AFLW round 10: Results, news and live ladder as clubs jostle for finals spots
Essendon has clinched the last spot in AFLW finals — but its victory over Carlton could come at a huge cost with a star Bomber in doubt for next week’s elimination final.
Essendon has broken through for a maiden AFLW finals appearance but faces an uphill battle to reach the second week after devastated co-captain Bonnie Toogood suffered an ankle injury.
The Bombers managed to find a club-record nine individual goalkickers – including some unlikely sources – to trump Carlton by 36 points at Ikon Park and reclaim eighth spot on the ladder as the Demons could only watch on in despair.
Any optimism in the Melbourne camp about Carlton’s chances would have been severely dented after the Blues lost not one, but two of their top on-ballers before the first bounce.
Mimi Hill was ruled out with a groin issue 45 minutes before Abbie McKay reinjured her adductor in the warm-up.
It was a crippling blow to a side which was already without Keeley Skepper due to a hamstring injury.
TOOGOOD IN TROUBLE
Toogood, the Bombers’ reigning best and fairest, came from the ground with a left ankle complaint midway through the first term and did not return to the game.
The star forward spoke at length to club medical staff and looked distraught on the bench after failing to finish a game for the second time this season.
Essendon went 2-2 in the four games without Toogood following her knee injury in round 1, and coach Nat Wood said they would sweat on scans for the All-Australian.
“Bon will be really important for us, she’s been back in some fine form,” Wood said.
“We’ve had a few injuries … the whole forward line has been pretty unsettled.
“(But) I think we had nine individual (goal) scorers today … that’s a really good sign of our growth.”
Gee that is a HUGE goal for the Bombers!#AFLWBluesDonspic.twitter.com/MxPgFhFa84
— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) November 2, 2024
GOLDEN GAY TIME
Maddi Gay’s ball-use has been phenomenal all year from halfback, but the Melbourne recruit reached a new level on Saturday night as she racked up 22 disposals at 90 per cent efficiency in the first half alone.
The experienced utility was crucial as she orchestrated the Bombers’ attacking thrusts, and Carlton’s defence found her unpredictable to read.
Amelia Radford booted her second goal for the season, Georgia Nanscawen kicked her first, and Amy Gaylor was mobbed by teammates after finishing beautifully off her left foot from 35m for a maiden goal during the Bombers’ second-quarter burst.
The Bombers will need to find similarly creative avenues to goal when they face either Fremantle or Richmond (should the Tigers beat Hawthorn on Sunday) in an away elimination final.
The moment the Bombers secured their spot in the finals ðŸ˜#AFLWBluesDonspic.twitter.com/U8yEe9On91
— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) November 2, 2024
MOMENTUM BLUES
Losing two stars in the hour before the game wasn’t the ideal preparation for the Blues, but they again failed to remain competitive in a clash where they gave away a first-half lead.
The Blues finished 14th with a 4-7 record in their second season under coach Mathew Buck, and their lowest losing margin came in a pair of 33-point defeats to Richmond and the Western Bulldogs.
It was a telling figure from a season in which they also kept finals contender Geelong goalless and claimed a stirring four-point away win over Fremantle.
With a fleet of talented midfielders all entering their prime, and strong key position stocks at either end, pressure will be on the Blues to close the gap between their best and worst next season.
SCOREBOARD
BLUES 1.2, 2.4, 2.5, 3.6 (24)
BOMBERS 1.0, 4.1, 7.2, 9.6 (60)
BEST Blues: Guerin, Fitzgerald, Sherar, Peterson, Vescio, Ortlepp. Bombers: Gay, Nanscawen, Prespakis, Gaylor, Gee, Bannister.
GOALS Blues: Austin, Vescio, Halfpenny. Bombers: Bannister, Radford, Gaylor, Nanscawen, Gamble, Gee, Morcom, Vogt, A Clarke.
UMPIRES Nund, Percey, Simmonds
INJURES Blues: Pound (head), Hill (groin - withdrawn), McKay (adductor - withdrawn). Bombers: Toogood (ankle).
CROWD 2655 at Ikon Park
ROOS SECURE UNDEFEATED HOME-AND-AWAY SEASON
— Ed Bourke
North Melbourne clinched the minor premiership and became only the second team in AFLW history to complete an unbeaten home-and-away season with a commanding 63-point win over Gold Coast.
The Kangaroos will host Adelaide or Brisbane in a qualifying final at Ikon Park next week after flexing their muscles against the Suns with a deluge of second-half goals at Arden Street on Saturday.
After being held goalless in three of the last four weeks, dynamic half-forward Alice O’Loughlin slammed home a career-high four goals in a performance which reminded rivals of the Roos’ heightened firepower compared to their runners-up campaign last year.
Jas Garner from the top of the square ðŸ‘#AFLWNorthSunspic.twitter.com/vmT8FrZf2L
— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) November 2, 2024
Jasmine Garner (24 disposals and a goal) and Ash Riddell (32 disposals and eight intercepts) continued the double act which has blown apart opposition midfields all year, and importantly for the Roos showed no signs of fatigue heading into the finals.
The Crows loom as their most likely first-week opponents – St Kilda would need to beat Brisbane by a significant margin at Moorabbin on Sunday to knock the reigning premier into fourth place.
The Roos were the first team since Brisbane in the inaugural seven-game AFLW season in 2017 to go unbeaten through a home and away campaign.
Geelong (draw), Adelaide (eight points) and Richmond (12) were the only teams to get within six goals of the Kangaroos all season.
A career-high four goals for Alice O'Loughlin ðŸ˜#AFLWNorthSunspic.twitter.com/nNXRSa7J0m
— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) November 2, 2024
MISFORTUNE EVERY WEEK
Contentious score reviews cost them two victories, and horror injuries seemed to strike at every turn.
The Suns rocketed into fifth last year with a 6-1-3 record, but the final-round thrashing was reflective of a dismal 2024 campaign where nothing went right.
Leading by three points midway through the first term after weathering an early storm, any confidence the Suns had was eviscerated when the Roos piled on three goals in the five minutes before the first break.
Niamh McLaughlin was Gold Coast’s best player to halftime, but was in significant discomfort after hurting her shoulder in the third term, and returned only to roll an ankle in the final quarter.
SCOREBOARD
KANGAROOS 3.4, 5.9, 9.10, 11.12 (78)
SUNS 1.0, 2.0, 2.1, 2.3 (15)
BEST Kangaroos: Garner, Riddell, O’Loughlin, Tripodi, M King, Birch. Suns: Rowbottom, Whitfort, McLaughlin, Randell, Brancatisano, Lynch.
GOALS Kangaroos: O’Loughlin 4, Randall 2, Shierlaw, Garner, Gatt, E King. Suns: Barwick, Smith.
UMPIRES Lyon, Ritchie, Scott
INJURIES Kangaroos: nil. Suns: McLaughlin (shoulder/ankle).
CROWD 2162 at Arden Street Oval
DEES PINCH EIGHTH, LEAVING DONS TO RESPOND
— Ronny Lerner
Melbourne has kept its AFLW finals hopes alive after smashing cellar dwellers Collingwood by 47 points at Princes Park on Saturday.
The 11.8 (74) to 4.3 (27) result has seen the Demons provisionally replace Essendon in eighth spot on the ladder and Melbourne will head to a sixth consecutive finals series if Carlton upset the Bombers on Saturday night.
If Essendon triumph, though, they will seal a top-eight spot and in order to sneak into the finals, the Demons would then require GWS to thrash Port Adelaide on Sunday to the extent that the Power lose 33 percentage points in a highly unlikely scenario.
Meanwhile, the Magpies have completed their worst ever season (1-10) and claimed their first wooden spoon (excluding years with conferences) in what has been a diabolical maiden campaign for rookie coach Sam Wright.
Melbourne registered their biggest win of the season on Saturday and eight minutes into the third quarter, they had already brought up their best score of 2024.
And they were able to do so because they tore Collingwood apart with their best display of their trademark aggressive, attacking game style of the season.
The Demons routed the Magpies in the disposal count (277-197), contested possessions (116-94), clearances (35-26) and inside-50 battle (41-28). Their pressure was fierce all day and they were far more lethal in attack with eight individual goalkickers.
Captain Kate is BACK 🫡@Coles | #AFLWDeesPiespic.twitter.com/lGErHmDZlK
— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) November 2, 2024
SUPER MAC
Eliza McNamara was magnificent for the winners with 32 disposals (13 contested) and six tackles - 21 of those touches came in the first half.
Melbourne captain Kate Hore played her best game of the season with three goals from her 17 disposals and Olivia Purcell was also damaging with 27 possessions (12 contested) and eight clearances.
Brittany Bonnici was the shining light for Collingwood with 20 touches (15), five tackles, five clearances and two goals, one of which was a superb running effort from 40m out in the second quarter.
DEES GET THE JUMP
The Demons started with a bang, piling on the first three goals to open up an early 20-point lead, but Collingwood responded with back-to-back majors via Bonnici after the Pies’ pressure lifted and they managed to wrest the ascendancy in the territory battle from Melbourne.
Stacey Livingstone makes her way off the ground for the 77th and final time ðŸ‘
— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) November 2, 2024
It's been an honour, Stacka 🖤ðŸ¤#AFLWDeesPiespic.twitter.com/SjzT1xvCQK
COLLINGWOOD OVERRUN
However, it would only prove to be a fleeting momentum shift for the Magpies, because Hore hit back with consecutive goals of her own in the space of three minutes.
It sparked a run of four Melbourne majors in a row as they shot out to a 31-point lead at the main break. Another five consecutive goals saw the margin swell to 53 points late in the game.
PIES IN HOT WATER
Collingwood star Lauren Brazzale and vice-captain Jordyn Allen could be facing delayed starts to season 2025 after applying a pair of dangerous tackles on Megan Fitzsimon and Purcell respectively in the second quarter. Both incidents saw the Demons’ heads make contact with the ground and also earned them both free kicks.
SCOREBOARD
MELBOURNE 3.3, 7.3, 10.6, 11.8 (74)
COLLINGWOOD 1.2, 2.2, 3.2, 4.3 (27)
RONNY LERNER’S BEST
Demons: McNamara, Hore, Purcell, Hanks, Fitzsimon, B.Mackin.
Magpies: Bonnici, Schleicher, Cronin, Brazzale, Cann.
GOALS
Demons: Hore 3, Bannan 2, Fitzsimon, Campbell, Gall, Hanks, Zanker, Pisano.
Magpies: Bonnici 2, Butler, Barnett.
UMPIRES Bridges, Morgan, Mitchell
TBC at Princes Park
KEY INJURY SCARE SOURS CROWS’ SURGE FOR DOUBLE CHANCE
— Ben Cameron
Adelaide could be without young star Danielle Ponter for its opening week of the finals after she rolled an ankle as the Crows locked in fourth place with a four-point, come-from-behind victory over Geelong at Kardinia Park.
The Crows put a wasteful opening half behind it to overrun the Cats, who failed to kick a goal after half time and coughed up a slight chance to slide into the eight at the 11th hour.
However, the Crow’s victory could come with a cost with the 24-year-old Territorian escorted from the field in a thrilling final term.
Post-match, Crows coach Matthew Clarke said his medical staff were “optimistic” Ponter would get up for week one.
What a way to kick the opener 🤩#AFLWCatsCrowspic.twitter.com/c34FkJuKt3
— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) November 1, 2024
“A roll of the ankle, not idea but the medicos are optimistic,” Clarke said.
“She’ll have to do all the right things during the week. Certainly not (ruling her out), they were reasonably positive, we’ll see.
“She’s got a great history, particularly in big games standing up and giving us moments, we’ll certainly hope she’ll be right.
“If not then we’ll have to get it done another way but we certainly give her every chance.”
Coming into the final round of the season, the fourth-placed Crows needed to win to lock up that position.
And they fluffed their lines early, managing just 1.5 to half time despite a dominant inside 50 count (18-10), with its first major coming until the ninth minute of the second term through Caitlin Gould.
Up the other end, Geelong made the most of their rarer entries with Jacqui Parry, Kate Surman and Shelley Scott deadly accurate.
But through Gould’s growing dominance, and Ebony Marinoff picking up a wealth of touches in an important third term, the Crows booted 3.3 to just three behinds after half time.
MARINOFF AMONGST IT
The Crows star would have done her league best and fairest aspirations no harm after a strong performance at Kardinia Park, with team-leading possession and tackle counts.
After a quiet second term, the left footer had 10 touches in the third as the Crows took control after a wasteful opening half.
Along with 50-gamer Nina Morrison, she also laid 10 tackles for the match.
MORRISON RAISES THE HALF TON
The inspirational Cat led from the front on Friday night, collecting a game-high 25 touches to rival Marinoff for best on ground in her 50th game in the hoops.
Morrison, the first Cat picked up the club before their inaugural season, could hold her head high after a disappointing end to the season at Kardinia Park.
One of the league’s most natural footballers, the Cats always looked a chance when Morrison had the ball in hand.
AISHLING MOLONEY NULLIFIED
After kicking a career-high six straight goals last round against West Coast, the Irish product would no doubt have come into Matthew Clarke’s midweek plans.
Guarded by Zoe Prowse, Moloney was kept goalless but still had a few influential moments as the Cats were precise from their set shots early.
In just her second season, Moloney remains in contention for winning the competition’s leading goal kicker award, two majors ahead of Brisbane’s Taylor Smith.
An incredible story if she gets there.
CATS’ FINALS DREAMS OVER
That faint pulse has now flatlined.
To stay alive in 2024, the Cats had to win on Friday night and hope Melbourne and Essendon went down.
However, they failed to complete the first leg of the trifecta, fading after half time just as they did against Fremantle and Hawthorn.
Coach Dan Lowther, who admitted post-match this was his most challenging year in his short career, will need to address the trend when season 10 rolls around.
RACHEL KEARNS
The fearless Irish product had a huge game with 15 important touches, providing plenty of grunt and drive and also the game’s biggest highlight.
Kearns pulled down a massive hanger, rising up over Danielle Ponter on the 50m arc as the Cats tried to steal it late.
After a season impacted by injury, Kearns finished the season on a personal high.
SCOREBOARD
GEELONG 1.1 4.1 4.1 4.4 28
ADELAIDE 0.4 1.5 3.8 4.8 32
BEST
Cats: Morrison, Kearns, Friswell, Prespakis, Webster.
Crows: Marinoff, Gould, Hatchard, Biddell, Newman.
GOALS
Cats: Prespakis, Scott, Surman, Parry,
Crows: Gould 3, Harchard,
INJURIES Cats: nil. Crows: Ponter (ankle)
2233 at GMHBA Stadium
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