Greater Western Sydney has kept their distant finals hopes alive with a compelling 18-point win on the road against Fremantle on Saturday afternoon.
The Giants were led brilliantly from the front by key midfielder Courtney Gum who had 16 disposals and one goal and Ellie Brush who racked up 15 touches.
The win place the Giants just two points outside the crucial top-two, with two games to spare. GWS were on fire early as Phoebe McWilliams and Cory Staunton kicked goals either side of a Dockers major to give the Giants a six-point lead at the first change.
The Giants started the second-term slowly but built into the quarter as it progressed.Late goals from captain Amanda Farrugia and Gum opened up a 17-point lead heading into the major change as the home side failed to pack a punch in front of their fans.
Rebecca Beeson was able to convert from a 50 metre penalty and extend the Giants’ lead to four goals.
But a brain-fade up the other end gave the Dockers some hope as Gabby O’Sullivan kicked an important goal for the home side to give them a sniff of a late fightback.
It wasn’t to be for the Dockers as Jacinda Barclay flew the highest and slotted a huge goal to put the away side ahead by 23 points heading into the final stanza.
The Dockers may have had the highlight of the game with the solitary goal of the final quarter, when Steph Cain’s floater found its way home.
But it was a mere consolation as the Giants held on to victory, securing their second of the season.
Fremantle will simply see this as four points lost; their dominance around the clearances (29-14) was unable to be converted due to poor foot-work around the ground.
The Dockers now six at sixth on the ladder on eight points - the costly loss jeopardising their opportunity to equal with Melbourne and Brisbane on the ladder.
Even the impressive efforts of Ebony Antonio and Dana Hooker (19 disposals each) were not enough for the home side to gain another win.
The Dockers now sit four points behind second place and face a do-or-die clash against the reigning premiers, Adelaide in Darwin, while the Giants head to Canberra to take on the table-topping Western Bulldogs.
FREMANTLE 1.0 1.2 2.3 3.3 (21) GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 2.0 4.1 6.2 6.3 (39)
GOALS Fremantle: Barr, O'Sullivan, Cain GWS Giants: McWilliams, Staunton, Farrugia, Gum, Beeson, Barclay
BEST
Fremantle: Hooker, Antonio, Donnellan
Greater Western Sydney: Gum, Brush, Farrugia
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