AFLW 2022: All the latest news, match reports out of round 4
Essendon tried to tag Mon Conti but she was still huge as the Tigers’ claimed a heart-stopping win against Essendon, prompting rare praise from a rival coach. AFLW round 4 wrap.
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Richmond has won the first AFLW Dreamtime clash in a thrilling finish, holding off a valiant Essendon outfit.
A late goal from Bombers rookie Amber Clarke cut the margin to one point with just over a minute remaining, but the composure of Richmond’s experienced heads in the dying stages proved pivotal.
Midfielder Sarah Hosking took a courageous defensive mark to ice the game, denying the Bombers a final chance of pinching the win.
The Dreamtime clash has become a must-watch in the AFL Men’s calendar and the inaugural women’s version looks set to become a focal point in the fixture, too.
Both teams embraced the spirit of Indigenous Round and the Dreamtime match, wearing warm-up tops and boots with designs by various Indigenous artists.
The contest was a fierce, contested one and a rivalry between the two women’s sides is certainly building.
THE VALUE OF THE TAG
Why don’t teams use tags more often?
Nullifying a team’s best player often can go a long way towards winning the match and both sides deployed tags to varying success at Port Melbourne.
Essendon sent Steph Cain to Richmond superstar Mon Conti, but the influence of the Tigers jet was still gigantic.
Conti’s 15 possessions was down on hour output in the opening three rounds, but she made every touch count, utilising her pace and power out of the stoppage to set up her teammates going inside forward 50.
She kicked the goal of the day in the third term too, with a superb effort from the forward pocket.
Carlton AFLW coach Daniel Harford said that Conti has emerged as the best player in the competition “without a doubt”.
Meanwhile, Essendon gun Maddy Prespakis, who has polled 26 out of a possible 30 AFLW Champion Player Coaches votes this season, was well contained by Tigers pair Sarah Hosking and Grace Egan.
Prespakis managed just 11 disposals, after averaging 23 in her first three outings for the Bombers.
Hosking and Egan combined for 26 disposals between them, assisting the likes of Conti and Ellie McKenzie (14 touches) through the middle of the ground.
KB RETURNS
The initials ‘KB’ have become synonymous with the Richmond Football Club, stemming from the legendary Kevin Bartlett, who played 403 matches for the Tigers, booting 778 goals and becoming one of their greatest ever players.
However, it’s now women’s football trailblazer Katie Brennan who is carrying on the KB legacy.
Brennan missed the opening three weeks of the season with a foot injury, making her season seven debut in the clash against the Bombers.
She missed a shot on goal early and struggled to assert herself on the contest, but her leadership and voice out on the ground was pivotal for the Tigers.
She finished with 10 touches but will no doubt build into her season as she continues to build her match fitness.
WET WEATHER SPECIALISTS
The Tigers are making a name for themselves as wet weather specialists.
Last week they took care of business against expansion club Hawthorn, and they did the same this week against the Bombers.
Their experienced midfield mix gives them a huge edge, with both Conti and coach Ryan Ferguson emphasising how the team wants to “outwork” and “outhunt” their opposition.
The Tigers focused on winning the territory battle throughout the day, which ultimately played a huge part in securing the win.
Dashing defender Eilish Sheerin had another superb performance, amassing 20 disposals. She has become one of the competition’s elite intercept players, leading the league in this category.
Key forward Courtney Wakefield was also a focal point for the Tigers, booting two majors.
SCOREBOARD
BOMBERS 1.3, 1.3, 2.6, 3.6 (24)
TIGERS 0.1, 2.6, 3.6, 3.8 (26)
BOLCH’S BEST
Bombers: Cain, Wales, Vogt, Prespakis.
Tigers: Sheerin, Conti, S. Hosking, Wakefield, McKenzie.
GOALS
Essendon: Toogood, Bannister, Clarke.
Richmond: Wakefield 2, Conti.
INJURIES
Bombers: Wuetschner (head).
Tigers: Nil.
UMPIRES: Chrystie, Brackenrig, Rebeschini.
VENUE: ETU Stadium.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
BOLCH’S VOTES
3. E. Sheerin (Rich)
2. S. Hosking (Rich)
1. M. Conti (Rich)
Lions steamroll Dees to claim top spot
– Dylan Bolch
Those at AFLW headquarters saved the best to last, with two of the best sides in the competition clashing in the final game of round 4.
Both Melbourne and Brisbane entered the round unbeaten and it was the Lions who stormed home, booting three unanswered goals in the last term to come away with a 15-point win and move back on top the AFLW ladder.
The Dees got out to a fast start, booting three goals in the opening eight minutes, as Kate Hore (two goals) stamped her authority on the contest.
But the Lions bounced back in the second term, holding Narrm scoreless to set up a fascinating second half.
The likes of Alexandra Anderson (21 disposals), Sophie Conway (17 touches, one goal) and Emily Bates were brilliant for the Lions, whilst Cathy Svarc’s grunt in tricky conditions was critical.
Svarc finished with a game-high ten tackles and set the tone for the Lions around the ball.
HANKS STARS
She’s small in stature but has a heart as big as anyone you’ll see.
Melbourne’s Tyla Hanks put in a fantastic performance in blustery conditions at Casey Fields, trying her best to will her side to victory.
She was a key driver in Narrm’s superb start, racking up 10 first-quarter touches.
She didn’t just contribute on the offensive end, either. Her pressure around the contest was outstanding, finishing the match with nine tackles.
She’s already won a club best-and-fairest and the NAB AFLW Rising Star award and it looks as though that will be just the start of a long list of accolades she receives in her career.
Hanks has skyrocketed into the AFLW superstar ranks and she is a critical piece in Melbourne’s push for a premiership this season.
MOVE IT TO MARVEL?
Noise grew throughout the week for the tantalising clash between two of the competition’s powerhouses to be moved to Marvel Stadium.
The inaugural Hawthorn v Essendon clash in Round 1 was moved to Marvel to allow for a larger crowd, while the Melbourne and North Melbourne contest was held at the MCG as a curtain-raiser to a men’s AFL final.
With poor weather predicted to plague the contest, there was rumblings that the match could be moved to Marvel, where the fast-paced deck would allow both sides to showcase their skills to a broader audience.
Ultimately, the match was not moved to the protected Marvel Stadium, but the game did not disappoint, as both the Demons and Lions put on a thrilling contest.
WORLD CUP FEVER?
The wet, windy conditions at Casey Fields meant players tried to own the territory battle and win the contest on the inside, rather than trying to execute their usual game plans.
Lions forward Jesse Wardlaw kicked her team’s first two goals, both being opportunistic toe pokes from inside the goalsquare.
At three quarter time, Brisbane coach Craig Starcevich urged his troops to dig deep, trailing by just four points.
The forwards were told to get as high up as possible, so that they could beat their Melbourne opponents with speed heading back to goal.
The contest was characterised by soccer kicks off the ground, as players did everything in their power to try and surge the ball forward.
SCOREBOARD
DEMONS 3.1, 3.1, 4.2, 4.3 (27)
LIONS 1.0, 2.3, 3.4, 6.6 (42)
BOLCH’S BEST
Demons: Hanks, Mithen, Hore, Paxman.
Lions: Anderson, Conway, Bates, C. Svarc.
GOALS
Demons: Hore 2, Zanker, Hanks.
Lions: Wardlaw 2, Farquharson, Conway, Hodder, R. Svarc.
INJURIES:
Demons: Nil. Lions: Nil.
UMPIRES: Ferguson, Jankovskis, Mitchell.
VENUE: Casey Fields.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
BOLCH’S VOTES
3. T. Hanks (Mel)
2. A. Anderson (Bris)
1. S. Conway (Bris)
Pies star’s late miss as Crows snatch thriller
– James Mottershead
With just seconds left on the clock Collingwood skipper Steph Chiocci had a late chance to steal a remarkable draw for the Pies with a snap at goal.
But the Magpies star pulled her shot to the near side, with Adelaide hanging on to a deserved five-point win after dominating the plucky Pies.
Collingwood thought it might have had a set shot with just 10-seconds to play after an Olivia Barber mark just five metres from goal, but the umpire ruled the ball hadn’t travelled 15m and a ball up was called.
The ball spat out to Chiocci who bent it around her body, but pulled the kick to miss to the near side.
PIES UNLIKELY STRIKE
Adelaide enjoyed almost all of the territory in the first quarter, piling on nine forward 50 entries before Collingwood registered one.
But the Crows couldn’t capitalise as Stacey Livingstone repelled Adelaide’s forward forays, collecting five disposals in the opening minutes.
Collingwood was then able to make the most of their first entry inside 50 with a goal to the versatile Chloe Molloy, who started in the middle for the Pies.
It was a classic bit of Molloy magic, picking the slippery ball up and throwing it on the outside of her right boot to sneak it inside the goal post and give Collingwood the most unlikely lead at quarter-time.
CROWS FINALLY CLICK
Adelaide kicked five points before they registered a major through Ash Woodland six-minutes into the second quarter.
Ironically it was the toughest shot the Crows had to that point in the game.
A brilliant tackle nailed Livingstone holding the ball before Anne Hatchard got on the end of a free kick, delivering to the top of the square where Woodland was waiting to rove off a pack.
Last season’s leading goal kicker snapped back over her shoulder from about 10m out to get the Crows going.
Abbie Ballard got in on the act two-minutes later with a clean left-foot snap following some trademark Adelaide forward-50 pressure.
CANN PLAY
Mikala Cann is arguably the most underrated midfielder in AFLW.
The 21-year-old dubbed “the bull” by her teammates for her tough, uncompromising style of play, has dominated in the Pies’ engine room since returning from injury in round two.
Cann enjoyed a breakout period at the end of last season when Collingwood lost All-Australian midfielders Bri Davey and Britt Bonnici to knee injuries, and she has taken her game up another level in season seven.
Cann was at her industrious best again, and in the first half kept the Pies in it around the ball with 11 touches, six of which were contested.
Just minutes into the third term, Cann kicked a team-lifting goal off one step from 30m out to get the home crowd on their feet.
Cann finished with 17 touches, a goal and six tackles.
SCOREBOARD
PIES 1.0 1.0 2.1 2.4 16
CROWS 0.3 2.5 2.7 2.9 21
MOTTERSHEAD’S BEST
Pies: Cann, Schleicher, Butler, Molloy, Livingstone
Crows: Hatchard, Marinoff, Thompson, Newman, Biddell, Charlton
GOALS
Pies: Molloy, Cann
Crows: Woodland, Ballard
INJURIES
Pies: Sheridan (knee)
Crows: Kelly (shoulder)
VENUE: Victoria Park
PLAYER OF YEAR
JAMES MOTTERSHEAD’S VOTES
3 A. Hatchard (ADEL)
2 E. Marinoff (ADEL)
1 M. Cann (COLL)
Power surge as Port franks Phillips’ big milestone
— Jason Phelan
Port Adelaide superstar Erin Phillips has celebrated her 50th match in fine style, with the Power romping to the club’s first-ever AFLW win on a ‘herstoric’ day for the fledgling team.
The weather didn’t come to the party, with wind and rain lashing Alberton Oval, but while the conditions made it tough for players, they didn’t dampen the celebrations on and off the field as the siren sounded on a 66-point smashing of the Sydney Swans.
It was a battle of expansion teams, and two of the four winless sides heading into Round 4, although Port had claimed the club’s first-ever premiership points in a draw with Carlton.
But the Power were a class above the Swans, who didn’t manage a goal, while the home side booted its highest score to date.
Phillips set the tone early and finished with 16 possessions, but couldn’t put the cherry on the cake with her first goal for Port.
Instead, she was the provider with five score assists in an eye-catching display.
Hannah Ewings and Abbey Dowrick starred for the home side with 19 and 24 disposals respectively, with Ewings booting three goals and Dowrick kicking a goal and laying 14 tackles.
BLAZING START
Port hadn’t kicked a goal in a first quarter or been in front at the first break in any of the opening three matches, but the home side flew out of the blocks against the Swans.
Phillips and Dowrick led the charge with eight possessions each as the Power slammed through three goals.
Jade De Melo converted from close range after Phillips found her with a pass, Jade Halfpenny booted her first AFLW goal and Brittany Perry made it a 21-point lead at quarter-time with her goal in the dying seconds.
Port went inside forward 50 14 times to Sydney’s one in the first quarter and on that solitary occasion the ball was easily intercepted by a waiting defender and came straight back out.
Alarm bells were ringing early for the visitors, who were on the wrong side of a lopsided 32-17 contested possession count.
The Swans had the leakiest defence in the league after three rounds, conceding 166 points in their three losses, but they were at least able to stem the bleeding in the second term.
A Ewings behind was the Power’s only score for the quarter, but Sydney was unable to muster a major either, with Aliesha Newman’s shot bouncing the wrong side of the post.
TEEN SPIRIT
Ewings and Dowrick have already earned Rising Star nominations and showed why the future is bright for the Power with their roles in a third-quarter blitz.
The hapless Swans conceded five goals, with Ewings bagging a couple and Dowrick banging through a superb long-range effort from outside 50 as the home side stormed to a 52-point at the last change.
Ewings’ first major probably took goal of the day honours, however, with the 18-year-old gathering a loose ball just outside 50 and launching a towering drop punt that split the middle on the bounce.
SORRY SWANS
Top draft pick Montana Ham battled hard for a team-high 20 touches for the Swans but there were few other positives on a bleak day for the fledgling team.
Scott Gowans’ side conceded its highest-ever score in the heaviest loss of its four-game existence and was held goalless for the first time.
Ham booted accounted for half of her side’s score with her third-quarter behind, but it would be unfair to lay the blame for the toothless display entirely on the forwards with the visitors going inside attacking 50 only 12 times to Port’s 41.
The Power had 51 more disposals, 15 more marks and 26 more tackles in the dominant display.
SCOREBOARD
POWER 3.3 3.4 8.6 10.8 (68)
SWANS 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.2 (2)
PHELAN’S BEST
Power: Ewings, Dowrick, Phillips, Foley, Yorston, Perry, Surman.
Swans: Ham, Dargan, Heads, Eastman, Lochland.
GOALS
Power: Ewings 3, Perry 2, de Melo, Halfpenny, Teakle, Dowrick, Surman.
Swans: Nil.
INJURIES
Power: Nil.
Swans: Nil.
VENUE
Alberton Oval
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JASON PHELAN’S VOTES
3 Ewings (Port)
2 Dowrick (Port)
1 Phillips (Port)
Two draws, different feeling for Blues
If one draw in a season isn’t hard enough to deal with, Carlton played out a second tied result in consecutive weeks, against Fremantle on Saturday.
The Blues fought back from 19 points down after not scoring in the opening term and had to get inventive after losing a couple of players to injury.
The 5.2 (32) to 5.2 (32) result was inspired by massive second halves from Mimi Hill and Abbie McKay, who finished with 50 possessions between them.
The Dockers blew a chance to force a fourth lead change in the final term and hold on to the win, however Aine Tighe sprayed her set shot from 15m out with less than 90 seconds remaining, that tied the scores.
Blues coach Dan Harford said the feeling was much different this week than the previous, against Port Adelaide.
“It was a very different conversation this week,” he said.
“I thought we coughed one up last week and got the draw. This week, we were steaming home and I thought we were the better team.
“I think this could be a significant afternoon for us going forward.
“This was a draw of real grit and character and spirit. In five season I have not seen that level of experience under such duress by this Carlton group.
“This is a growth phase for us, so to see a performance like that shows what we have.”
TIME IN ATTACK COUNTS
Fremantle discovered that it is so much easier to score goals when it can get the ball into its forward line.
Getting entries into dangerous areas in attack has been an issue for the Dockers in the early stages of this season.
After three rounds, they had managed a total 47 fewer inside 50 entries than their three opponents. That resulted in three losses by a combined 78 points.
The most their forwards had seen the ball in one game over that period was 24; the least was 17.
Against the Blues, they had eight inside 50 entries midway through the opening term and had two goals on the board.
By halftime, they had grown that to 15 entries into attack, for a return of four goals.
Aine Tighe had two of those goals and was causing the Blues attack plenty of headaches and could have delivered her side’s first win of the season with her set shot late in the final term.
The opportunities dried up for the Dockers after the main break, however. They managed just 10 inside 50s in the final term two terms, scoring 1.2.
Carlton 4.2 after halftime, making the most of 18 entries into attack.
INJURIES CONTINUE TO MOUNT
After losing to Collingwood by three goals in Round 1, Carlton has beaten Essendon by one point and then drawn two consecutive games.
But the real frustration for the Blues is the growing injury list.
Adding to the number of players that left the club for expansion clubs at the end of last season, they have four players already ruled out for the season.
On Saturday, Phoebe McWilliams and Amelia Velardo did not finish the game.
McWilliams was ruled out of the game in the second quarter because of an ankle injury. The former Greater Western Sydney and Geelong forward had just kicked her first goal for the Blues, in her fourth game, when she had to limp to the sidelines.
McWilliams is an important player for the Blues, having added potency to their attack, with 35.19 from 48 previous games. She may have to wait a few weeks before she can celebrate her 50th AFLW appearance.
Annie Lee, in just her seventh game and Imogen Milford, playing her second, bobbed up and kicked important goals for the Blues in the absence of McWilliams.
Like McWilliams, that pair’s goals were also their first for the club.
Velardo was having one of her quieter games before she was failed to bounce up from a Kiara Bowers tackle with just 10 second to go before the three-quarter-time siren.
She failed a concussion test, so will miss next week’s clash against Adelaide.
TENNIS ANYONE?
The AFLW is littered with players who have swapped sports for footy.
Former tennis player Megan Kauffman is one, who is impressing at Fremantle as she transitions from tennis.
Picked from the Perth amateur football league after only a handful of games, Kauffman has shown an ability to read the play.
Playing her fourth game at the level, Kauffman had 14 touches against the Blues, eight of them contested. She also sent the ball forward five times.
Coach Trent Cooper hinted that better things are to come from the youngster.
“She’s been phenomenal,” he said.
“It’s frightening to know what she could do when we get to play or brand of football.
“The tennis players, you’d think the skills wouldn’t translate, but they have to read the ball very early. Janelle Cuthbertson does the same; they take the cues very early.”
Cuthbertson was an important inclusion for Saturday’s game, having missed two games with concussion and a broken nose.
The Dockers also welcomed half-forward Gabby O’Sullivan, after missing just one game with a hamstring injury.
She had five touches in the opening quarter and provided drive inside attack that the Dockers missed with her sidelined.
Kiara Bowers was again good with an incredible 17 tackles.
Cooper said they were trying to change her into an outside player, but he was still impressed with her performance.
“You can’t complain when you have someone charging around like that and applying the pressure she does,” he said.
SCOREBOARD
DOCKERS 2.0 4.0 4.1 5.2 (32)
BLUES 0.0 1.0 2.0 5.2 (32)
ELBOROUGH’S BEST
Dockers: Miller, Kauffman, Runnalls, O’Sullivan, Bowers, East.
Blues: McKay, Hill, Laloifi, Peterson, Moody, Pound.
GOALS
Dockers: Tighe 2; Kauffmann, East, Franklin.
Blues: McWilliams, Milford, Lee, Good, Moody.
INJURIES
Dockers: Scanlon (wrist).
Blues: McWilliams (ankle), Velardo (head knock).
UMPIRES
Johanson, Gibson, Evans
VENUE
Fremantle Oval.
VOTES
3 McKay (BLUES)
2 Hill (BLUES)
1 Miller (DOCKERS)
Lamb sizzles in deluge
Playing in her 50th AFLW game, Western Bulldogs star Kirsty Lamb fired her side to a hard-fought 30-point win over Hawthorn in driving rain at Box Hill City Oval.
Lamb was instrumental in the win that kept the Dogs undefeated after four games, the veteran finishing with 25 disposals, seven clearances and a goal in a best-afield display.
The wintry conditions made Saturday’s clash a tough slog, but the bullocking midfielder thrived in the conditions where others struggled.
Ellie Blackburn was also pivotal with 22 possessions and a goal with Jessica Fitzgerald and Isabelle Pritchard influential.
The clash looked a mismatch in class going in, with the Hawks bottom of the ladder and winless hosting the unbeaten Bulldogs, and that’s how it played out after a tight opening term.
DREAM DRAW
The win catapulted the unbeaten Bulldogs into top spot on the ladder on Saturday evening, with fellow undefeated sides Melbourne, Collingwood and Brisbane to play on Sunday.
The result has Nathan Burke’s side well-placed to return to finals, but also highlights the vagaries of the AFLW draw with all the Dogs’ wins this season coming against teams that were in the bottom five on the ladder.
The Dogs will face stiffer competition next week when they take on the Kangaroos, but look will fancy themselves to make a run at a top-two finish with a dream draw.
The Bulldogs don’t play competition heavyweights the Lions or the Magpies or reigning premiers Adelaide before the finals kick off.
DONUTS
Hawthorn hadn’t held a lead at the end of any of the 12 quarters that the fledgling side played in an 0-3 opening to its first AFLW season.
The Hawks were at least on level terms with the Dogs at quarter-time, but neither side managed a score of any description in the driving rain.
However, the rain eased in the second and the scoring drought ended.
Blackburn’s class was evident in the conditions and it didn’t surprise that she was the one to break the deadlock with her first goal of the season.
Lion-turned-Roo-turned-Hawk Kaitlyn Ashmore answered after taking a strong contested mark inside 50, but last week’s Rising Star nomination Rylie Wilcox and Gabby Newton, with her fourth major of the season, put the Bulldogs up by 12 points at the main break.
MISFIRING HAWKS
The Hawks were the lowest scoring team in competition after three rounds, registering just 46 points in three losses while conceding 160.
Their scoring woes returned after the main break, with the second half yielding just one behind.
Jasmine Fleming was a shining light on a dark day with 25 possessions, with Aileen Gilroy and Tilly Lucas-Rodd also toiling hard.
Tamara Smith didn’t see much of the ball, finishing with three touches, but the tackling machine imposed her presence with 13 tackles.
The Hawks have a chance to break their duck on Friday when they face fellow winless side Sydney at Punt Road.
SCOREBOARD
HAWKS 0.0 1.0 1.0 1.1 (7)
BULLDOGS 0.0 3.0 5.1 6.1 (31)
PHELAN’S BEST
Hawks: Fleming, Ashmore, Duffin, Lucas-Rodd, Gilroy, Makur Chuot.
Bulldogs: Lamb, Blackburn, Pritchard, Fitzgerald, Brown, Edmonds.
GOALS
Hawks: Ashmore.
Bulldogs: Blackburn, Wilcox, Newton, Lamb, Woodley, Pritchard.
INJURIES
Hawks: Nil.
Bulldogs: Nil.
VENUE
Box Hill City Oval
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JASON PHELAN’S VOTES
3 Lamb (WB)
2 Blackburn (WB)
1 Fleming (Haw)
Sister act not enough to lift Cats over line
- Ryan Rosendale
North Melbourne have managed to get their AFLW season back on track, holding off last-half fightback from Geelong at a waterlogged UTAS Stadium in Launceston.
The Roos looked a class above against the Cats in the first-half but despite a spirited second-half performance from the Cats, the Roos were able to hold on by 12-points in the second week of Indigenous Round.
Ash Riddell led all comers for the Roos with 25 disposals while Vicki Wall booted two goals to even the Roos ledger up at 2-2.
It was a much improved performance for the Roos following consecutive losses to last year’s grand finalists — Melbourne and Adelaide — with both their wins in season seven of AFLW coming in Tasmania.
The Roos ended the first half with a 21-point lead, thanks to goals from Wall, Sophie Abbatangelo and local girl Brooke Brown and held the Cats to just the one behind for the half.
It was a case of the visitors flicking the switch in the third, having the opening six inside 50s of the quarter and finally kicking their first major at the 11-minute mark through Laura Gardiner.
They went into the final break with a 19-point deficit but after Jacqueline Parry kicked their second just three minutes into the last, the Cats appeared to be within reach.
The Roos were however able to hold on to their perfect record in Tasmania.
PRESPAKIS PERFORMS IN DEFEAT
Georgie Prespakis further enhanced her standing as one of the game’s best youngsters despite the loss. The younger sister of Essendon star Maddy Prespakis, Georgie collected 17 disposals at halftime and finished the clash with 32-disposals in a best on ground display.
BROWN BOOTS FIRST MAJOR ON HOME DECK
Local girl Brooke Brown produced the moment of the game during the second quarter when she kicked her first goal in front of a home crowd. She streamed inside 50 at the 10-minute mark of the second term and kicked a beautiful running goal to extend the Roos lead and get the small but vocal home crowd on their feet.
ROOS KEEP PERFECT TASSIE RUN INTACT
The Roos, officially known as the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos, headed into Friday’s clash with an unblemished record in the state. They’d won all nine matches since joining the competition in 2019 and after a clinical first half performance the home side ensured they kept that record intact despite a late surge from the Cats.
MAURER DEBUT A DELIGHT
Named as an emergency heading into the clash, local girl Ella Maurer was given a late call-up following the omission of Sophia McCarthy. Maurer, a Launceston native, received the biggest of cheers from those that braved the weather every time she took the field. The 20-year-old, drafted by the Roos in 2021, only managed the one disposal for the game in an underwhelming debut but will be better for the run. Maurer was one of three locals playing for the Roos, alongside Brooke Brown and Mia King.
SCOREBOARD
NORTH MELBOURNE 1.2 3.4 4.4 (28)
GEELONG 0.0 0.1 1.3 2.4 (16)
ROSENDALE’S BEST
North: Riddell, Garner, Kearney, Burton, Wall, Abbatangelo
Cats: Prespakis, Gardiner, A. McDonald, M. McDonald, Scott, Webster
GOALS
North: Wall (2), Abbatangelo, Brown
Cats: Gardiner, Parry
INJURIES
Nil
VENUE
UTAS Stadium
PLAYER OF YEAR VOTES
3. G. Prespakis
2. A. Riddell
1. J. Garner
‘Which history version?’ Pearce’s minute’s silence stance
– Lauren Wood
AFL women’s star Daisy Pearce has backed the league’s call to ditch its minute of silence in honour of Queen Elizabeth during Indigenous round.
The league cancelled its initial plans to recognise the monarch at AFLW games in the days that followed her death with a pre-game minute of silence for AFLW players after feedback from clubs and players that they were not comfortable in doing so during the first week of the league’s fortnight of celebration of Indigenous culture.
And Pearce said she supported the call, saying that the timing in conjunction with the fact that “for a lot of First Nations people, she represents pain and trauma and ongoing oppression that they don’t want to celebrate”.
“I kind of think that this all comes down to which version of our nation’s history you give voice to and bring to the fore,” the Narrm player said on SEN.
“To me, Indigenous round is a time not just for celebrating colourful jumpers — as awesome as they are. And not just for celebrating indigenous players. But for educating ourselves and concerning ourselves with the facts in this country’s history that aren’t well-told.
“That’s what Indigenous round is about.
“For First Nations people, colonialism is not something that is universally celebrated. It represents the genocide of their people, the theft of their land, the erasure of their culture and way of life, the loss of their wealth, their basic human rights and their children.”
Essendon assistant coach and former AFLW player Kirby Bentley — who is a proud Noongar woman — said on Thursday that “it’s a difficult one”.
“When we do make a comment or put something in place in relation into the Queen, it’s a bit of a challenge and it’s a difficult position to be in,” she said on The W Show.
“For me, that’s not something that I would stand for and I think it’s probably not the appropriate time, either.”
Demons skipper Pearce said that the pain for First Nations people “endures now” and that for many Indigenous people, the Queen represents “the figurehead of colonialism”.
“I assume that this decision to not observe a minute’s silence was a result of listening to those Indigenous voices within headquarters and within our AFLW clubs and the communities that they were liaising with in preparation for Indigenous round, who probably suggested it would be insensitive to honour and celebrate the head of state at a time where we, as the AFL, are outwardly denoting that we as a league are listening to and trying to understand and acknowledge their truth,” she said.
“I was comfortable with and support that decision, given the timing of where the two things fell.”
’Better prepared’: Roos brace for heat test
A North Melbourne star has revealed why her side is confident it can handle unusual conditions in Saturday’s preliminary final.
100+ names: Queensland footy’s top junior talents revealed
Discover the Suns academy names from across Queensland vying to crack onto draft boards now and in years to come, with the AFL and AFLW drafts upon us.