Tayla Harris responds after ‘useless’ sledge as Carlton defeats the Western Bulldogs
She was dubbed ‘useless’ when the ball hits the ground by Collingwood’s Stacey Livingstone. But Tayla Harris has shown she has plenty of tricks up her sleeve. Plus, recap all the action from Fremantle’s win over Collingwood.
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From useless to useful.
She was last week dubbed “useless” when the ball hits the ground by Collingwood’s Stacey Livingstone, but Tayla Harris’ all-round game has helped power Carlton to a 21-point win over the Western Bulldogs.
Harris, who responded to the latest social media storm to head her way by declaring, “A lion never loses sleep over the opinions of sheep”, walked-the-walk at the Whitten Oval.
The Blues’ pack-marking key forward went straight to the goalsquare at the first bounce, where she was picked up by Ellyse Gamble.
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Ironically, it was Harris’ groundball get that set teammate Georgia Gee free for the game’s first goal.
It was a sign of things to come.
Harris laid several tackles to lock the ball inside Carlton’s forward 50m, even after dropping a sitter on the lead from Darcy Vescio.
A huge contested mark on Carlton’s half-back line was a more traditional flash of her talent, but she repeatedly caught the eye for her actions closer to the turf.
Several more forward 50m tackles followed, then a goal from a free kick, and all the while she provided an outlet into a strong wind for under-pressure teammates when the Blues were under the pump.
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It wasn’t a dominant, look-at-me performance, but Harris’ selfless one-percenters were a big contributing factor in Carlton’s highest score of the season – 8.3 (51).
Indeed, you had to admire her willingness to roll the sleeves up in what was a tug of war between two sides caught in the conference B log jam.
Harris finished with 13 disposals, four marks, four tackles – and for the record, four ground ball gets. It was an excellent response.
The Blues kicked the first three goals of the game with the aid of the wind, with Lauren Brazzale’s goal bouncing through from outside 50m.
Carlton had a 13-point lead at quarter-time, the Dogs hit back with the wind in the second before the Blues consolidated to take an 18-point lead into the final term in which they kicked three goals into the wind to seal the win.
The Dogs won the clearances by nine, but Carlton won the inside 50s by nine and it was the Blues’ superior ball use that proved the deciding factor.
Madison Prespakis (24 possessions) was at the heart of that, Sarah Hosking was industrious and Gee kicked three goals in a livewire display up forward for Daniel Harford’s side, who improve to 2-1.
Ellie Blackburn (20 touches) and Isabel Huntington (15 and seven marks) flew the flag for the Western Bulldogs.
VOTES
3 Madison Prespakis (Carl)
2 Tayla Harris (Carl)
1 Isabel Huntington (Dogs)
BEST
Western Bulldogs: Huntington, Blackburn, Newton, McCarthy, Toogood
Carlton: Prespakis: Harris, Gee, McEvoy, Pound, Sarah Hosking, Laloifi
DOCKERS REMAIN UNBEATEN AFTER THRILLING WIN
-AAP
Despite Collingwood dominating virtually every area bar the scoreboard, Fremantle remain undefeated in AFLW after a three-point victory at Fremantle Oval.
The Dockers and Magpies came into the contest undefeated after two rounds of the 2020 season.
Collingwood dominated most areas with 93 more possessions, 13 extra inside-50 entries and the only six marks in attack.
But the Dockers applied ferocious pressure with 73 tackles and were more efficient in attack to win 5.3 (33) to 4.6 (30).
Hayley Miller finished with 13 possessions for Fremantle. Philipa Seth and Jasmin Stewart had 12 and Kiara Bowers 10 to go with another 14 ferocious tackles.
Jaimee Lambert was brilliant for Collingwood with 32 possessions while Sarah Rowe collected 22 disposals, Brittany Bonnici 20 and Brianna Davey 18. Sharni Layton continues to go grow in the ruck too with 10 touches, 26 hit-outs and a goal after a strong overhead mark.
Despite Collingwood having all the play early, Fremantle did get the game’s first goal thanks to Kate Flood.
The Magpies answered through a strong mark at the top of the square from Layton, but despite just four inside-50 entries, the Dockers kicked three goals to one in the first term.
It was then all Collingwood in the second quarter and were eventually rewarded with goals to Aishling Sheridan and Jordan Membrey.
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Despite leading by just five points, the ‘Pies had been dominant with 23 inside-50 entries to six in the first half.
But the Dockers went to the scoring end in the third term and got back in front with goals to Ebony Antonio and Roxanne Roux. The Magpies got one back on the siren through the brilliant Lambert, though, to be just three points down. Collingwood again controlled much of the final quarter and had attack after attack, but Fremantle’s defence proved impenetrable.