By Marnie Vinall
A brawl erupted between Collingwood and Richmond at Victoria Park as the Magpies copped a 52-point thrashing to send them out of finals after being in top-four contention just two weeks ago.
The scrimmage broke out late in the fourth quarter when Magpie Sarah Sansonetti tackled Tiger Emelia Yassir over the boundary line. Teammates from both sides then rushed over to join in.
At this point, the Pies were down by 40 points in a game they not only needed to win but by a decent margin to sneak into the top eight.
The hefty loss also means Essendon lock in a finals place in just their second season in the competition. The Bombers were at risk of falling out of the eight on percentage after their defeat to Gold Coast on Friday night. Collingwood (who needed to win and win well) could have, but ultimately didn’t come close to, overtaking them.
The Pies have made appearances in the last four final series, finishing sixth the previous two seasons and making a preliminary final in 2021, but are yet to make a genuine challenge for the flag. Many experts had predicted they would finish in the top eight this year, with expectations high on the side to make a deep finals push, but will finish middle of the ladder.
This can be put down in part to the competitive nature of the competition, with 13 teams in the race for a finals spot leading into the final home-and-away round, and also being injury-hit. They were hobbled in defence with pivotal defenders Ruby Schleicher and Lauren Butler out with injury but were more depleted in attack as the Tigers held them goalless in the second half. In the third quarter, they didn’t register a single score and finished the day with five scoring shots to 22.
Monique Conti celebrates a late goal as Sabrina Frederick looks dejected.Credit: Getty
The same could be said for Richmond regarding finals expectations, as they made their maiden top-eight appearance last season, qualifying with a double chance at fourth spot on the ladder, but bowed out in straight sets. Similar to the Pies, they will finish middle of the ladder after some costly close defeats during the season, including to Gold Coast and Fremantle.
However, the Tigers finished the season in spectacular style, with brilliant goals from Monique Conti and Caitlin Greiser among the highlights for Tigers fans.
WEEK ONE FINALS FIXTURE
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 11
First Qualifying Final: Adelaide v Brisbane Lions, 2.35pm local (3.05pm AEDT), Norwood Oval
First Elimination Final: Gold Coast v Sydney, 6.15pm local (7.15pm AEDT), Heritage Bank Stadium
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 12
Second Elimination Final: Geelong v Essendon, 1.05pm AEDT, GMHBA Stadium
Second Qualifying Final: Melbourne v North Melbourne, 3.05pm AEDT, Ikon Park
The eight was not decided until the final game of the regular season, when Sydney downed Fremantle by 22 points to leapfrog St Kilda into the final spot, after the Saints had kept themselves in the race with a 20-point win over Carlton earlier in the day, 7.4 (46) to 3.8 (26).
With only 0.4 of a percentage point separating Sydney in ninth and St Kilda in eighth, the win assured the Swans of retaking eighth spot.
If the Saints had qualified, it would have been their maiden finals appearance.
Saints goalkicker Jesse Wardlaw had a heavy collision with Carlton’s Keeley Sherar late in the final quarter of their clash.
Georgia Patrikios showed her class in the do-or-die match, collecting 25 disposals and eight contested possessions in a powerhouse display, while Hannah Priest was a brick wall in defence, with nine intercept possessions.
Abbie McKay worked overtime to counter Patrikios in the midfield, but her side was outclassed across the park.
McKay racked up 28 disposals and 12 clearances alongside Mimi Hill (30 disposals), while defender Sherar (17) toiled against a potent Saints attack.
Meanwhile, Sydney prevailed in a fierce tug-of-war with the Dockers to seal their first AFLW finals appearance.
Down by four points at half-time in the low-scoring game, a third-term goal from Rebecca Privitelli sparked the Swans to a 5.10 (40) to 2.6 (18) win on Sunday at Fremantle Oval.
The second-year expansion side stormed home with three unanswered goals to secure eighth spot. It’s a dramatic improvement, with the Swans winless in their first season.
“Any club that’s able to go from winless one year to a finals berth, it’s incredible,” Sydney co-captain Chloe Molloy told Fox Footy after the match.
“You can see the emotion on the girls’ faces. Coming into the season, the odds were against us. Just to get into the eight, we’ve managed to do that. We’re stoked. It’s pretty special for the club.”
Missing star ruck Ally Morphett to a season-ending wrist injury, Laura Gardiner stood the tallest in the midfield, while Molloy (two goals), Montana Ham, Privitelli and Brooke Lochland hit the scoreboard.
An off-season recruit from Geelong, 20-year-old Gardiner had the ball on a string with a game-high 33 disposals and 18 contested possessions.
Demons denied the minor premiership
The Brisbane Lions have toppled AFLW heavyweights Melbourne by 25 points to clinch a double chance in the finals and deny the Demons the minor premiership.
A year after Melbourne walked away with the 2022 premiership, the Lions avenged their upset grand final loss by defeating the defending premiers 8.5 (53) to 4.4 (28) at Brighton Homes Arena on Saturday.
Melbourne’s Lauren Peace fights for the ball againt the Lions.Credit: Getty Images
The Lions were at risk of slipping from the top four after last week’s 21-point loss to St Kilda, but will now finish the home-and-away season fourth, avoiding a sudden-death elimination final and marking coach Craig Starcevich’s 75th game in style.
Meanwhile, Melbourne ceded the minor premiership to Adelaide and dropped to second spot.
The Lions put on a show across the park, with powerhouse duo Ally Anderson (22 disposals) and Jade Ellenger (22) going to work in the midfield while Dakota Davidson (two goals) led the charge in the forward line.
Captain Bre Koenen was superb in defence as she played on Melbourne’s leader Kate Hore, collecting a game-high 12 intercept possessions and limiting the prolific goalkicker to just one goal.
Lions duo Charlotte Mullins and Ruby Svarc celebrate.Credit: Getty Images
The Lions got the game on their terms early with five repeat entries into the attacking 50m in the opening 10 minutes of the game. Davidson and Ellie Hampson drew first blood before Casey Sherriff kicked Melbourne’s opening goal.
Tayla Harris, Tyla Hanks and Hore slotted a goal each in the second term to put their side ahead.
Crumbling under the Brisbane attack, the visitors conceded four unanswered goals from Taylor Smith, Sophie Conway (two goals) and Ruby Svarc while remaining goalless in the third term.
Midfield stars Olivia Purcell (14 contested possessions) and Tyla Hanks (11) showed their mettle as they attempted to drag their side over the line, but the Demons were outclassed and sorely missing Paxy Paxman (hamstring).
Melbourne could be without Maeve Chaplin in their finals campaign, after the defender sustained a concussion injury in the third term. AAP
Cats secure elimination final home-ground advantage
Geelong have not only secured their spot in the top eight with a huge 40-point win over Hawthorn on Saturday at GMHBA Stadium but locked in home-ground advantage for the first elimination final.
The Cats finished sixth, with the 9.6 (60) to 3.2 (20) win over the Hawks boosting their percentage to a healthy 141.2, almost 40 ahead of Essendon, who sit one rung below them on equal points.
Momentum is also in Geelong’s favour after two big wins in a row, having demolished Richmond by 38 points last weekend.
Chloe Scheer (left) and Julia Crockett-Grills of the Cats celebrate.Credit: Getty
Against the Hawks, they controlled ball movement from the get-go, kicking four goals straight to open the match and keeping their opposition goalless to half-time.
Chloe Scheer was once again the star in front of goals with three majors, while the Cats finished with seven individual goalkickers. Georgie Prespakis (35 touches, eight clearances) and Amy McDonald (23 touches, eight clearances) were a formidable midfield duo, while the retiring Renee Garing had a whopping 11 tackles.
Overall, it was a strong team effort from a side that will be hungry for a finals win. Last year, the Cats had an impressive home-and-away run but bowed out narrowly in an elimination final to North Melbourne.
Geelong young defender Rebecca Webster told this masthead earlier in the week how important the home crowd is for them come knockout finals.
“Playing at GMHBA is like a massive advantage for us,” said Webster. “We love going in those four walls. We train there three, four times a week. So having that familiarity of the ground is awesome ... So I would be super-excited to make finals for one, but then play at home would be just that extra and having all our support behind us really drives us on the field.”
Tears abound in Phillips’ emotional farewell
There were emotional scenes at Alberton Oval as the siren sounded on AFLW great Erin Phillips’ last game, with Port Adelaide saluting her with a huge 58-point win over Greater Western Sydney on Saturday.
The crowd, which included Phillips’ father Greg and mother Julie (both in tears after the game), more family and friends, and Adelaide captain Chelsea Randall, erupted as the curtain finally came down for the three-time premiership player after eight seasons and 67 games.
“It was an awesome game and four quarters of Port Adelaide footy … It was awesome to finish up like that,” Phillips told Fox Footy after the 13.10 (88) to 4.6 (30) win over the Giants.
Erin Phillips celebrates a goal during her final AFLW match.Credit: AFL Photos
Earlier, she told the ABC that she wanted her legacy to include doing everything she could to grow the game.
“Hopefully I can be remembered as someone who took their opportunities, loved the game and was willing to do whatever it took to ensure the next generation was in a better position,” she said.
Richelle Cranston of the Bulldogs is chaired off the ground by teammates Isabelle Pritchard and Ellie Blackburn after announcing her retirement.Credit: Getty
The 38-year-old kicked a momentous goal from a set shot in the final quarter, and she was smothered by her jubilant teammates afterwards.
“I don’t think I’ve been as nervous to kick a goal in my life, to be honest,” she joked. “But nah, it was awesome.”
On Saturday, the competition also said goodbye to a range of players including Western Bulldogs forward Richelle Cranston, who has battled stage five chronic kidney disease while playing this season, and Hawthorn’s Akec Makur Chuot, who played 40 games for three clubs.
Cranston, who was an inaugural AFLW player, will start kidney dialysis in January so had no option but to hang up the boots and focus on her treatment and health.
“[I’m feeling] sad. Emotions hit me when the siren went. It’s been a really emotional week, the girls have really gotten around me. But yeah, my health has sort of deteriorated, it’s been a really hard year,” Cranston told Fox Footy after the Bulldogs lost to North Melbourne 7.13 (55) to 1.3 (9). “But I go out with on a happy note. I love these girls and I’ll be over at the pancake pocket [Pancake Parlour at Whitten Oval] watching them from now on and have a few bevs on the sideline.”
Roos’ lock in top-four spot; Dogs have issues to work through in off-season
North Melbourne secured third spot on the ladder and the double chance in finals after downing the Western Bulldogs by a whopping 46 points. They will head into finals with momentum but a glaring issue to work on: kicking accuracy.
Despite the comfortable win, they could have done a lot more damage after booting double the number of behinds to goals.
Star midfielder Ash Riddell, who had 36 touches and seven clearances, said she was excited to go up against Melbourne or Adelaide in the first weekend of finals depending on other results this round, as they were the only two sides who beat them this year.
“I’m excited like I think the group’s coming together really nicely and where really well-prepared compared to previous years,” Riddell told Fox Footy. “So, I can’t wait I think it’s an exciting time for us.”
The game was one-way traffic against the Dogs with the game played almost entirely in the Roos’ attacking half. Riddell credited her side’s “team performance” after two losses to the Dees and Crows.
North Melbourne have secured a top-four spot for finals.Credit: Getty
For the Western Bulldogs, it was another tough day out as they notched their ninth loss of the season. They won just one game this year, an eight-point victory last weekend over 17th-placed West Coast.
Britney Gutknecht kicked the Dogs’ only goal against the Kangaroos, which came early in the final term to avoid a record for the lowest AFLW score in the history of the competition. The Dogs have plenty to work on for next season as they look to regain a competitive edge, which was lost after a finals berth last year. Along with being in a rebuild, they were badly injury-hit this season and used 32 players, more than any other club.
Suns secure finals spot
AAP
Unsung hero Lucy Single has helped Gold Coast book their second AFLW finals appearance with a 14-point win over Essendon.
Losing midfield powerhouse Charlie Rowbottom to an ankle injury proved no obstacle in the Suns’ maiden clash with the Bombers, as they finished the regular season in fifth spot after a 6.3 (39) to 3.7 (25) victory to kick off pride round at Great Barrier Reef Arena on Friday.
While their men’s side have yet to make a finals appearance, this is the second time Gold Coast’s women have clinched a play-off spot, having also done so in the cancelled 2020 season.
Single filled the massive Rowbottom-size gap, collecting 25 disposals and six clearances in her prolific performance across the field while also playing a crucial tagging role on Maddy Prespakis.
Coast with the most: Georgia Clayden of the Suns celebrates after kicking a goal.Credit: AFL Photos / Getty Images
The former rugby sevens player was well-supported by Claudia Whitford (25 possessions) and Alison Drennan (22 touches).
Prespakis was held to eight contested possessions, well below a season average of 14 per game, while Georgia Nanscawen proved a potent threat with 13 contested possessions and three score involvements.
The Bombers broke through first with a goal from Amber Clarke but young talent Darcie Davies (two goals) was able to respond after being gifted 50 metres from a protected area infringement by Mia Bush.
Daisy D’Arcy, Jacqueline Dupuy, Jamie Stanton and Davies attempted to break away from the low-scoring tug-of-war in the second with goals of their own.
But two goals from Amelia Radford and Georgia Gee kept the hosts close, while defender Ellyse Gamble (nine intercept possessions) proved a roadblock for the Suns’ attackers.
Single lit up the park with a clinical slice through the corridor, dodging two tackles to put the ball in the hands of Georgia Clayden, who capped the centre clearance with the only major of the third term. With both sides goalless in the final quarter, the Suns were able to cruise home.
With AAP
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