles. Working in Heslop’s favour may be the fact the umpire didn’t pay a free kick but Alice O’Loughlin – whose head made contact with the ground after being sling tackled – left the field but returned to play for the remainder of the game.
Scoreboard
KANGAROOS 2.0 4.1 5.2 5.3 (33)
LIONS 0.1 1.1 4.2 5.5 (35)
HATZOGLOU’S BEST – Kangaroos: Garner, Riddell, E King, Kearney, Smith, M King. Lions: Anderson, Ellenger, Campbell, Hodder, Koenen, Grider, Conway, Svarc.
GOALS – Kangaroos: King 2, Garner, Eddey, Shierlaw. Lions: Koenen, Smith, Mullins, Postlethwaite, Campbell.
INJURIES – Kangaroos: Bresnahan (ankle).
VENUE – UTAS Stadium
TIGERS DO IT EASY OVER BLUES
– Ronny Lerner
Richmond is knocking on the door of the AFLW top four after edging out Carlton by seven points in a gripping arm wrestle at Princes Park on Saturday.
In an entertaining prelude to the venue hosting a live site for the men’s preliminary final, the Tigers made a ferocious start with four of the first five goals, including a pair to captain Katie Brennan, to lead by 16 points after just 14 minutes.
But Carlton abruptly put the brakes on Richmond’s scoring and kicked the next four goals to lead by seven points shortly after halftime.
Richmond was held goalless in the middle two periods, and had to wait almost three full quarters before finally kicking their fifth goal via Caitlin Greiser, who handed them back the lead early in the final term. Two more majors from Stella Reid and Courtney Jones sealed the 7.5 (47) to 6.4 (40) result.
Ultimately, the Tigers’ huge advantage in inside-50s (40-26) proved telling.
“The group is amazing,” Richmond coach Ryan Ferguson said of his team post-match.
“Their resilience for many years now is just growing and growing and growing. They were banged up last week, we were running on empty but still ran the game out really strong (against GWS).
“The group is just full of resilience and just such a strong resolve, and how they played that last quarter was a really professional effort.”
Richmond and the Blues headed into the match level on two wins apiece in eighth and ninth spots respectively, ensuring the game was an old-fashioned “eight-pointer”, and the Tigers came out on top to improve their record to 3-1.
The result saw Carlton miss a big chance to enter the top eight for the first time this year, and the Blues could drop to as low as 13th on the ladder by the end of the weekend.
SHERAR, CONTI DO BATTLE
Carlton’s Keeley Sherar was given the huge job of tagging Richmond superstar Mon Conti for the entirety of the match, and the pair had a gripping duel.
Sherar probably had the better of Conti in the first half, but the Tigers midfielder hit back after the main break to slightly edge her minder in the end.
Conti finished with a game-high 30 disposals (12 contested) as well as five tackles and five clearances. But Sherar was far from disgraced, recording a team-high 27 touches and laying five tackles herself.
“I thought Keeley played a good game,” Carlton coach Mathew Buck said post-game.
“She’s got great speed and tenacity at the ball, so I thought she was strong at the contest and got to the outside, but used her foot skills as well, which was great.
“She’s an exciting young player who’s got a great future.”
Conti also enjoyed sound support from Grace Egan, who racked up 28 possessions (16 contested), 10 tackles and seven clearances, while Brennan was superb with 18 disposals (10 contested) and two goals.
For the Blues, Mimi Hill had a huge impact with 24 possessions (10 contested) and seven tackles, and Abbie McKay had a great game with 19 touches and a goal.
Richmond’s Gabby Seymour (17 touches and 15 hitouts) had an enthralling battle in the ruck with Carlton’s Jess Good (18 and 27).
BLUES RECOVER
The Tigers led the tackle count 17-7 at one stage in the first term, and Carlton struggled to deal with the pressure.
But the Blues settled into the game and responded with the next three majors to lead by two points at halftime, after dominating the territory battle with nine of the first 10 inside-50s in the second term.
The Tigers were held scoreless in the second quarter, after their barnstorming start to the match, and the Blues continued to stifle them into the third period.
Richmond absolutely dominated the forward entries in the third stanza (17-3), but were extremely wasteful in front of goal, managing just four behinds.
Carlton’s besieged backline was given a reprieve by the Tigers’ inefficiency, but the dam walls finally burst in the final quarter and Richmond belatedly capitalised on their territory ascendancy.
“I thought we really controlled the third quarter but just got so rushed and so hectic, so we got no reward for effort, and that’s on us,” Ferguson said.
“So being able to reset at three-quarter time and just understand that the intent and pressure had to stay, but just ball in hand we had to use a bit of the outside run and lower the eyes and get it to advantage rather than that rushed kick long where they (Carlton) were waiting back for it.”
TIGER IN TROUBLE?
Richmond’s Jemima Woods could find herself in hot water with the MRO after a clash with Carlton’s Amelia Velardo in the second quarter.
Both players were competing for a loose ball on the wing, but in doing so, Woods’ shoulder barrelled into the side of Velardo’s head, leaving her grounded for a fair period of time, before being helped from the field by medical staff and assessed in the rooms.
While it looked like a genuine contest, with both players having their eyes on the ball, the league is extremely conscious of any contact with the head.
Velardo was able to resume her place in the game in the second half, albeit with a heavily bandaged head.
Scoreboard
BLUES 2.2, 4.3, 5.3, 6.4 (40)
TIGERS 4.1, 4.1, 4.5, 7.5 (47)
LERNER’S BEST
Blues: Sherar, Hill, Good, McKay, Skepper.
Tigers: Conti, Egan, Brennan, Seymour, Dempsey.
GOALS
Blues: Moody 2, Austin 2, McKay, McWilliams.
Tigers: Brennan 2, MacDonald, Yassir, Greiser, Reid, Jones.
INJURIES
Blues: Velardo (head). Tigers: Jemima Woods replaced Bec Miller (finger) in Richmond’s selected line-up.
Umpires: Heffernan, Mitchell, Stark
Venue: Princes Park
Crows smash records, but coach not happy
– Ronny Lerner
Adelaide registered their highest ever AFLW score on Saturday as it crushed Greater Western Sydney by 69 points at Manuka Oval, all but extinguishing the Giants’ finals hopes in the process.
The Crows broke the ton for the first time in their history, and became just the third team to do so after Melbourne and Geelong, on the way to their 16.10 (106) to 5.7 (37) romp.
Adelaide also recorded the second-biggest score in league history, and fell just one point short of Melbourne’s record 16.11 (107) achieved in season six against Fremantle. The Crows bettered their previous high of 15.7 (97), which was also scored against GWS, in round 5 last season.
After trailing by 16 points at halftime, GWS did all the attacking after the main break, with eight of the first nine forward entries in the third quarter. But for all their hard work, they could only manage four behinds.
The Crows are not a team that you can afford to let off the hook, and the three-time premiers showed why as they kicked the last nine goals of the game, teaching the Giants a harsh lesson about taking your opportunities.
Adelaide’s third-biggest win not only ensured they maintained their undefeated start to the season, but consigned winless GWS to their worst ever start (0-4). Giants coach Cameron Bernasconi has now won just four games out of 14 since taking over the reins last year.
“Obviously, early wins are really crucial because it’s a short comp so if you get behind the eight ball it can be tricky,” Adelaide coach Matthew Clarke said post-match.
“So to have the four wins on the board is brilliant, we know we’ve got a little bit of work to do in terms of the way that we’re playing – we’re not quite where we want to be – but I’m really happy, to be honest.
“The comp’s getting better and better, each year the standard gets better and better, and so to be up in the pointy end at the moment is nice.”
The Crows will finish the round in the top two if Brisbane defeat North Melbourne in the match of the round on Sunday.
MAGICAL MARINOFF
Ebony Marinoff continued her scintillating start to the season with a career-high 40 disposals, along with 20 contested possessions, eight marks, eight tackles, nine clearances and 12 inside-50s.
Marinoff has now averaged 30 disposals in her first four games of 2023, and has done her hopes of a first league best-and-fairest no harm.
She enjoyed strong support from Eloise Jones, who had 16 touches, six marks and four goals, and Anne Hatchard, who racked up 22 possessions (11 contested), six tackles and a goal.
Niamh Kelly (18 touches) and Danielle Ponter (15) were constant menaces in attack with two goals apiece, as was Jessica Waterhouse (14 possessions) who set up numerous attacking plays.
All up, the Crows had 11 individual goalkickers.
ELECTRIC ELOISE
Jones had a huge impact in the first half. After taking a massive pack mark in the goal square, she kicked the Crows’ second goal to put them up by 13 points early in the piece.
Then she bobbed up again early in the second term with a spectacular soccer attempt from heavy congestion in the forward pocket, in among three Giants while being pushed off balance, to restore Adelaide’s 14-point lead.
“She had a great game,” Clarke said of Jones.
“Obviously, she’s an elite talent ... she’s got all the skills in the game and great speed, but she’s working really hard as well.
“Probably over 4-5 seasons, she’s built a really good aerobic base as well, so now late in a game, even though she did cramp a little bit, she’s able to run games out and obviously her finishing today was outstanding.”
UNDISCIPLINED GIANTS
The Giants momentarily halted Adelaide’s momentum late in the second quarter, when Rebecca Beeson kicked one of the goals of the day.
At the 15-minute mark, she won the contested ball, spun around, straightened up and banged home a ripper from 40m out on the run to get GWS back within 15 points.
But ruck Fleur Davies undid Beeson’s great work by giving away a silly 50m penalty late in the quarter as she pushed Montana McKinnon over after the Adelaide ruck took a mark 65m out from goal.
McKinnon was no hope of kicking a six-pointer from so far out, but Davies’ ill-discipline brought McKinnon within range and she made no mistake.
It was the second goal the Crows kicked from a 50m penalty. Kelly was awarded one early in the first quarter which brought her to the goal square after earning a free kick 50m out on the boundary.
HOT START
Adelaide started the match all guns blazing, kicking the opening two goals to lead by 14 points after registering the first six inside-50s.
The Giants responded with three of the next four majors to get back within two points early in the second term after evening things up in the clearances, before the Crows reasserted themselves with three goals in seven minutes to shoot out to a 21-point lead halfway through the quarter.
Both teams went goal-for-goal into the third quarter, but the Giants were prevented from making significant inroads into Adelaide’s lead due to alarming wastefulness.
The heavy loss was compounded for the Giants by Teagan Germech appearing to suffer a serious left ankle injury in the first quarter after Adelaide’s Chelsea Randall fell on her awkwardly while being tackled. Germech needed to be helped from the ground by trainers, and was unable to put any weight on it. She took no further part in the game and spent the remainder of the day in a moon boot.
Scoreboard
GIANTS 2.0, 5.2, 5.7, 5.7 (37)
CROWS 3.2, 7.6, 10.7, 16.10 (106)
LERNER’S BEST
Giants: Parker, Beeson, Goldsworthy, Pease, Barr.
Crows: Marinoff, Jones, Hatchard, Kelly, Ponter, Waterhouse, Newman.
GOALS
Giants: Miller, Goldsworthy, Pease, Beeson, Mowbray.
Crows: Jones 4, Ponter 2, Kelly 2, Bonner, Varnhagen, McKinnon, Ballard, Martin, Hatchard, Gould, Charlton.
Injuries: Giants: Germech (left ankle). Crows: Nil.
Umpires: Baigent, McGinness, Nippress
Venue: Manuka Oval
Rampant Cat could be in MRO strife
– Jason Phelan
A powerful display by star midfielder Nina Morrison and four goals to Chloe Scheer propelled Geelong to a convincing 28-point win over Port Adelaide at Alberton Oval on Saturday.
The Cats set up the win, which improved their record to 3-1, in a dominant first half, with the Power working into the contest after the main break.
Morrison led the charge with a game-high 32 possessions and goal, with Becky Webster, Georgie Prespakis and Amy McDonald also gathering plenty of disposals, while Scheer had a day out in attack.
The outlook was bleak for the Power at halftime, but the home side showed encouraging signs in the second half to win both quarters.
On a sour note for Port, Indy Tahau will undergo scans to determine if she has ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament.
“She’ll have scans and we’ve got everything crossed for her,” coach Lauren Arnell said. “Indy is always positive and has been great around the group … she’s doing OK.”
Gemma Houghton was the Power’s leading possession winner with 18, and also booted three goals, with Erin Phillips and Abbey Dowrick.
QUICK HANDS
The Cats’ slick handball game was too hot for the Power to handle early, the visitors slicing through their opponents on the way to a 24-point quarter-time lead.
Dan Lowther’s side had 20 more handballs in the first term, Morrison leading the charge with 12 possessions, with Port’s highest disposal winners managing just four touches each.
Morrison’s physical play set the tone for Geelong, but she may find herself with a case to answer after she collected Janelle Cuthbertson high with a bone-crunching bump.
Ash Saint will also come under scrutiny after the former Crow was penalised for a sling tackle on Claudia Gunjaca in the second quarter.
The rampant Cats led by as much as 43 points in the second term and dominated possession with 75 more disposals in the first half and 21 more marks.
Geelong finished the impressive display with 110 more disposals (307-197) than Port.
TAHAU KNEE FEAR
The Power showed encouraging signs late in the first half, Houghton swooping on a loose ball to bounce home her side’s first goal of the game with just over a minute left.
But disaster struck shortly after when Tahau went down clutching her left knee as she was battling to take possession.
The game was stopped while the dynamic playmaker received treatment and she received a consoling tap from skipper Erin Phillips as she was helped from the ground grimacing in pain.
“She twisted and there was no contact,” Port GM of AFLW Juliet Haslam told the Seven Network.
“She’ll head to hospital for assessment … she just needs to hang in there, we don’t know what the situation is exactly yet, but it will be tough for her I think.”
SAINT STRONG
Saint accounted for both Port Adelaide goals in the third quarter, both set up by her superior strength in the contest that allowed her to break through tackles and split the middle in traffic.
Saints’ goals, which took her AFLW career tally to 50, capped Port’s most encouraging patch of play for the match, Phillips’ work on the ball helping swing the momentum.
It should’ve been three Power goals for the quarter, but Katelyn Pope somehow failed to get boot to ball on the goal line, spurning a golden opportunity to close the gap.
The Cats were able to weather the storm, however, with Prespakis and Scheer hitting the scoreboard to set up a 33-point margin at three-quarter time.
Scoreboard
POWER 0.2, 1.4, 3.7, 5.12 (42)
CATS 4.2, 7.4, 9.4, 11.4 (70)
PHELAN’S BEST
Power: Houghton, Dowrick, Phillips, Saint, Moloney, Ewings, Scholz.
Cats: Morrison, A McDonald, Scheer, Prespakis, Webster, Parry, D Moloney, Emonson.
GOALS
Power: Houghton 3, Saint 2.
Cats: Scheer 4, Parry 2, Surman, Prespakis, Morrison, Kearns, Darby.
INJURIES
Power: Tahau (knee). Cats: Nil.
Venue: Alberton Oval
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JASON PHELAN’S VOTES
3. N.Morrison (Geel)
2. A.McDonald (Geel)
1. G.Houghton (Port)
Dees make AFLW history in Hawks onslaught
– Brayden May
Melbourne has written itself into the AFLW history books with a 59-point thumping of a young Hawthorn side.
The Dees’ win at Kinetic Stadium in Frankston marked their 13th win in a row – the most in competition history.
While its first-half performance may have been below usual standards, Melbourne snapped into life in the second half with Hawthorn simply unable to go to another level.
Zanker’s stunning quarter
As the Demons broke the game open in the third quarter, mobile forward Eden Zanker reaped the rewards. She booted three goals in a row to put the game to bed as the young Hawks began to tire. What was impressive was how she went about it – her quarter included a mark back with the flight but she also worked up the ground to act as a connector between attack and defence.
Irish debutant’s strong impression
Irishwoman Aimee Mackin appears to be a real find for the Demons if first impressions are anything to go by. The former Northern Ireland soccer international finished with 13 disposals and showed why the Demons are so excited by her potential. She was unfortunate not to kick a goal with her first attempt bouncing backwards into the arms of her sister, Blaithin, who eventually finished the job.
The positives for Hawthorn
While the scoreboard wasn’t pretty, Hawthorn coach Bec Goddard would have been pleased with aspects of her side’s performance. The effort was there from the first bounce with the Hawks winning the tackle count – a plus for their ferocity in the contest. Meanwhile, Bridie Hipwell showed great signs up forward. Hipwell often found herself as the Hawks’ deepest player when the ball did arrive inside forward 50. At just 19, she proved there’s plenty to look forward to. Aine McDonagh also showed glimpses of her potential.
Another fast Melbourne finish
Melbourne’s last quarters have been nothing short of sensational across the opening month of the season. Across those games, the Dees have now scored 107 points and held their opponents to just four, after keeping the Hawks scoreless on Friday.
Scoreboard
HAWKS 0.2, 0.3, 1.5, 1.5 (11)
DEMONS 2.4, 4.6, 8.7, 10.10 (70)
MAY’S BEST: Hawks: Bates, Lucas-Rodd, McDonagh, Wales, Eardley, Fleming, Hipwell. Demons: Hanks, Purcell, Paxman, Zanker, Heath, Mithen.
GOALS: Hawks: McDonagh. Demons: Zanker 3, Hore 2, Bannan Harris B. Mackin McNamara Pearce
UMPIRES: Bailes, Dore, Talbot.
INJURIES: Nil.
Crowd: 2817 at Kinetic Stadium, Frankston.
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