Blues rally around Mia Austin during big AFLW finals win over West Coast
Carlton is through to the second week of finals after a convincing victory over West Coast – but, after a tragic week for the Austin family, it was about more than footy on Saturday at Ikon Park.
The Blues were breathing fire on an icy afternoon.
Carlton swept into the second week of the AFLW finals through a blistering third term against West Coast at Ikon Park on Saturday.
The persistent rain and the Eagles’ strong second term wasn’t enough to halt the Blues, who piled on six unanswered goals in the premiership quarter.
Through Ella Roberts’ individual brilliance, the Eagles had worked their way back into the game at half time.
But from start to very finish, including a goal after the siren to a returning Mia Austin, the Blues put the foot down.
Every Blue on the field got to a teary Austin when she kicked the goal, showing their support after a tragic week for her family following the death of her teenage cousin, Ben Austin, in a cricketing accident.
With members of her extended family in the stands, 21-year-old Austin converted a set shot for her second goal of the season, pointing to the sky and kissing a piece of tape on her wrist as she was overcome by emotion.
“Early last week, my little cousin Benny ... he passed away unfortunately in a cricket incident,” Austin told Seven after the game.
“My family, my uncle, my cousins are here today, so to honour (Ben) ... I know if he was here he would absolutely love it, so (the celebration) was a little tribute to him.”
Coach Mathew Buck said the Blues had “got around (Austin) as best we can” in the wake of an “absolute tragedy”.
“It’s credit to Mia, she’s been a real professional through it and continued to train at a really high level, (she’s) been out of the team for a number of weeks but has been training really well.
“She took her opportunity with both hands and took her moment as well which I was really proud to see.”
Carlton won the footy heavily at the source with the top-four ball-winners on the ground in the third quarter.
Madeleine Guerin found it the most with 11 disposals, which was more than double Roberts as the Eagles’ best with five.
There was style in how the young Blues dismantled Daisy Pearce’s West Coast too, as Poppy Scholz and Sophie McKay pulled out elaborate goal celebrations.
Carlton now takes on the wounded Hawthorn in next weekend’s semi-final.
"I know if he was here he would absolutely love it" 💙
— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) November 8, 2025
Mia Austin pays tribute to her cousin, Ben, who passed away in a cricket accident recently.#AFLWFinalspic.twitter.com/btqu2H4eGm
MCKAY MAGIC
There were no first final jitters for Blues young gun Sophie McKay.
McKay was front and centre, quite literally, of Carlton’s third quarter onslaught with two goals.
She weaved in and out of traffic in the early stages of the quarter to kick start the Blues’ matchwinning period.
The second of her two goals was one for the highlight reel, as it somehow snuck by a one-on-one contest deep inside 50.
It lifted McKay’s impressive record of multiple goals in a game this year to five.
ALL IN THE GRAND PLAN
The Eagles went the long and difficult route to hitting the scoreboard.
Charlotte Riggs should have been a near certainty to convert her set shot early in the second quarter after a scoreless opening term but kicked into Mimi Hill on the mark.
Fortuitously for West Coast, Ella Roberts, in her unmissable fluorescent green boots, gathered and snapped a clever goal to clean up Riggs’ mistake.
It was the start of a fantastic quarter for Roberts, who finished as one of the best players on the ground.
A BAD OMEN?
The wind issued the Eagles an early warning.
West Coast Eagles’ difficult day started ahead of the first siren as the cheer squad and their banner struggled against the tempestuous conditions at Ikon Park.
The banner took a couple of tumbles and had to be wrestled up briefly for the Eagles to sprint out of the change rooms.
The damage threatened to be much worse but perhaps the Hawks understood the conditions with their diminutive banner on Friday night.
Scoreboard
CARLTON 2.3 2.4 8.6 9.6 (60)
WEST COAST EAGLES 0.0 1.2 1.3 2.7 (19)
GOALS
Blues: S McKay 2, Fitzpatrick 2, Finn 2, Bohanna, Scholz, Austin
Eagles: Roberts, Painter
BEST
Blues: Guerin, Harrington, Fitzpatrick, McKay, Good
Eagles: Roberts, Britton, Thomas
INJURIES
Blues: nil.
Eagles: Smith (h’string)
3420 at Ikon Park
MCKAY PROVES SHE’S MADE FOR THE BIG STAGE
— Eliza Reilly
Carlton young gun Sophie McKay might have given her teammates a heart attack with her ‘fake hamstring’ goal celebration.
But the young star has quickly stamped herself as one of the players to watch this AFLW finals series with a dominant third quarter in the Blues’ 41-point win over West Coast.
A crucial cog in a forward line that piled on six third-quarter goals to surge past Daisy Pearce’s finals debutants, some AFLW experts believe Carlton’s attack is second only to North Melbourne’s.
And McKay was the instigator, kicking two goals including the first of the third term to kick start the Blues’ romp.
The 19-year-old’s high octane celebration made waves on social media, McKay grabbing at her hamstring before breaking into a rain dance.
“It was premeditated,” McKay admitted post-game.
“I was either going to do the shoulder or the hamstring. I did the hamstring because I thought it would be funny.
“I had a few teammates come up to me afterwards like ‘Oh my god I thought you did your hammy.’ It was very fun.”
Carlton coach Matthew Buck didn’t see the celebration live but was elated with how his first-year player performed on the big stage.
“Sophie is really coachable,” he said.
“She’s a big personality but it’s really when she plays and competes that that comes out. She’s a competitor.
“Her ability to win ground ball is really underrated. She does all the flashy things really well.
“If we need to see a new celebration every week, that’s okay. She’s kicking goals.
“We’ve spoken about how we want to love the game all year and we’re going to see that come out in different ways…the way they love each other and the way they celebrate.”
However deep the Blues make it in finals this year, you can expect the McKay sisters will play a big part.
Determined to follow in the footsteps of dad and 1995 premiership Blue Andrew, Carlton captain Abbie McKay was also influential with 18 disposals and three clearances despite some close checking from Eagles pair Emma Swanson and Kayley Kavanagh.
“I’m so proud and so lucky I get to run out with her,” Sophie said.
“She’s an unbelievable story and I’m so happy I get to be part of it.
“She’s an amazing leader and I give her so much credit for not only leading us into this finals campaign but leading us this season.”
The Blues will now face Hawthorn in a semi-final.
Originally published as Blues rally around Mia Austin during big AFLW finals win over West Coast
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