AFLW 2022: All the results and news from round 9
The league will investigate another umpire controversy where Port Adelaide has been denied a potential matchwinning goal against St Kilda. All the AFLW round 9 details.
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St Kilda’s barren run of six AFLW losses is finally over after the Georgia Patrikios-inspired Saints held on for a controversial two-point win over Port Adelaide.
Nick Dal Santo’s side trailed by 12 points at halftime at Moorabbin Oval, but kicked the only two goals of the second half to improve its win-loss record to 3-6.
The Power was denied a potential matchwinner in contentious circumstances with 2min41sec left on the clock.
Gemma Houghton’s set shot appeared to sneak through for a goal that would have put Port in front, but it was adjudged a behind by the goal umpire.
Houghton and Erin Phillips looked on incredulous as the goal was disallowed, with Fox Footy commentators believing the ball had been touched, while St Kilda players in the goal square looked despondent as the shot went through.
An AFL spokesperson said that the incident would be reviewed as a matter of routine on Monday.
It comes just one week after the Sydney Swans were robbed, with the AFL admitting an umpiring error cost them dearly against Essendon.
The Swans fell to the Bombers by four points, but the result should have been the other way.
Patrikios led the way with a team-high 19 possessions, with Rosie Dillon, Hannah Priest and Kate Shierlaw all influential.
Phillips had nine of her 21 disposals in a frantic final term, but the veteran superstar couldn’t will her side to a second win for the season, Port’s losing run extended to five defeats on the trot.
SAINTS ASTRAY
The Saints led by five points at the first break after their superior pressure helped them play much of the first quarter in their forward half.
But they spurned the opportunity to put a larger gap on their opponents with some wayward kicking for goal.
Shierlaw set up Lucy Burke for her first AFLW goal in the first minute then bagged her 12th major of the season from a goal square scramble, but her side registered a wasteful six behinds.
In stark contrast, the visitors were highly efficient with two goals coming from their first three inside 50s, Hannah Ewings and Jade de Melo splitting the middle.
CRUNCH!
Olivia Vesely was her side’s top possession winner in the first quarter, but she was left dazed and distressed after a sickening head clash with teammate Tarni White early in the second term.
Both players were able to make their way to the bench for treatment, with White returning with her bloodied nose packed with gauze, but a concussed Vesely was ruled out for the rest of the match.
The incident appeared to disrupt the Saints’ momentum and Port made them pay for their inaccuracy.
In a devastating 90-second burst, the Power slammed through three goals, including one to Gemma Houghton in her 50th AFLW game, to register their highest first-half score of the season and lead by 12 points at the main break.
PATCHY POWER
The Power didn’t register a goal in the second half of last week’s loss to North Melbourne and the visitors went missing again after the restart.
In what was almost a carbon copy of the first quarter, St Kilda poured on the pressure in the third and kicked the only two goals of the term to lead by four points heading into the last quarter.
Phillips set up Houghton for a potential game-winning goal with three minutes left in the match, but the former Fremantle star’s set shot just grazed the post as the Power fell agonisingly short.
SCOREBOARD
SAINTS 2.6 2.7 4.11 4.11 (35)
POWER 2.1 5.1 5.1 5.3 (33)
PHELAN’S BEST
Saints: Patrikios, Priest, Shierlaw, Dillon, Xenos, Stuart.
Power: Phillips, Ewings, Levicki, Foley, Moloney, Surman.
GOALS
Saints: Shierlaw, Stuart, Burke, Guttridge.
Power: Houghton, Johnson, de Melo, Ewings, Surman.
INJURIES
Saints: Vesely (concussion), White (nose).
Power: Nil.
VENUE
Moorabbin Oval
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JASON PHELAN’S VOTES
3 Phillips (Port)
2 Patrikios (StK)
1 Priest (StK)
Dees sew up top-two finish with dominant win
Melbourne has cemented a top-two finish with Kate Hore booting three goals in a clinical 41-point dismantling of Essendon at Casey Fields on Sunday.
In blustery conditions, the surging Demons made it five wins in a row to draw level with top-ranked Brisbane with an 8-1 record with one round remaining before finals.
With the Demons about 65 points up on third-placed Adelaide (7-2), Melbourne won’t be displaced from second spot and can still improve on that position.
The minor premiership is still up for grabs in what promises to be an intriguing conclusion to the home-and-away season, with 27 percentage points separating the top two sides.
The Lions host finals-bound Collingwood at Metricon Stadium on Friday night, while Melbourne will play strugglers West Coast at Casey Fields on Saturday.
Sunday’s clash was an impressive tune-up for the finals campaign, with Mick Stinear’s side restricting its opposition to a score of 1.3 (9) for the third game in succession.
Karen Paxman starred with a game-high 24 possessions and also kicked a goal, while Olivia Purcell, Tyla Hanks and Libby Birch also influential, with Hore doing the damage in attack.
Maddie Prespakis had 23 touches for the Bombers, but she had precious little help.
THE NUMBERS
The Demons came out on top in a number of key statistics including total possessions (232-176), uncontested possessions (122-77) and inside 50s (36-17).
For the third game in a row, miserly Melbourne kept its opponent scoreless in the opening term, the Demons skipping out to a 14-point lead off the back of a lopsided 13-2 inside 50 count.
Catherine Phillips kicked her side’s only goal in the second quarter, but the Demons kicked two goals into a stiff breeze to extend their lead to 17 points at the main break.
Hore added two more as Melbourne surged to a 38-point three-quarter time lead before cruising to a comfortable win.
BEST NEWBIES?
It was a bitter pill to swallow for the Bombers who will look to bounce back against Port Adelaide and finish their encouraging inaugural AFLW season on a high note.
Essendon has impressed at times with three wins and two losses by two points or less, but couldn’t manage a score in three quarters against the Demons in what is the club’s lowest ever score.
But with nearly double Hawthorn’s percentage, a win in Sunday’s clash at Alberton will guarantee Essendon ends the season as the best-performed expansion team.
SCOREBOARD
DEMONS 2.2 4.2 7.5 7.8 (50
BOMBERS 0.0 1.3 1.3 1.3 (9)
PHELAN’S BEST
Demons: Paxman, Hore, Purcell, Hanks, Birch, West, Mithen.
Bombers: Prespakis, Vogt, Toogood, Phillips, Bannister.
GOALS
Demons: Hore 3, Bannan 2, Paxman, Zanker.
Bombers: Phillips.
INJURIES
Demons: Nil.
Bombers: Nil.
VENUE
Casey Fields
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JASON PHELAN’S VOTES
3 Paxman (Mel)
2 Hore (Mel)
1 Prespakis (Ess)
Tigers stalking top four as streak continues
Surging Richmond has a top-four finish in its grasp after three goals to Monique Conti helped the Tigers make it seven wins on the trot with a 44-point demolition of Greater Western Sydney on Sunday.
Ryan Ferguson’s side adapted better to the blustery conditions at Mildura Sporting Precinct and improved to a 7-2 win-loss record to replace Collingwood in fourth spot on the ladder with one round left in the home-and-away season.
A double chance would be fitting reward for the barnstorming Tigers, who had only won six games in three seasons heading into this AFLW campaign, and will play finals for the first time in the club’s history.
Conti was the driving force for Richmond with a game-high 23 possessions to go with her trio of goals, but she had plenty of willing helpers with Jess and Sarah Hosking, Grace Egan and Ellie McKenzie all prominent.
Richmond can cement a top-four finish with a win against fellow finalist North Melbourne at Arden Street on Sunday.
Alyce Parker toiled hard for her 18 touches, but it was a disappointing day for the Giants on the back of last week’s win over Hawthorn, with Cam Bernasconi’s side set to finish the season without once managing to put together back-to-back wins.
WHACKY WIND
The windy conditions made for some odd stats across the first half.
The Tigers had first use of the breeze and used it with devastating effect to surge to a 26-point quarter-time lead over the scoreless Giants.
Richmond went inside attacking 50 13 times in the opening term, while the Giants didn’t register an inside 50 and barely managed to move the ball into their forward half.
Egan’s goal from 45m out gave a good indication of the strength of the breeze, with her high right-foot snap sailing through post high.
With the wind at her back, Jess Hosking banged through just the second goal of her 47-game career and Stella Reid threaded the eye of the needle from the boundary line for her second goal after the quarter-time siren.
GWS registered the first seven inside 50s of the second quarter, but failed to make the most of the breeze.
The Giants won the inside 50 count 11-2 for the term, but while they kept Richmond scoreless, they managed just one goal to Parker to trail by 18 points at the main break.
CONTI STRIKES
The Giants did well to restrict Richmond after the restart, but Conti’s class shone through again.
The three-time All Australian swooped on a loose ball and her running shot from 52m out carried the pack and bounced through for a goal shortly after Katie Brennan nailed her set shot.
Conti then drew a free kick shortly before three-quarter time and coolly converted her shot after the siren to make it a 37-point margin.
In a measure of how well her day was going, Conti’s only blunder still resulted in a goal in the last quarter.
The star midfielder kicked her set shot into the player on the mark, but she drew a free kick for high contact as she scrambled to recover the ball and booted her third.
Coupled with Courtney Wakefield’s final term major, the Tigers kicked two goals into the teeth of the wind, while all the Giants scores came with the aid of the breeze.
SCOREBOARD
TIGERS 4.2 4.2 7.3 9.4 (58)
GIANTS 0.0 1.2 1.2 1.2 2.2 (14)
PHELAN’S BEST
Tigers: Conti, J Hosking, Egan, Seymour, McKenzie, S Hosking, Reid.
Giants: Parker, Barr, Hicks, Eva, Evans.
GOALS
Tigers: Conti 3, Reid 2, Brennan, Wakefield, Egan, J Hosking.
Giants: Parker, Barr.
INJURIES
Tigers: Nil.
Giants: Nil.
VENUE
Mildura Sporting Precinct
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JASON PHELAN’S VOTES
3 Conti (Rich)
2 Parker (GWS)
1 J Hosking (Rich)
575-day wait doesn’t end pleasantly
The Western Bulldogs 32-point win over West Coast in Perth on Saturday all but confirms their spot in this season’s AFLW finals.
The Dogs will go into the final round against Carlton one win and percentage ahead of Gold Coast.
The Suns would need to beat Greater Western Sydney convincedly and the Dogs lose well to the Blues, for the two sides to swap ladder positions.
The Dogs controlled the game in their 8.7 (55) to 3.5 (23) win over West Coast, but the victory did come at a cost, with Kirsten McLeod’s long awaited return spoiled by an ankle injury.
Whether it’s the Dogs or Suns who finish in the eight, are they just making up numbers for the finals series?
Neither side has beaten a side above them on the ladder this season.
The Bulldogs have lost to North Melbourne, Geelong and Melbourne by a total of 80 points, although 64 of those were at the hands of the Demons.
The Suns have lost to the Kangaroos, Brisbane, Richmond and the Demons, by an average 38 points. Their biggest lost was to the Lions, in Round 3, by 73 points.
Both the Gold Coast and the Western Bulldogs have tasted finals action before, with mixed results.
The Bulldogs claimed the title in an eight-team competition in 2018, beating Brisbane by six points in a thrilling grand final.
The Suns sole finals experience is a 70-point flogging at the hands of Fremantle in the 2020 semi-final.
FOOTY CAN BE CRUEL
The Bulldogs looked flat for the first few minutes against West Coast.
The first couple of minutes of the game was played almost entirely in the Eagles forward line; they just couldn’t make the most of those chances.
Things got worse for the Bulldogs just three minutes in when Kirsten McLeod went down with an ankle injury.
It was a cruel blow for McLeod, who was making her return to AFLW ranks for her first game in 575 days due to concussion issues.
She was chasing her first possession when her ankle got caught under her tackler, Jess Sedunary.
The stop in play sparked the Dogs into action. They dominated the rest of the quarter, finishing the term with 11 inside 50 entries to the Eagles five, on the back of 24 tackles for the term.
The Eagles went into the break with 15 players kept to just two touches or fewer for the term
The Dogs kicked the only three goals of the opening term and opened up a 16-point quarter-time lead.
They will be hoping McLeod’s latest stint on the sidelines is not too long. The 28-year-old has kicked 21 goals in 30 games since debuting in the opening round of the inaugural season.
LAMB FINDING FORM
Kristy Lamb looks to have re-found her best form at the right time for the Bulldogs.
Her nine possessions in the third term against the Eagles on Saturday was the reason why her side led by 24 points at the last change.
Lamb had averaged almost 19 touches a game in the first five rounds. But she has struggled in recent weeks, picking up just 10 possessions per game over the past three rounds.
She started the game on the bench against St Kilda in Round 8.
Lamb had just touches in the first half against West Coast, but finished with 21 touches
Sarah Hartwig also found some touch in front of goals against the Eagles.
She’d kicked just two goals in 21 games before this round. But her two goals against West Coast came at important times for her team.
EAGLES LACKING ATTACK
West Coast need to find a way to get some reward for their efforts.
Before Saturday’s game, the Eagles had averaged just 3.75 goals per game. They kicked three against the Dogs.
They aren’t going to win many games with that tally and haven’t this season.
IN Saturday’s loss to the Dogs, it was the second time this season they had not scored a goal before halftime.
Their second terms have been terrible.
They have now had six goalless second term and Round 8 saw them record their fourth second quarter this season without a score at all.
Their first goal came late in the third term against the Dogs, from the boot of Isabella Lewis and was courtesy of a couple of consecutive 50m penalties given away by Celine Moody.
Their second goal was hopefully a sign of things to come, kicked by debutant Ashleigh Gomes, who was added to the Eagles list this season as an injury player.
SCOREBOARD
EAGLES 0.3 0.3 2.4 3.5 (23)
BULLDOGS 3.1 3.2 6.4 8.7 (55)
ELBOROUGH’S BEST
Eagles: Swanson, Smith, McDonald, Lewis, McCarthy, Rowley.
Bulldogs: Lamb, Berry, Hartwig, Blackburn, Moody, Pritchard.
GOALS
Eagles: Lewis, Gomes, Hartill.
Bulldogs: Hartwig 2, Berry 2; Cranston, Bateman, Newton, Brown.
INJURIES
Eagles: Nil.
Bulldogs: McLeod (ankle).
UMPIRES
Evans, Jankovskis, Mollison.
VENUE
Mineral Resources Park.
VOTES
3 Lamb
2 Berry
1 Swanston
Over before it began as Lions turn on afterburners
– James Mottershead
Brisbane is the team to beat and put on a flawless display to pummel the youthful Hawks by 54 points at Skybus Stadium.
There is no more ruthless team in AFLW than Brisbane and it had the four points locked up at quarter-time in Frankston.
It was an old-fashioned footballing lesson dished out to the young Hawks by the premiership favourite.
The Lions piled on four goals to none in a merciless exhibition in which they had 24 more disposals, mainly thanks to their crisp link-up handball.
Perhaps the most telling statistic was the Lions’ 63 per cent disposal efficiency compared to the Hawks’ 36 per cent. It was evidence of what the eye had seen — the Lions’ pressure was simply too great for Hawthorn to deal with.
Remarkably the ladder leader only had an extra three entries inside 50, but their pinpoint ball movement is what sets them apart from the other sides in AFLW.
BIG GUNS ROAR
Brisbane’s big guns are hitting their hottest form of the season on the eve of the finals.
With a premiership cup at their mercy, the Lions look to be timing their run to perfection led by midfield stars Ally Anderson and Emily Bates.
Anderson and Bates took the game away from the Hawks in the first half with 30 disposals and eight clearances between them — Hawthorn had 12 clearances.
Orla O’Dwyer was an All-Australian in season six but her form has dropped off this campaign, but she was back to her best, driving the Lions forward from the wing.
O’Dwyer had 17 touches and 468m gained.
And Dakota Davidson is back kicking goals and crashing packs after going goalless for the first six games of the season.
She kicked two goals.
WHAT IT MEANS
Unless Collingwood pulls off a thumping win against the Lions next Friday night Brisbane has locked in a top two finish and home final.
The Lions will play the Pies in a blockbuster clash at Metricon Stadium and a win will see them lock up top spot.
The loss means Hawthorn will likely finish behind Essendon as the best ranked expansion club in season seven.
With a game against Fremantle to finish the season Bec Goddard’s side will be hopeful of picking up a fourth win for the season, a brilliant return for a side most experts tipped to finish in the bottom few.
RISING STAR
Jas Fleming put together another performance that would’ve caught the eye of the Rising Star panel.
The 17-year-old at times played a lone hand in the middle for the Hawks as the more vaunted Lions engine room took over.
It was another notch on Fleming’s impressive belt, standing up against the best in the business.
She finished with 19 disposals.
SCOREBOARD
HAWKS 0.0 1.1 1.1 1.1 7
LIONS 4.0 5.1 7.4 9.7 61
MOTTERSHEAD’S BEST
Hawks: Fleming, Mukur Chuot, Gilroy.
Lions: Anderson, Bates, Koenen, Wardlaw, Bodey, Dawes, O’Dwyer.
GOALS
Hawks: Duffin.
Lions: Wardlaw 3, Davidson 2, R. Svarc, Bates, Bodey, Conway.
INJURIES
Hawks: nil.
Lions: nil.
VENUE
Skybus Stadium
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JAMES MOTTERSHEAD’S VOTES
3 A. Anderson (BL)
2 E. Bates (BL)
1 B. Koenen (BL)
Double chance in reach after Roos demolish Pies
– James Mottershead
North Melbourne flexed its muscle in a 32-point win against Collingwood, giving it a massive chance of snatching a top-four finish.
The opening term was a brutal display of contested footy with neither side able to break free and hit the scoreboard.
The second quarter played to a different tune as North’s attack on the contest became too much for the Pies, with Jas Garner taking over.
The Roos blasted five goals to one for the term, taking the game away from the Pies.
Garner, the game’s best player at the moment, had game high disposals (12) and metres gained (195m), to go with three clearances and a goal to the main break.
It was just reward for North, who led inside 50s 22-8, and found ways to get out the back of Collingwood’s usually water-tight defence.
What it means
For Collingwood it is simple – beat Brisbane next week and secure a double chance.
It is much easier said than done however, and North Melbourne will be sweating on the ladder-leading Lions to knock the Pies off and open up an opportunity to snatch a top-four berth.
The Roos take on Richmond who have won six games on the trot heading into their Round 9 clash against GWS on Sunday.
If the Pies go down to the Lions on Friday night, the Tigers and Roos will play off to take their spot inside the four.
Injury blows
Collingwood has a couple of big injury headaches heading into the final round of the season.
All Australian Ruby Schleicher suffered a hip injury early in the game and battled to get back out onto Victoria Park to no avail.
The Pies ruled Schleicher out in the third term after having just three touches for the game.
Ash Brazill was ruled out with an adductor injury before the game had started, Imogen Evans replacing the half-forward.
Brazill has been a revelation forward of the ball for Collingwood, with her long kicking a feature in driving the Pies forward.
They will be sweating on both players ahead of their game against Brisbane next week.
North Melbourne has their own concern over star Emma Kearney who limped off late with a blow to her knee.
The skipper came back on but with heavy strapping.
Frederick firing
Sabrina Frederick has been one of the most maligned players in black and white since arriving at the club earlier this year.
But the 25-year-old is showing the type of form that could see her become a Collingwood hero come finals.
After a huge two-goal performance against Fremantle last week, Frederick wasted no time backing it up with three huge, contested marks in the first quarter against North.
She didn’t trouble the scoreboard, but she’s taking the big marks the Pies have been crying out for her to take.
PIES 1.0 2.0 3.1 4.1 25
NORTH 1.1 6.1 7.2 9.3 57
MOTTERSHEAD’S BEST Pies: Molloy, Allen, Lambert, Chiocci. North: Garner, Riddell, M. King, Randall, Kearney, Brown.
GOALS Pies: Molloy, James, Brown, Chiocci. North: Granville 2, Randall 2, Eddey, E. King, Garner, Wall, O’Loughlin.
INJURIES Pies: Barnett (finger), Schleicher (hip). North: Kearney (knee).
Victoria Park
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JAMES MOTTERSHEAD’S VOTES
3 J. Garner (NM)
2 A. Riddell (NM)
1 C. Molloy (COLL)
Players lament conditions again as Swans come up short
– By Martin Gabor
The cans of craft beer flowed and the fans on the hill scarfed down their katsu rolls with kewpie mayonnaise, but it was the same old story for the AFLW players at Henson Park.
Last week’s match at the suburban ground in Sydney’s inner-west was overshadowed by players and coaches complaining about the dated facilities.
Complaints were made about the lack of toilets and showers for the players, while cockroaches were spotted in the changing rooms under the grandstand.
The local government had promised to fund the venue but the reality is that Henson Park isn’t up to standard and is failing the players who deserve to be treated with a bit more respect.
One Swans squad member told the NCA NewsWire how she’d flown to Melbourne and back on Saturday before the AFLW match to get in a solid hit out at the Hangar in Essendon.
She spoke of the immaculate surface and how there were eight showers for them to freshen up before the flight home, lamenting that the sense of cleanliness was something she had experienced after games at Henson Park.
Smaller grounds in Melbourne have received the necessary funding over the years to bring their facilities into the 21st century, and it’s essential that grounds in Sydney get the same treatment given there are now two teams to look after.
Other codes like the NRLW have matches at state-of-the-art venues like Allianz Stadium and CommBank Stadium in Sydney, and it provides the next generation with something to aspire to as the sport gets more professional.
The AFLW has been unlucky with timing because grounds like the SCG are currently being used for the men’s T20 World Cup, but the players and officials have spoken and things must improve ahead of next season.
NO SWANSONG
This was Sydney’s best chance to pick up its first ever win in the AFLW, but it looks like the Swans will finish winless after their lastest defeat by 14 points in their inaugural campaign unless they can upset the Cats next week.
Things started well with the hosts kicking two of the first three goals, including a lovely running goal from number one draft pick Montana Ham who celebrated her first major in the AFLW.
But the momentum they gained from last week’s heartbreaking loss didn’t last long as the Dockers kicked clear against the wind in the third quarter to claim just their second win of the year thanks to a huge game from Hayley Miller.
VOTES
3 – Hayley Miller
2 – Airlie Runnalls
1 – Sofia Hurley
Stunning intercept earns Crows crucial win
– Jason Phelan
Adelaide has tightened its grip on a top-four finish after two brilliant goals to Danielle Ponter helped the Crows to a thrilling two-point win over gutsy Geelong at Unley Oval.
It was fourth-placed Adelaide versus the fifth-ranked Cats on Friday night, with the winner likely to snare a precious double chance, and the top-quality contest matched the high stakes in play.
With inspirational skipper Chelsea Randall sidelined with an ankle injury suffered in last week’s loss to Brisbane, Adelaide led by a point at three-quarter time and held the visitors scoreless in a tension-packed final term to improve to a 7-2 record with a vital win.
Ponter was the star in attack, while midfield mainstays Anne Hatchard (24 possessions) and Ebony Marinoff (23) worked tirelessly in the warm conditions.
Georgie Prespakis and Amy McDonald were outstanding with 23 possessions and seven clearances apiece as the brave Cats barely failed in their attempt to beat Adelaide for the first time in four meetings.
PONTER POUNCES
A superb running goal by Ponter was a highlight of a classic ‘attack versus defence’ encounter.
Adelaide took the third most potent attack in the league into the clash, while the Cats stormed into their second finals campaign with a 6-2 win-loss record that was built on a miserly defence.
Dan Lowther’s side had conceded just 165 points, second only to stingy Collingwood, across eight rounds at an average of just over 20 points conceded per game.
The visitors had to defend grimly from the opening bounce as the Crows piled on the pressure with the first seven inside 50s of the game but couldn’t register the first major.
Ponter broke the deadlock in fine style when she intercepted an ill-advised pass just on the defensive side of the centre circle late in the first term.
With no one between her and goal and Meg McDonald chasing desperately, the two-time premiership forward took four bounces and coolly converted a goal-of-the-year contender.
TOE-TO-TOE
The engrossing contest lifted a notch in the second and again in a scintillating third term.
The home side held a one-point lead at the first break after Kate Darby marked strongly and converted, but another piece of Ponter brilliance widened the gap.
In stark contrast to her first goal, Ponter was operating in a crowded phone booth when she gathered a hot ball from a stoppage and slotted her second from a tight angle.
The Cats had more of the ball but also had difficulty moving it out of their back half until superior work rate from Nina Morrison set up Julia Crockett-Grills for Geelong’s second.
The Cats trailed by three points at the main break but clawed their way into fourth spot on the live ladder every time they edged in front in a quarter where the lead changed hands four times.
PONTER GOES AGAIN
The Cats went inside 50 just four times as Adelaide tightened the screws in the final term but they had one last chance to pull off a historic win when a Crows free kick was contentiously reversed for retaliation.
Play was broken up from the Geelong kick to the wing and Ponter once again found herself in the centre square with an open field in front of her, this time with under a minute left.
With the home fans willing her on for a stunning repeat, Ponter set off on another bouncing run only for her fourth bounce to get away from her agonisingly close to goal.
But while her run didn’t result in a goal, it chewed up precious time off the clock and gave her side field position to hold on for a famous win.
SCOREBOARD
CROWS 1.1 2.5 4.5 4.6 (30)
CATS 1.0 2.2 4.4 4.4 (28)
PHELAN’S BEST
Crows: Hatchard, Ponter, Marinoff, Martin, Gould, Thompson.
Cats: A McDonald, Prespakis, Emonson, M McDonald, Derby, Webster.
GOALS
Crows: Ponter 2, Kelly, Whiteley.
Cats: Scheer, Crockett-Grills, Scott, Darby.
INJURIES
Crows: Nil.
Cats: Nil.
VENUE
Unley Oval
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JASON PHELAN’S VOTES
3 Hatchard (Adel)
2 A McDonald (Geel)
1 Ponter (Adel)
Who can shake up finals mix?
The penultimate round of AFLW season seven is here and two clubs will be hoping to secure their spot in the finals.
North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs are a game clear of Gold Coast in the bottom rungs of the eight, making it a must-win game for the Suns against Carlton on Friday night.
Earlier that evening, fifth placed Geelong will clash with Adelaide at Unley Oval with the winner set to remain inside the top four.
Who will reign surpreme in round 9? Our experts reveal their predictions.
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