AFLW round 9: All the news and results from AFLW Indigenous Round

The Hawks may have been held to their lowest score of the AFLW season, but it wasn’t enough for the Dees to get the points as Hawthorn claimed their seventh win on the trot.

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.

The Hawks have continued their winning ways. Picture: Albert Perez/AFL Photos via Getty Images

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
Eardley.#AFLWHawksDeespic.twitter.com/R3HDs3yYeM

— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) October 24, 2024

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 her 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.

The Dees now need plenty of luck to make the finals. Picture: Albert Perez/AFL Photos via Getty Images

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