AFLW 2023: Geelong stalwart Kate Darby left gutted after copping one-match suspension

A key Geelong player has been left shattered after she was banned for a week for rough conduct. Was it too harsh? Her coach has had his say on the incident. Watch it here.

The Cats want to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself. Picture: Brad Fleet

Geelong coach Dan Lowther says Kate Darby is shattered to be missing the Cats’ do-or-die elimination final against Essendon after being suspended for an incident he described as “awkward”.

The Cats challenged the ruck-forward’s one-match ban for rough conduct at the AFLW tribunal on Wednesday night but were unsuccessful.

A circumspect Lowther queried the impact of the glancing blow from the Cats ruck-forward on Hawthorn young gun Jasmine Fleming, who got straight up and played out the match.

He said that Darby was caught in two minds but conceded that the head is “sacrosanct” and that there is always a risk when a player is collected high.

Kate Darby has been offered a one-match suspension following this incident.

Full round 10 Match Review findings: https://t.co/QZAsgxw8iKpic.twitter.com/ZXAUpGbB3Q

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“As a coach I would love for her to be playing and it was just awkward,” Lowther said.

“She was probably caught in two minds in regards to channelling and looking to try to smother or tackle and you throw in the variable of a player changing direction ever so slightly and then within that split moment Kate looked like she was trying to brace and get away from her.

“For Jasmine to get up and keep playing the game without holding her face or showing signs of being hit brutally it was like well, ‘maybe there wasn’t as much impact’. But again, the head is sacrosanct so we’ve got to respect that.

“I put my coaching hat on and I’d love for her to be playing but she understands too the risks that is involved with those types of actions.

“We’ll miss her, she’s gutted clearly but she’s not a mean person, it was just one of those awkward scenarios where thankfully they both are OK but I think she will be watching intently to make sure we get back in.”

Lowther said that he feels the Cats have a better side than they did a year ago when they went down by two-points in the season seven elimination final to North Melbourne.

He said that his side is ready to handle the pressures in their second finals appearance as a club and that the shattering loss 12 months ago hasn’t been discussed in the lead-up.

“I think we are a better team, I think our connection piece has gotten better. Our midfield bats pretty deep and they’ve had more opportunity to play together and train together which has been a positive,” Lowther said.

“To play a second final together I think the group are going to be feeling like that anxiety and whatnot from last season maybe, a different sense of anxiety and pressure, but we’re ready for it.

“Last year, looking back to the first final that the girls have played together. It was a tight game, think two points was the result but the game on our terms in the second half of that game and I think we had 41 or 42 inside 50s and just couldn’t score.

“That was the area we needed to get better at and we still need to get better in that space so we’re comfortable that we’re going to get looks, as teams will as well, but it’s making the most of those entries.”

Earlier: Darby suspended for final

Geelong stalwart Kate Darby will miss her side’s cut-throat elimination final clash against Essendon after her suspension was upheld at the AFLW tribunal on Wednesday night.

Darby was hit with a one-match ban by the match review panel for rough conduct for her bump on Hawthorn young gun Jasmine Fleming in the third quarter of Geelong’s 40-point win on Saturday.

The forward-ruck bumped Fleming with a glancing blow as she received a handball on the wing, with the MRP ruling the incident as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact.

Fleming was knocked to the ground but played out the match unaffected.

Darby, 32, was coming off 14 hitouts, seven disposals and four tackles against Hawthorn and has missed just two games in the past three seasons.

She has played 41 matches across her career, 39 of those at the Cats.

Cats’ point to prove in crunch final

Geelong defender Becky Webster believes the Cats have a point to prove in Sunday’s elimination final against Essendon.

The Cats were outclassed by the Bombers when the two sides met in round 6, failing to kick a goal after quarter-time.

But since the AFLW Country Game in Warrnambool, the Cats have rediscovered their best footy with wins against Richmond and Hawthorn.

Webster said she and her teammates were brimming with excitement heading into the game at GMHBA Stadium.

“I know there is a fire in the belly to beat Essendon as we probably didn’t play our best game against them in round 6, so we’re really eager,” Webster said.

“We definitely didn’t play our best football (in the last game against the Bombers.

“I think it‘s super exciting to face them again now in an important final.”

Webster said the chance to play a final in front of a strong home crowd would help the Cats go to another level.

She said the Geelong faithful can expect a determined and fierce group, who won’t leave anything out there.

“We are building this connectivity across every line especially in the last couple weeks,” she said.

“I think we’re in a really good spot leading into this weekend, we’re firing and ready to go.

“It’s been a crazy 10 weeks. We’ve ridden the ebbs and flows but to be at GMHBA for a home final, hopefully we can get as many people down to support us as possible

“That will be super important”.

Sunday‘s elimination final will begin at 1.05pm.

Irish Cat’s significant growth

Geelong Irish player Rachel Kearns’ confidence is growing with every game.

The 26-year-old will enter Sunday’s elimination final against Essendon in arguably the best form of her career after a strong end to the home-and-away season.

Kearns finished with a career-high 13 disposals against Hawthorn in round 10 in what was a huge boost to her self confidence.

“Last week against the Hawks was the most comfortable I’ve been this year so I hope to keep it that way for this weekend,” said Kearns.

Having played as a forward and now as a defender, Kearns said the different roles had helped her learn and grow her game.

“This year my roles are reversed, I’ve kind of got the idea of what forwards should do, so in my head I have to pretend to mark myself, through the opposition,” said Kearns.

The defender said excitement was building at the Cattery ahead of this weekend’s do-or-die clash.

But she admitted her side’s improvement must improve after losing to the Bombers in round six.

“There’s definitely a bit of a buzz about the place,” she said.

“We put a bit of pressure on ourselves to make finals and the last two games were must wins to make it”.

“We just didn’t show up at all (against Essendon last time) and we deserved to lose that game, they wanted it more and so there is no excuse this weekend not to go out and do it.”

In recent weeks, Kearns has also enjoyed seeing an Irish contingent in the crowd.

Her parents watched the thrilling win over Richmond in round 9 alongside Irish teammates’ — Aishling Moloney and Anna-Rose Kennedy — parents who had travelled to Australia.

“They were definitely heard and the girls loved the vibe they brought, because they were just a rowdy bunch,” she said.

Deja vu? Pain driving Cats for finals showdown

Geelong star Nina Morrison says the pain of last year’s elimination final loss will spur her side on to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself on Sunday against Essendon.

The Cats finished in fifth spot out of the ladder in season seven but fell to North Melbourne at GMHBA Stadium by two points, managing just one goal for the match.

This time around they came in sixth and will host the Bombers with plenty of momentum after winning three of their past four games, including a thumping 40-point win over Hawthorn on Saturday.

Morrison said the playing group has learnt a lot since that devastating finals defeat in 2022, especially considering it was the Cats’ first ever AFLW final.

She conceded there would be a sense of disappointment if they don’t get the job done against Essendon given their improvement this season.

Nina Morrison says the playing group will have extra drive to ensure history doesn’t repeat. Picture Brad Fleet

Morrison, who has averaged a career-high 23 disposals, 4.8 tackles and 3.9 clearances this season, said that a finals win would mean the world considering how far the club has come since entering the competition in 2019,

“I think for sure, you feel the pain of a finals loss and I think for a lot of us it was our first time playing finals as well,” Morrison said.

“I think that experience under our belt will hold us in good stead and certainly gives you extra motivation to keep doing one better this year.

“We have improved so much this year and added layers to our game and probably had a harder fixture this year than we did last year but to be able to continue to perform and we want to be a side that is competing deep into the finals series.

“It feels like a step in the right direction is to go better than last year and obviously that means winning on the weekend.

“I look at the journey we have been on as a club for the last six years or so and to see the growth in the program and how much we’ve changed and how far we’ve come I think winning a final puts another stepping stone towards where we want to be.”

Star Cat out to end her sister’s season

— Will Lawrence

Family rivalry is set to go to another level in the Prespakis household this week.

Sisters Georgie and Maddy will go head-to-head when Geelong and Essendon face off in an AFLW elimination final on Sunday.

The pair have starred for their respective sides this season averaging more than 25 disposals but Georgie is hopeful of spoiling the Bombers’ party as they prepare for their first AFLW final.

The Cats will be the more experienced of the two sides hoping to put the heartbreak of last season’s two-point loss to North Melbourne behind them.

Georgie said she wants the pair to enjoy the week but hopes a Cats’ win could spark a deep finals run.

“My 100 per cent full attention is on Geelong and doing what we can to get the win this week so (I) just want to do my thing and let her enjoy her week,” she said.

Fellow Cats midfielder Nina Morrison is among the footy lovers excited to see the pair go head-to-head.

“It’s obviously an exciting match-up, they’re both amazing players and (they) just happen to be sisters,” said Morrison.

“She’s an awesome player and so is Georgie but it’s no different to any other team that we play and have great midfielders so she’ll relish in the battle”.

“It will be an exciting day for their family.”

Georgie Prespakis will face her sister on Sunday. Picture: Brad Fleet

The Cats have struggled for consistency within games at different points of the season.

But the last fortnight has seen Dan Lowther’s side find arguably their best form with wins against Richmond and Hawthorn.

“I think we’ve really hit our straps the last few weeks and I think the messaging across that is just playing together playing with a lot of care and joy and going out there and playing freely,” Prespakis said.

“The last two games we’ve been able to play eight consistent quarters, I think to be able to win games you’ve got play the whole four quarters particularly against tough competition.

“That’s what we’ve wanted to do and we just want to continue to build on that going into the finals.

“I think we are pretty confident in whoever we come up against that it’ll be a really good game, we’re just really stoked that we’ve got a home ground advantage.”

Geelong host the Bombers on Sunday from 1.05pm at GMHBA Stadium.

Ticket prices for the first three weeks of the AFLW finals at $10 for adults and concessions while juniors (under 18) can attend for free.

Juniors still require a ticket for entry to all games.

Originally published as AFLW 2023: Geelong stalwart Kate Darby left gutted after copping one-match suspension