Just 943 fans turned up for North Melbourne’s game against Port Adelaide on Friday night, the lowest yet this season.
While the freezing Melbourne night, with plenty of rain and wind, wouldn’t have helped, Kangaroos coach Darren Crocker suggested the less than ideal fixturing was the cause of the low turnout.
Rainfall in the AFLW game on Friday night between North Melbourne and Port Adelaide.Credit: Fox Footy
“A 5 o’clock game out at Whitten Oval, when it could be our home game sometime scheduled over the weekend at Arden Street at potentially a time that’s more conducive to getting crowds there,” Crocker said after his side’s 36-point victory.
“Like, we regularly pack out Arden Street given the right fixturing with times, so that’s an AFL question about fixturing us out at Whitten Oval.”
The game was held at the Bulldogs’ home, rather than North’s, due to the quality of stadium lights required for the evening broadcast. The early starting time was due to the men’s preliminary final between Sydney and Port Adelaide being scheduled at 7.40pm.
Not helping their case was, as Crocker described it, “almost cyclonic” conditions.
The game was also midst the condensed fixture, where clubs have four games within three weeks, scheduled throughout the week.
On Tuesday night, a crowd of just 1325 showed up for Collingwood’s home game against West Coast at 7.15pm, whereas 5530 came out for the Sydney derby at Henson Park on Sunday afternoon.
“We’ll just keep fronting up no matter who it is, when it is, where it is. That’s pretty much our mantra ... We’ll just bring our best footy and our best identity whenever we have to play,” said Crocker.
McKenzie and the Tigers head to the tribunal
Richmond are off to an unusual Monday morning tribunal to challenge star midfielder Ellie McKenzie’s one-match ban for a dangerous tackle on Carlton’s Dayna Finn.
The Tigers next play on Tuesday evening against Port Adelaide, just four days after their comprehensive 33-point victory over the Blues on Thursday night. Given this, Richmond will need to make a case for McKenzie the night before game day to see whether she can play or not.
Commentator Kelli Underwood immediately called the Tiger’s action “a dumping dangerous tackle” on the broadcast. The match review officer agreed, grading the incident as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact.
You’d expect to also see Greater Western Sydney’s Mikayla Pauga in the match review officer bookings after a sling tackle on Sydney’s Montana Ham.
The No.1 draft pick was taken straight from the ground after her head forcibly hit the ground. Pauga called for help for her opponent immediately.
Bodey’s bag of six blows AFLW season wide open
Hawthorn handing St Kilda their first loss of the season on Saturday blew the season wide open. Just two teams are left undefeated, North Melbourne, who drew with Geelong in round two, and Adelaide.
In the inaugural AFLW “Spud’s game”, Hawthorn star goalkicker Greta Bodey powered her side to a 57-point victory at RSEA Park, 11.8 (74) to 2.5 (17). The former Lions premiership player and All-Australian forward booted six goals, with the fourth her 50th career major.
Greta Bodey of the Hawks celebrates a goal against the Saints.Credit: AFL Photos / Getty Images
“I didn’t even know I was up and around that,” Bodey said after the win.
“Hell yeah, I had no idea ... Although, to be fair, no one probably knew I was going to kick a few fair goals [today].”
Bodey said her big haul on top of the Hawks’ strong performance was the cherry on the cake.
“A nice bit of reward for effort over a few hard weeks of working really hard and not getting it,” said Bodey.
Hawthorn comfortably beat St Kilda at RSEA Park in Melbourne.Credit: Getty Images
“You work really hard in your leading patterns as a small forward, and often you’re doing the unrewarded running. So to get on the end of a few today is extra sweet.”
The loss means the Saints are knocked from their top-of-the-ladder spot, while the Hawks climb inside the top four. The Hawks’ only defeat this year was last weekend, when the powerhouse Crows downed them by 26 points.
Hawthorn finished 14th last year, after just the three wins, which they have already secured this year heading into the midway of the season.
Bodey said a big difference had been Daniel Webster coming in as head coach, who took over from Bec Goddard.
“We’ve got a new game plan and distinct style which we’ve been really trying to implement across the first four weeks,” said Bodey.
“And I think we had a really good test against Adelaide, and obviously we didn’t play very well in that second or third quarter. So to come back out here today and play our way, switch the ball, get some run happening, is really pleasing.”
Only Adelaide have won all their matches, as North Melbourne drew with Geelong in round two.
The Saints’ only two goals both came off the boot of Jesse Wardlaw, a former teammate of Bodey’s, who along with Jamie Lambert in her 75th game, did everything they could to get their side up but were overrun.
Geelong’s redemption, prove they’re still a contender
Earlier on Saturday, Geelong played like their season was on the line, defeating Gold Coast by a whopping 69 points to claim their first win of the season, 15.6 (96) to 4.3 (27).
The emphatic display – in which Aishling Moloney kicked four goals – followed their poor performance against Carlton last week when they were unable to score a goal.
Georgia Rankin of the Cats celebrates a goal against the Suns.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
Many pundits backed the Cats in to finish in the top eight but have started slowly, including bowing to Melbourne in the opening round by two points. They did surprise the flag fancies, North Melbourne, however, with a draw in round two.
They play a range of teams in the top eight in the coming weeks, including Hawthorn, Fremantle, Richmond and Brisbane, which will give a good indication of their finals hopes.
The Suns remain winless, having drawn with GWS last weekend. Against the Cats, they didn’t score until 10 minutes into the third quarter when a goal from captain Tara Bohanna broke Geelong’s run of 10 goals.
Things aren’t looking good for Melbourne, Port Adelaide or Essendon either, who all have just the one win this season. However, none as bad as Collingwood, who are now 0-5 after conceding a seven-goal loss to the previously winless Western Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon.
The Magpies played again with two VFLW top-up players after being badly plagued by injury this season.
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