DESPERATE DEES STAY AFLOAT
By Chris Nice
Daisy Pearce soared to new heights with a standout two goals and 23 touches. Photo: Zimbio
With their season on the line, a narrow six-point victory against Brisbane has kept Melbourne's finals dreams alive, despite a final-quarter fright from the fierce Lions.
The Demons retain third position on the ladder, but now sit level with the Lions and Western Bulldogs on 12 points with two games to play for the season.
Melbourne were led by their skipper Daisy Pearce, who bounced back with a determined 23 touches following her quiet game against Collingwood last week.
From the opening minutes Pearce made her impact, snapping the first goal of the match from the back of a stoppage in what was incredibly her second ever goal at AFLW level.
With both teams well aware of the high stakes going into the game, the two premiership contenders were aggressive and relentless in what was a tough quarter of football.
Sabrina Frederick-Traub - while she didn't get much of the ball in the term - looked imposing around the contests for the Lions.
Yet the Lions were unable to hit the scoreboard for the entire quarter.
Pearce again consolidated the fact she is the clearance and stoppage queen of the AFLW, slotting her second in near-identical fashion to her first and giving the Demons a 15-point lead at quarter-time.
The Demons refused to relent their intense attack, and had it not been for their inaccuracy and solid defensive play from Brisbane's Kate Lutkins, the margin at the first change could have been far larger.
Pearce again exploded onto the scene at the start of the term, adding another clearance and inside 50 to her name, which ultimately resulted in a minor score.
Demon debutante Eden Zanker had two opportunities to extend the margin early in the piece, but narrowly missed on both occasions.
But it was also the Lions who were unable to capitalise.
Kaitlyn Ashmore's chance at a certain goal was blemished after she hit the post from the goal square, while Kate McCarthy sprayed a desperate shot on goal after a stunning run down the wing.
Brisbane's prayers finally were finally answered in the form of Frederick-Traub, who again utilised her unrivalled strength to best a two-on-one contest and boot Brisbane's first.
Their want for the ball was prominent, yet the Lions' quick ball movement and press down the ground left little time for anyone to get back to the forward line and score.
Brisbane couldn't match the midfield might of Pearce, Karen Paxman and Elise O'Dea, who had racked up a combined 42 touches at half-time.
Although dominating the inside 50 count 21-8, Melbourne's inaccurate score of 2.6 was still in reach for the longing Lions.
Come the third quarter, the Demons had ample chances to stretch the game out of the Lions' reach, yet a 0.4 start to the quarter coupled with another Frederick-Traub major brought the margin back to a single kick.
Ally Anderson and Lutkins combined in the defence to limit the Demon onslaught, but a rare lapse in their concentration opened the door for Tegan Cunningham to kick a major and push the lead back out to 12 points in the term's final stages.
The sheer desperation of both sides was evident, following a huge head clash between Nicole Hildebrand and Cunningham in the final moments of the quarter.
Their eyes solely on the football and minds only on their team, the two immediately went down after colliding and were promptly surrounded by trainers and physios.
With play halted, Cunningham and Hildebrand were helped off the field - their courageous efforts met with applause from the crowd.
The two were later seen on the bench in good spirits watching the rest of the game.
It turned out to be the spark the Lions needed going into the final quarter, with Brittany Gibson slotting the first and reducing the margin to a mere eight points.
Although Melbourne's Kate Hore fought back with a major of her own, Frederick-Traub again proved her dominance after rucking her own ball and booting her third in the goal square following a Melbourne kick-in infringement.
The Lions had all the momentum going their way against the stunned Demons, but two chances at goals went begging from Isabella Ayre, who missed one shot and was unable to work around the Melbourne defence 15m out from goal.
Despite their press, the Lions just couldn't convert that magical major to rule the Demons out of premiership contention.
With 30 seconds left on the clock, Emma Ziekle won a free kick for a high tackle but quickly palmed it off to Gibson, whose kick went straight up in the air.
The football still in their attacking 50, the siren sounded with Melbourne up by six points and Brisbane players up in arms after a holding the ball decision wasn't paid against Pearce in the game's final second.
One team ecstatic, the other heartbroken, yet the premiership window still remains open for both sides.
Now level in terms of points on the ladder, it will be a case of who can bolster their percentage the most as the Demons and Lions face off against the struggling Carlton and Collingwood respectively.
MELBOURNE 4.10 (34)
BRISBANE 4.4 (28)
BEST
Melbourne: D. Pearce, Paxman, O'Dea
Brisbane: Lutkins, Frederick-Traub, Anderson
GIANT WIN HAS GIANT IMPLICATIONS
By Nick D'Urbano
Amanda Farrugia celebrates after slotting a brilliant goal. Photo: Zimbio
Greater Western Sydney have 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 3.3 (21) GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 6.3 (39)
BEST Fremantle: Hooker, Antonio, Donnellan Greater Western Sydney: Gum, Brush, Farrugia
CROWS KEEP THEIR SEASON ALIVE, BUT CONCERNS OVER SUPERSTAR
By Zac Standish
Ruth Wallace facing off against the Blues in Saturday's clash. Photo: Getty
Adelaide continued their undefeated record with Erin Phillips in the side with a commanding 35-point win against a dejected Carlton outfit.
The Blues couldn’t remedy the embarrassment of last week’s record loss to the Western Bulldogs, as they were again unable to control the class and skill of the reigning premiers.
Yet there are concerns over Phillips’ troublesome quad which saw her miss the opening two rounds of the season after the superstar was benched at half-time.
In a must-win clash for both sides, it was a relatively even start to the match with both sides enjoying periods of dominance in their halves of the ground and playing with excellent ferocity and desperation.
It would be the class of Ruth Wallace which would open the game up.
Half way through the first term, Wallace was able to get on the board courtesy of an excellent snap, before doubling the dose minutes later with an incredible piece of work from the boundary.
Having gained a crucial break, it looked as if the Crows would run into quarter-time well in front as they dominated all over the field for the majority of early proceedings.
But a long finish from Tayla Harris right on the siren brought her side within a goal, breathing life back into the dispirited Blues who went into the break just four points down.
Carlton would ride the momentum of Harris’ last-minute goal into the start of the second term, getting on top through the midfield and beginning to get their run and spread going.
The change resulted in a quick major and subsequent lead change, as goalsneak Darcy Vescio put her stamp on the game after winning a tough two-on-one and converting with a snap around the body.
This form would be short-lived however, as Adelaide got back to their structures and began to win more of the ball.
Beginning with an excellent contested mark and conversion by Eloise Jones followed by an incredible boundary line snap just minutes later, the Crows ran rampant in the second half of the quarter piling on four straight goals as Jenna McCormick and Jasmyn Hewett also hit the scoreboard.
A convincing 23-point advantage under their belt going into half-time, the reigning premiers showed just how genuine their dash for finals contention was.
Conversely, with their season hanging by a thread, the Blues had to respond in the third quarter.
In an extremely tense quarter of footy, the Blues were able to halt the run and carry of the Crows and turn the contest into a slog dominated by stoppages and tight contests.
A tough collision between Ebony Marinoff and Katie Loynes highlighted the intensity; the hardened Marinoff leaving the field with blood gushing from her forehead.
Despite the improved effort, the Blues couldn’t hit the scoreboard, scoring 0.3 to Adelaide’s 0.0, spelling a quarter of missed opportunities for both sides.
It was a tough start to the last term with the Blues continuing to press hard to no avail.
An excellent effort by Adelaide co-captain Chelsea Randall would deny the Blues a vital goal at the beginning of the quarter, as the Crows managed to absorb the pressure of their opposition and retain their handy advantage.
It wouldn’t be until the last ten minutes that the Blues broke down defensively, as livewire Ruth Wallace gathered the ball inside 50 and drilled a running goal to stop the drought of majors.
Wallace’s haul would spark another dominant period for the Crows as they managed to get their run going and put away the Blues.
A late goal by Jessica Sedunary put the finishing touches on an excellent night for Adelaide, running out as 35-point victors.
Sitting at a record of 2-2-1 for the season, Adelaide face another must-win game against Fremantle up in Darwin next Friday night.
The Crows will be sweating on the fitness of co-captain Phillips, whose presence will be invaluable for the final two games of the season.
Carlton on the other hand will be hoping to get some form back, as they meet an equally desperate Melbourne team at Ikon Park on Sunday afternoon.
ADELAIDE 8.7 (55)
CARLTON 2.8 (20)
BEST
Adelaide: Wallace, Marinoff, Randall
Carlton: Harris, Harrington, Moody
BULLDOGS JUMP CLEAR IN COUNTRY CLASH
By Brooke Varney
Emma Kearney and Britt Bonnici prior to their fiery encounter. Photo: Fox Sports
The Western Bulldogs have continued their winning streak to remain ladder-leaders, beating Collingwood by nine points on Sunday afternoon in Moe.
A battle between first and last place, a Magpie win would have meant only one game would separate the two sides, despite being at opposite ends of the ladder.
But the Bulldogs were not going to let that happen and came out strong from the get-go.
Bonnie Toogood was first to add a major to the scoreboard with a kick off the ground, yet the Pies quick to respond with Meg Hutchins kicking one of her own.
From the onset both teams were fierce and aggressive, and tempers flared in the humid conditions.
Collingwood skipper Steph Chiocci was reported following a high knock on Libby Birch in the first term, which was met with hostility from the angered Dogs.
Birch later returned to the field, but was also reported for striking Moana Hope later in the match.
The rest of the first term saw Western Bulldogs take control however, as they kicked two goals and some peppered behinds to take a 16-point lead into quarter-time.
In the second quarter the Pies seemed more threatening, keeping their defence much tighter and only allowing one Brooke Lochland goal to slip through after a dropped mark in the goal square.
Things heated up when Magpie Britt Bonnici slung Emma Kearney over the boundary and into the Fox Footy crew, resulting in a fiery scuffle and 50m penalty in favour of the Bulldogs.
With both teams’ blood boiling, the margin seemed to be much closer than two goals at the major change.
Level heads ultimately prevailed in the third quarter, which saw the Bulldogs extend their lead further, with Collingwood struggling to get their hands on the footy to make an impact.
Heading into the final 15 minutes with a 17-point lead, the Bulldogs continued their dominance despite the Magpies putting up one last fight in the dying minutes.
Bulldogs veteran defender Nicole Callinan kicked the first of the last term, but the Pies were quick to respond through Chloe Molloy who added one of her own.
The ball remained in Collingwood’s forward 50 for most of the quarter, as they managed to bring the margin back down to nine points.
But a late smother from acting captain Ellie Blackburn in the final 30 seconds put a stop on any Collingwood resurgence.
All eyes were on Bulldogs’ rising stars Monique Conti and Ash Utri, who continue to shine after their impressive debut season.
Despite not making an impact on the scoreboard, Conti still made her presence felt by going hard at the footy - even with fellow national basketballer Chloe Molloy following her every move.
The Bulldogs become the only team to notch up four wins this AFLW season, even without their captain Katie Brennan and number one draft pick Isabel Huntington.
Now a game clear of the remaining seven sides, the Bulldogs face a tough challenge against the Giants to solidify their maiden Grand Final appearance.
Meanwhile, the Magpies will hope to sour Brisbane’s chances of a premiership redemption when they clash on Saturday afternoon.
COLLINGWOOD 6.5 (41)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 7.7 (49)
BEST
Collingwood: Garner, Edwards, McIntosh
Western Bulldogs: Blackburn, Conti, Kearney.
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