By Marnie Vinall
Essendon’s AFLW season has kicked off in rough style, with co-captain and star goalkicker Bonnie Toogood and explosive forward Amber Clarke injured in a heavy collision during their 43-point loss to Fremantle at Windy Hill.
Clarke was taken off on a stretcher in the second quarter after the clash with her teammate on Saturday afternoon. The club later confirmed a concussion but no damage to her neck or back.
Amber Clarke receives medical attention after the clash.Credit: AFL Photos
The pair were both running full pelt at the ball as it came inside 50 and collided. Toogood immediately raised her hand for the medical team for Clarke and then limped off herself, looking distraught.
Toogood had a knee assessment on the boundary before joining Clarke in the rooms, later returning to the sidelines in a jacket. The club confirmed a knock to the knee, and it will be a nervous wait to see the extent of the damage after scans.
In positive signs, she finished the day with ice strapped to her knees but walking around without crutches.
Essendon coach Natalie Wood said Toogood was obviously pretty upset, which mostly came from being such an important leader for the side.
“She wanted to be out there making her contributions and trying to help us put our best foot forward. So she’s obviously devastated being out,” said Wood, who acknowledged the incident rattled the rest of the team.
Essendon lost control of the game after Toogood and Clarke went off, as they kicked just the one goal to the Dockers’ six in the second half, eventually losing 10.4 (64) to 3.3 (21).
“We’re still three seasons in, and you know those moments, they’re big. We heard that from the sidelines, that jolts everyone,” said Wood.
“To the group’s credit, though, we really fought through, you saw right down to the end like that last quarter, you know, down by six goals and we’re still trying to move the ball how we wanted to move it.”
Wood added losing two pivotal forwards also threw out their rotations, which saw defender Maddi Gay, in her first game in Essendon colours, moved into the forward line in the final quarter.
“So, you know, it’s probably then what we’re asking players to do, and getting that sorted early in the game, first round of the season. So, yeah, I think that part sort of caught us off guard.”
In better news for the Bombers, Daria Bannister kicked the opening two goals for her side in her first match back after a knee reconstruction. Wood also said she was impressed with debutants Amy Gaylor and Emily Gough.
“So these kids have come in and played both ends of the ground and I thought they were fantastic. And Alex Morcom, you know, we moved her into the midfield to try and help give us a bit of run there because we’d obviously lost some rotations,” said Wood.
“I thought they carried themselves exceptionally. The way they are in the rooms now, getting around each other, the way they walked off. You know, it’s the small things.
“It’s tough. Round one, home ground and you have some injuries and a tough loss, but the way they sort of come together, walk off shoulders tall and proud of their friends and family that are here, and we’ll get to work on trying to improve our method.”
For Fremantle, Aine Tighe contributed four to the Dockers’ haul, while Aisling McCarthy had two along with 23 possessions. In a short season, early wins can be important and Fremantle coach Lisa Webb said her side will take a lot of confidence going into the round-two clash against Adelaide.
Meanwhile, the Western Bulldogs could be in for another rough year after falling to GWS by 63 points at Manuka Oval in Tamara Hyett’s coaching debut. The side managed just nine points, equal to the club’s lowest score in AFLW history, as they were downed 10.12 (72) to 1.3 (9).
Hyett took charge of the Bulldogs after Nathan Burke departed last season, with the side having won just one game – an eight-point win over West Coast in round nine. The Bulldogs are deep into a rebuild after senior players left in the off-season, including Kirsty Lamb to Port Adelaide, Gabby Newtown to Fremantle and Katie Lynch to Gold Coast.
No.1 draft pick Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner almost took mark of the year against the Giants but dropped the ball after leaping over a pack to take possession.
The round so far
- Sydney 8.2 (50) d Collingwood 4.11 (35) at North Sydney Oval. Swans co-captains Chloe Molloy (two goals) and Lucy McEvoy (one goal, 17 possessions) led from the front as the hosts overwhelmed their opponents with quick ball movement.
- West Coast 6.4 (40) d Richmond 5.9 (39) at Mineral Resources Park. West Coast forward Kellie Gibson kicked a goal with 43 seconds remaining to lift her side to a dramatic win, with Eagles coach Daisy Pearce happy to cop a “Gatorade shower” after watching her side blow a big lead before fighting back to snatch victory.
GWS 10.12 (72) d Western Bulldogs 1.3 (9) at Manuka Oval. The Bulldogs’ AFLW rebuild has hit its first speed bump in an emphatic 63-point defeat to the Giants, as GWS slammed through nine unanswered goals to triumph in windy conditions.
More to come