A review of all the action from Round 7 of the 2024 rebel VFLW season.
DAREBIN FALCONS vs PORT MELBOURNE
DAREBIN FALCONS 1.1 1.1 1.3 2.3 (15)
PORT MELBOURNE 0.0 1.1 2.3 3.5 (23)
PORT Melbourne had to call on all its premiership-winning experience to outlast Darebin by eight points and break a three-match rebel VFLW losing run at Genis Steel Oval on Saturday.
The Borough went in as strong favourites but were jumped by a desperate and committed Falcons outfit who kept them scoreless in the opening quarter and perhaps could have scored more than their own 1.1.
The battle continued in the second quarter with Port matching the opening quarter efforts of the home team to square the scores at half-time and then took a six-point lead to the final break when Emily Harley used her strength to kick the only goal of the third term.
Despite losing captain Steph Simpson to injury in the second quarter, the Falcons threw everything at the Borough in the last term, but Harley sealed the win with her second goal in the 17th minute before Monique De Matteo completed her own brace in the final minute.
In a brutal battle that saw Darebin win the tackle count 96-95, it was Ava Seton who got through the most work for Port Melbourne, winning a game-high 19 disposals while also topping the tackle count with 15.
The rucks also shared a terrific contest with Beth Wilson (10 disposals, 36 hitouts, five inside 50s) and Bella Clarke (15 disposals, five tackles, 11 hitouts) taking the points over Shannon Egan (39 hitouts) and Simone Ruedin (nine hitouts).
Maggie McKellar took some important intercept marks for Port Melbourne and Lily Hart, Laura McClelland, Issy Hartog and Georgia Booth provided strong run.
Ange Gogos (17 disposals, eight clearances, 10 tackles) was again tireless for Darebin, with Alyssa Mifsud (17 disposals, seven clearances) using her size to advantage, Emily Rayment doing some nice things off half-back and De Matteo kicking both goals for the second week in a row.
SYDNEY SWANS vs COLLINGWOOD
SYDNEY SWANS 2.0 2.1 5.2 5.5 (35)
COLLINGWOOD 1.3 2.5 2.5 5.7 (37)
COLLINGWOOD took a strong side to Sydney to take on the all-conquering Swans and produced a remarkable final 90 seconds to claim a two-point thriller at Tramway Oval in Sydney.
Where most clubs have rested their best players against the Swans and GWS Giants, the Magpies brought seven AFLW stars into their team and grabbed a vital four points that could end up being crucial in deciding whether they make the finals.
Even without the late miracle, it was a terrific effort by the visitors as they found themselves within 10 points with two minutes to play, having kept Sydney goalless in the second and final quarters.
Sarah Sansonetti took a mark at half-forward and received a 50m penalty before slotting the goal with 88 seconds remaining.
From the resulting centre bounce ruck Sabrina Frederick found Muireann Atkinson, whose long bomb to the top of the goal square found its way through to Kaitlyn Day, who gleefully nailed the match winner with the last kick of the game.
Earlier, the Magpies stifled the Swans’ usual fast start, conceding just two goals in the first quarter and answering those in the second term to lead at half-time and raise thoughts of an upset.
Sydney looked like it had broken the shackles with three goals in four minutes midway through the third to lead by 15 points turning for home, but Tarni White gave Collingwood hope before the heroics at the death.
VFL-listed Carly Remmos (20 disposals, nine tackles), Ruby Schleicher (nine tackles) and Sansonetti (two goals) were outstanding for the Magpies but the experienced Frederick’s performance against All-Australian ruck Ally Morphett was arguably more important as she won the hitouts 33-23 while gathering 10 disposals to 15.
Sofia Hurley put in a lion-hearted effort for Sydney with 18 disposals, 16 tackles and seven inside-50s, with Eliza Vale (22 disposals, seven marks), Montana Ham, Ella Heads (eight rebounds) and Lisa Steane all having 20 touches each and Tanya Kennedy sticking 10 tackles.
CARLTON vs GEELONG CATS
CARLTON 1.1 2.2 4.3 5.3 (33)
GEELONG CATS 0.2 2.4 2.5 4.6 (30)
CARLTON showed off the depth of its VFLW list and moved back to within a game of the top six with a gutsy three-point win over Geelong in a thrilling finish at IKON Park.
The Blues wrapped all their AFLW players in cotton wool for the clash, selecting four Northern Knights teenagers in their place, and held firm in a tight first half before making their crucial break with three consecutive goals either side of three-quarter time to grab a 16-point lead with 15 minutes to play.
The Cats hit back with two goals to Hannah Burchell to get within three points with more than eight minutes still left but the home team refused to wilt, with Burchell’s second major proving to be last score of the game.
Carlton won despite a second head-to-head masterclass from Abbey McDonald, who stuffed the stats sheet with 35 disposals and 12 marks.
Eliza Wood was the difference maker for the Blues with 21 disposals and two goals alongside 18-year-old midfielder Isla Baldwin who was fantastic in winning 26 possessions, six clearances, six inside-50s and seven tackles.
Simone Mooney (20 disposals, eight clearances, eight tackles) and ruck Emily Hurley (11 disposals, 30 hitouts) also impressed while of the four young Knights, Holly Ridewood (15 disposals, five marks) and Zoe Hargreaves (12 disposals) were particularly impressive to be named in their team’s best.
McDonald didn’t have to do it all herself for Geelong, with Breanna Pratt (20 disposals, seven clearances), Lily Jordan (22 disposals) and Jo Sunderland (18 disposals) all working hard.
SOUTHERN SAINTS vs NORTH MELBOURNE
SOUTHERN SAINTS 0.3 1.4 1.5 3.5 (23)
NORTH MELBOURNE 0.2 0.3 2.4 3.6 (24)
NICOLE Hales was the hero as North Melbourne overcame a goalless first half to hold on for a thrilling one-point win over Southern Saints at Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval on Sunday.
Hales took a match-saving mark 20m out from goal as the Saints were pressing for the winner, shortly after a Zoe Barbakos shot landed in the goal square where Abbey Tregellis didn’t quite hold on to a grab in a big pack that would have won it.
Just one goal was kicked in the first half – by the Saints’ Charlotte Ryan in the third minute of the second term – before the Kangaroos hit back with consecutive majors to Sarah Hosking and Emily Paterno to grab a five-point lead turning for home.
The teams traded goals before Chloe Hunt put Southern in front with 10 minutes to play. And although there no more goals kicked, the Roos were able to add two minor scores through Brooke Sheridan to steal the points.
Experienced defender Hales was tireless for the Kangaroos with a team-high 19 disposals, five marks including the game-saver and nine rebounds, while Maddie Di Cosmo and Elisabeth Jackson were also outstanding.
The Saints were best served by Tessa Boyd (21 disposals, five entries, five rebounds), who roamed all over the ground to be the only player to register more than 20 disposals.
Georgia Foran (18 disposals, eight marks, six rebounds), Maddison Torpey (16 disposals, 26 hitouts, six clearances) and Charlotte Ryan (17 disposals, one goal) were also tireless in a losing cause.
CASEY DEMONS vs WILLIAMSTOWN
CASEY DEMONS 1.0 3.0 4.3 6.5 (41)
WILLIAMSTOWN 1.2 4.3 5.4 6.5 (41)
WILLIAMSTOWN recorded its second draw of the VFLW season in a thrilling stalemate with Casey Demons at Casey Fields.
In a match where the Demons never led (but were level on four occasions), the Seagulls spent most of the game with a lead and threatening to take control but never being able to do it.
At no stage was either team able to kick two goals in a row, with all of Williamstown’s six goals being answered by Casey – the longest gap being seven minutes either side of three-quarter time.
Leading by a point heading down the final stretch, the Seagulls rushed a Demons behind to level the scores with 6:25 remaining, and just like their draw with Essendon earlier in the season when a conceded behind was the last score, they couldn’t get that go-ahead score.
The ruck contest was the highlight of the game, with Georgia Campbell (13 touches, six tackles, 29 hitouts, two goals) and Lauren Jatczak (10 possessions, 27 hitouts) starred for Casey, while Cat O’Bryan (11 disposals, 19 hitouts, 10 clearances) was tireless for Williamstown.
Meg Macdonald (21 disposals, seven clearances) led all comers, while Zoe Mitchell (20 disposals, 12 tackles, eight clearances, five entries) also starred for the home team, with Lori Stepnell (20 disposals, six marks, 12 hitouts) and Ash Thorneycroft (1 disposals 7, five clearances, nine tackles) saving two points with a remarkable performance for Williamstown.
GWS GIANTS vs ESSENDON
GWS GIANTS 3.4 4.8 6.12 7.13 (55)
ESSENDON 0.0 0.0 1.1 1.2 (8)
GWS finished its guest stint in the rebel VFLW undefeated after cruising past Essendon by 47 points at Blacktown International Sports Park.
Unlike Collingwood but like all the other teams, the Bombers left their AFLW players at home and failed to score in the first half to fall 32 points behind.
While they defended better in the second half and managed a goal, they were never in the contest and the Giants’ 57-16 inside-50 count suggests they should have won by more.
The Giants had the game won within the first eight minutes with three goals on the board and added another couple before Scarlett Orritt booted the Bombers’ only major in the 10th minute of the third term.
Madison Brazendale was the most prolific Giant with 22 disposals, 12 tackles and seven inside-50s, just ahead of Emily Pease, who was terrific with 18 touches, five marks, five entries and 11 tackles.
Mikayla Pauga (20 disposals, seven tackles), Courtney Murphy (10 disposals, 30 hitouts, six tackles, six entries) were also in fine touch.
Essendon captain El Chaston led the way for their team with 22 touches and eight tackles, with support coming from Danielle Marshall in her first game for the year, Bailey Hunt and Ruby Mahony.
WESTERN BULLDOGS vs BOX HILL HAWKS
WESTERN BULLDOGS 3.3 4.4 6.7 8.7 (55)
BOX HILL HAWKS 1.0 2.3 3.3 4.6 (30)
ELLIE Blackburn put on a football clinic as the Western Bulldogs put forward their nomination for upset of the year with a stunning 25-point defeat of ladder-leader Box Hill Hawks at Mission Whitten Oval.
The Hawks went in with a beefed-up team as they aimed to bounce back from their big loss to Sydney last week but had no answer to one of the AFLW’s genuine superstars as Blackburn gathered 20 disposals, five clearances and eight inside-50s while pushing forward to kick four impressive goals.
She was the only multiple goalkicker on the ground and only two fellow AFLW stars – Hawthorn captain Tilly Lucas-Rodd (24 disposals, five marks, seven rebounds) and star Bulldogs’ defender Mua Laloifi (23 disposals, four marks) had more of the footy.
The Bulldogs did it from start to finish, kicking four of the first five goals, and they never let the Hawks get back inside two goals for the rest of the day, pushing the lead beyond 30 points at one stage before the visitors got one back late.
Keeley Hardingham (18 disposals, 15 hitouts, five clearances) and Tamara Luke (17 disposals, six marks, 15 hitouts) had a good contest in the ruck, while Jaimi Tabb (16 disposals, 10 tackles, one goal), debutant Jasmyn Smith (17 disposals, six tackles), Sarah Skinner (17 disposals, five clearances, six tackles) and Dom Carbone (18 disposals, five clearances) all performed well for the Bulldogs.
Ainslie Kemp (16 disposals, five marks, one goal) and Rosie Dillon (18 disposals, eight tackles) could hold their heads high for the Hawks, while Laura Elliott and Ellie McLinden put in strong defensive efforts.
