AFLW round 9: All the news and results from AFLW Indigenous Round
Catch us if you can. That’s the pre-finals message North Melbourne dished out on Friday night, accounting for Adelaide in a tantalising taste of what’s to come in the premiership race.
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The AFLW minor premiership is North Melbourne’s to lose after conquering Adelaide by nine points in an enthralling heavyweight battle at Norwood Oval on Friday night.
The Roos regained top spot on the ladder with one round remaining, two points clear of Hawthorn, and a win over Gold Coast will earn them a historic first minor premiership.
This was a battle of finals intensity and the Roos proved they have the necessary qualities to break through for the flag.
The Crows will rue inaccuracy in front of goal, having two more scoring shots.
PONTER CLASS
How appropriate Crows gun Danielle Ponter should ignite the heavyweight Indigenous Round clash with a spectacular charge out of centre after the opening bounce.
The only Indigenous player in the Crows line-up, Ponter showed her class to blast the ball deep into attack.
Ponter had an opportunity to add to the 11 goals she has kicked against the Kangaroos, the most by any player, only to narrowly miss a set shot after receiving a holding free kick.
But she was able to make amends early in the second quarter with a strong mark in the goal square and nail the major to put the home side in front.
After kicking the goal, a proud Ponter tugged at her Indigenous designed jumper. The talented Ponter added another two goals in the final quarter.
SHIERLAW IN AWARDS MIX
Roos key forward Kate Shierlaw is making a late bid for the league’s leading goalkicker honour.
Shierlaw, four off the pace heading into the round, gave the Crows a few headaches in the first half with her height and athleticism.
After nailing the opening goal of the contest after less than two minutes, she added another in the second quarter when the Roos turned up the heat to regain the lead.
The fact the first three goals for the visitors came from Crows turnovers was reward for the committed Roos pressure.
Chelsea Randall has no fear 😳@medibank | #AFLWCrowsNorthpic.twitter.com/ipwonmS6Rf
— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) October 25, 2024
WASTED CHANCES
Crows veteran Chelsea Randall had a heavy influence in the third term and her presence was no more evident than the trademark courageous mark 30m from goal.
Unfortunately her kick resulted in her third behind and the Crows’ fifth from set shots. The Roos immediately took the ball downfield for inform Bella Eddey to nail a long-range goal.
When Jasmine Garner snapped her second goal from a pack, the Roos had escaped to a 20-point lead. Efficiency was the key, given both sides had 10 scoring attempts.
The Crows’ 13 scoring shots was the highest tally the Roos had conceded this season.
Jas Garner, the star you are 🤩#AFLWCrowsNorthpic.twitter.com/4wQ93glJXW
— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) October 25, 2024
BATTLE OF THE BALL HOGS
Star Crows midfielder Ebony Marinoff squared her personal battle with fellow ball hog Ash Riddell with both amassing 25 disposals.
Marinoff had averaged a league-topping 31.6 possessions coming into the game, compared to 29.1 from Roos’ Riddell, third on the league’s list.
Jasmine Garner earned a game high 27 disposals and nailed two goals.
DEES’ SEASON ON THE CANVAS AS HAWKS HIT SEVENTH HEAVEN
— Ronny Lerner
Melbourne’s late charge to the AFLW finals series has hit an untimely snag after they fell short by just six points in a dour arm wrestle against 2024 surprise packets Hawthorn in Cairns on Thursday night in muggy conditions.
The Hawks dominated the middle two quarters, and really should have had the game sewn up by three-quarter time. At that stage, their inside-50 advantage swelled to 34-18, as they pounded the Demons at the stoppages with 11 more clearances (27-16), thanks largely to Eliza West’s grunt work.
But they were incapable of putting the Demons away and could only get out to a 16-point lead. After Hawthorn scored five consecutive behinds, Melbourne got a goal back against the run of play to trail by nine points at the last change.
Scoring opportunities were few and far between in the final quarter as both teams were spent, but crucially the Demons had the lion’s share of territory and when Lily Mithen took a strong contested mark against Tamara Smith with 68 seconds to go, she had the chance to get Melbourne back within a point.
However, she failed to convert a straightforward set shot from 25m out, and that would prove to be the Demons’ last roll of the dice.
Earlier in the last term, Alyssa Bannan missed a fairly gettable snap shot from 20m out and three minutes later, Laura Elliot was the hero for the Hawks as she got a fist on the ball on the last line to prevent Olivia Purcell’s snap shot from going through for a goal.
The 3.5 (23) to 2.5 (17) result stretched the Hawks’ club record winning run to a sensational seven consecutive matches and snapped the Demons’ four-game undefeated streak.
DEMONS IN LIMBO
It also prevented Melbourne from potentially entering the top eight this weekend, and with one round to go, the ninth-placed Demons could drop to as low as 11th, which would make their bid for a sixth consecutive finals campaign very tough, indeed. They need to beat last-placed Collingwood next week and pray that other results go their way as well.
Meanwhile, the Hawks have temporarily taken top spot of the ladder and have secured a coveted double-chance as they continue to enhance their status as the best story of the AFLW season. They might even have a pair of home finals guaranteed by the end of the weekend as well.
Sinead Goldrick received a free kick following this incident involving Mackenzie
— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) October 24, 2024
Eardley.#AFLWHawksDeespic.twitter.com/R3HDs3yYeM
MRO CONCERNS FOR HAWKS
But it wasn’t all smiles for the Hawks, because Mackenzie Eardley will be sweating on the MRO’s findings into her tackle on Melbourne’s Eliza McNamara in the third quarter, which saw a dangerous slinging action cause the Demon’s head to make contact with the ground. McNamara played out the game and seemed unaffected, but it’s well known how much the league frowns upon such tackles.
And Eardley’s teammate Mattea Breed could also be facing a suspension for another forceful tackle on McNamara minutes later that also appeared to cause the latter’s head to hit the ground.
The loss was compounded for Melbourne with Sinead Goldrick leaving the ground late in the game after copping an accidental knee to the back of the head from Hawthorn’s Emily Bates.
FLEMING FIRES
Jasmine Fleming played one of her best games for the Hawks, racking up 22 disposals and a goal, while West was also a workhorse for the winners, finishing with 25 possessions (12 contested) and six clearances. Tilly Lucas-Rodd pushed their claims for a maiden All-Australian jumper after registering 23 touches.
For Melbourne, McNamara was tireless with 23 disposals (11) and Blaithin Mackin chipped in with 22 possessions (11).
BREED BRILLIANCE
Breed submitted a mark-of-the-year contender late in the third term as she flew over the pack on the half-forward flank and reined in a speccy on Georgia Gall’s back. It will be sure to give Port Adelaide ruck Matilda Scholz’s effort a couple of weeks ago a run for its money. The huge grab came just moments after Breed ran down Tyla Hanks from behind and pinged her holding the ball in the middle of the ground.
MATTEA BREED. WHAT A GRAB 🤯#AFLWHawksDeespic.twitter.com/W69FPyAl75
— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) October 24, 2024
FLEMING KEEPS GOING
The best example of Hawthorn’s trademark attacking game style came late in the first quarter when Fleming speared a beautiful pass onto Aine McDonagh’s chest 45m out from goal. But Fleming kept running and accepted the pass back from McDonagh in the pocket before converting the set shot to get justly rewarded for her work rate.
MCDONAGH MAGIC
Early in the second term, McDonagh was the meat in a Melbourne sandwich but recovered better than Tahlia Gillard and Maeve Chaplin in the battle for the loose ball, collected the crumbs and snapped truly with a superb dribbler from 30m out to put Hawthorn up by 11 points.
SCOREBOARD
HAWTHORN 2.0, 3.2, 3.5, 3.5 (23)
MELBOURNE 1.0, 1.1, 2.2, 2.5 (17)
RONNY LERNER’S BEST
Hawks: Fleming, West, Lucas-Rodd, Wales, Bates, Ashmore.
Demons: McNamara, B.Mackin, Hanks, Bannan, Goldrick, Purcell.
GOALS
Hawks: Hipwell, Fleming, McDonagh.
Demons: Gall, Bannan.
LATE CHANGES Kate Hore (quad) and Gabby Colvin (concussion) replaced in Melbourne’s selected side by Saraid Taylor and Lily Johnson.
INJURIES Hawks: Nil. Demons: Goldrick (head).
UMPIRES Devenish, Lyon, Mitchell
Approx 3000 at Cazalys Stadium, Cairns
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