Crows player grounded in heavy tackle as Adelaide dispatches GWS Giants in AFLW rematch

The Crows have shaken off enforced home isolation to smash Greater Western Sydney in Adelaide but not before a tackling incident which frightened both camps.

AFLW stars have been forced into 14 days self-quarantine. Picture: Getty Images

The Crows shook off a week of turmoil, that included being thrown into home isolation in Adelaide and then into hotel quarantine in Sydney, by thrashing Greater Western Sydney by 47 points.

The Crows dominated to win 9.8 (62) to 2.3 (15), but it did not come without its cost.

Shudders went through both camps when Crows utility — and Irish import — Ailish Considine lay motionless on the Blacktown International Sportspark turf after a tackle from behind by Giant Tarni Evans.

It was only three weeks earlier that Giant, Brid Stack, was left with a stable fracture in her neck after a collision with Crows midfielder Ebony Marinoff, when these teams last played each other in a practice match.

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Ailish Considine is tackled by Tarni Evans during their match in Sydney.

Marinoff was originally suspended by the AFL Tribunal for three games — the largest penalty ever handed down in AFLW history — before she had the charge and suspension of forceful front-on contact overturned on appeal. Stack has since expressed her dismay at learning of Marinoff’s successful appeal.

After laying still for a few minutes, Considine was able to walk from the ground unaided, but was ruled out for the rest of the game.

While Evans could well come under Tribunal scrutiny, Marinoff showed no signs of any nerves coming into the rematch with the Giants.

Danielle Ponter turns on the afterburners for the Adelaide Crows. Pictures: Getty Images

Despite getting a few “welcome to Sydney” bumps from Giant Britt Tully in the first quarter, the prolific midfielder was one of 11 Crows to record double-digit disposals, with a team-high 24, but she laid only four tackles; low for her.

For the Giants, Stack’s devastating injury is one of a number of tough situations they’ve faced in season 2021, after they were evacuated out of Sydney on January 1 amid the Northern Beaches COVID cluster.

The Crows belt out their team song after their dominant win.

Having been hubbing in Albury and then Adelaide, they finally returned home on February 1 and spent the week in quarantine in their homes.

So, the question was always going to be what impact that upheaval — including being away from a number of their specialist coaches for more than a month — would have.

While it did nothing to hold back the brilliant Alyce Parker (game high 27 touches, and her first AFLW goal), there were worrying signs for the Giants.

Not only did their kicking efficiency finish at 41 per cent, (compared with the Crows’ 57 per cent), but they won clearances (25-22) and had 26 inside-50s, for only two majors.

For the Crows, their players were thrown into self-isolation on return from Perth last Sunday, and despite many of their players borrowing exercise equipment to keep training, the likes of Erin Phillips (19 disposals, one goal) and Anne Hatchard (23 touches, one goal) were on song, along with Danielle Ponter who put on a three-goal first half.

GIANT SUPPORT FOR STACK AHEAD OF CROWS SHOWDOWN

Greater Western Sydney will rally around injured teammate Bríd Stack ahead of Sunday’s rematch against the Adelaide Crows.

The Giants’ Irish recruit suffered a broken neck after colliding with Crow Ebony Marinoff during a practice match three weeks ago.

Marinoff was initially slapped with a three-game suspension — the harshest penalty handed down in AFLW history — but last week the two-time All Australian was cleared to play after Adelaide successfully appealed.

Giants captain Alicia Eva said that supporting Stack over the past fortnight has been her priority.

Brid Stack of the Giants is attended to by medical staff.

“I’m probably not going to make comment on the tribunal process, I think every club is entitled to that process,” Eva said.

“In the lead-up, there was probably some commentary around that trivialised Stacky’s injury. I personally wanted to make sure our player felt really supported … that she’d be looked after by the club and people around her,

“My priority is Stacky, that’s my focus now, to get around her and make sure we give her the best shot of playing footy down the track.”

Writing in the Irish Examiner last week, Stack recalled breaking down in tears upon learning that Marinoff’s suspension was overturned by the AFL Appeals Board.

“I was beside myself with anger. Disillusionment. I felt so totally disheartened by the outcome,” Stack wrote.

“I wanted the tribunal’s decision to at least reflect that she didn’t show any duty of care to me.

“It’s a very cold and very sobering experience to hear that not being paralysed came down to a matter of millimetres.”

Brid Stack of the Giants lays on the ground injured.

Stack, an 11-time All-Ireland retired Gaelic footballer, is recovering from a stable C7 vertebrae fracture.

“Our priority is to look after Brid and to look after her young family that’s over here from Ireland at the moment. To make sure she feels like she’s supported, she suffered a really significant injury,” Eva said.

“She’s determined as all hell to get back to playing. I’m not sure what timeline has been put on her return to contact or play but we are doing everything we possibly can to give her the best shot.”

Now, the Giants are back in Sydney and ready to take on the two-time AFLW champions at Blacktown International SportsPark this afternoon.

Eva acknowledged that this season has been exceptionally tough — from playing their first match without their late teammate Jacinda Barclay to flying around Australia in COVID bubbles.

Alyce Parker under pressure.

“We don’t want our trip to be defined by our tumultuous pre-season, we want it to be defined by the footy that we play,” Eva said.

“I’m really proud of the resilience our group has shown. To acknowledge the challenges, make sure support is in place and move on.”

After falling short to the Dockers in a tough Round 1 contest, Eva is confident that her side will step up today.

“Round 1 was a challenge in itself, we feel like during that game we did some things really well. During that 3rd quarter we let ourselves down, we didn’t take our opportunities that were there,” Eva said.

“A lot of our focus will be on playing our footy our way.”

Originally published as Crows player grounded in heavy tackle as Adelaide dispatches GWS Giants in AFLW rematch