A review of all the action from Round 10 of the 2024 rebel VFLW season.
COLLINGWOOD vs NORTH MELBOURNE
COLLINGWOOD 0.0 0.0 0.1 1.3 (9)
NORTH MELBOURNE 0.1 0.5 1.7 1.8 (14)
NORTH Melbourne jumped inside the top six as it seeks its maiden rebel VFLW finals berth with a defence-dominated five-point win over Collingwood at Victoria Park on Saturday.
In a game that produced just two goals – one to the Roos in the third term and one to the Magpies in the last – it was the visitors’ ability to at least turn their entries into minor scores that was enough to get the job done.
In doing so the Roos recorded their first win over Collingwood after four previous defeats.
The Kangaroos won the game in the contest, laying a whopping 103 tackles to 66 and the resulting bloated hitout count 64-18 as former Sydney ruck Kate Reynolds (10 disposals, 48 hitouts) dominated the taps and Audrey Rhodes (16 disposals, 18 tackles) was fierce at ground level.
Renee Tierney (20 disposals, six clearances, six tackles) and Alana Barba (17 disposals, seven tackles) were also good in the middle for North, with ex-Magpie Nic Hales (18 disposals, four marks) giving away nothing in defence and Maddie Di Cosmo laid nine tackles.
Two of Collingwood’s debutants proved to be the most prolific players on the ground, with Oakleigh Chargers duo Maggie Mahony (27 disposals, 10 clearances, seven tackles, six inside-50s, one goal) and Sarah Poustie (23 disposals, seven marks, nine tackles) turning in brilliant first games at VFLW level.
Sarah Ingram (18 disposals, six tackles) was also good for the magpies and veteran debutant Danielle Sgarbi had 17 hitouts and 11 touches.
PORT MELBOURNE vs ESSENDON
PORT MELBOURNE 2.1 2.4 2.7 3.9 (27)
ESSENDON 2.0 3.1 5.1 6.3 (39)
ESSENDON hit back from last week’s thrashing at the hands of North Melbourne to stun reigning premier Port Melbourne by 12 points at ETU Stadium and climb back into fourth spot on the ladder.
The Bombers were reeling after a 66-point loss at Arden Street Oval last week and were also looking to atone after being held goalless in a 47-point flogging from the Borough in Round 1.
The alarm bells were sounding early when former Bomber Lauren Caruso booted the first goal – her first in 55 VFLW appearances – and Emily Harley made it two for the home team inside the opening five minutes.
But Port did not hit the target again until Courteney Bromage snagged the last goal of the game in the 13th minute of the final term as Essendon banged on six unanswered majors and completely shut down the reigning premiers.
Sophie Molan was the main reason for the win with a dominant display in defence that yielded an equal game-high 22 disposals, six marks and six rebounds.
Ruby Mahony (16 disposals, six marks, seven clearances), captain El Chaston (16 disposals, five clearances, seven tackles) and Ash Melnikas (15 disposals, six clearances, eight tackles) impressed through the middle for the Bombers and Olivia Manfre (three goals) finished it all off in attack.
Another ex-Bomber, Eloise Ashley-Cooper, was outstanding for the Borough in gathering 22 touches, eight clearances, 12 tackles and five entries. Ava Seton continued to stake her AFLW credentials with 21 disposals, nine clearances and eight tackles, while Caruso (14 disposals, five clearances, 10 tackles, one goal) was important and Beth Wilson (12 disposals, 29 hitouts) had an absorbing battle with Jaimee-Lee Morrow (eight disposals, 33 hitouts).
CARLTON vs BOX HILL HAWKS
CARLTON 1.0 2.0 2.0 3.0 (18)
BOX HILL HAWKS 1.3 3.5 8.5 12.6 (78)
BOX HILL Hawks bounced back from their upset defeat to Darebin last week to protect top spot on the rebel VFLW ladder with a thumping 60-point triumph over Carlton at IKON Park.
The Hawks had lost three of their previous four games after starting 5-0 through the assistance of their AFLW stars, but this performance was their most impressive and complete of the season as they blew the Blues away with 9.1 to 1.0 in the second half.
Despite having 62 more disposals, Box Hill also won the tackle count in a brilliant display of offensive and defensive prowess.
Danika Spamer (23 disposals, 12 tackles), Caitlin Thorne (18 disposals, five clearances, 11 tackles, one goal), Annie Muir (15 disposals, seven tackles, one goal) and Gabby Collingwood (15 disposals, seven tackles) ground Carlton into the turf.
Veteran ruck Tamara Luke continued her fine season with 21 touches, 10 marks, 13 hitouts and a goal to be close to best afield again and Jess Cox (18 disposals, six clearances) and Cassie Davidson (15 disposals, eight marks, one goal) also impressed.
In fact, the Hawks’ dominance was most clearly shown by the fact four regular defenders all booted their first VFLW goals – Muir in her 16th game, Davidson in her 15th, Eleanor Butler in her eighth and Annabelle Embelton in her eighth.
Isla Baldwin (24 disposals, six tackles) was clearly the Blues’ best in a disappointing showing that has left their finals hopes dangling by a thread, with Eliza Wood (18 disposals, nine tackles, one goal), Izzy Khoury (17 disposals, six tackles) and Asha Turner-Funk (19 disposals) also trying hard.
WESTERN BULLDOGS vs SOUTHERN SAINTS
WESTERN BULLDOGS 1.1 3.4 4.4 5.4 (34)
SOUTHERN SAINTS 1.2 3.2 3.5 3.6 (24)
WESTERN Bulldogs banked their fifth-straight victory and sent 2022 grand finalist Southern Saints crashing to the bottom of the ladder, coming from behind to record a 10-point win at Mission Whitten Oval.
The Saints were the better team early as they kicked three of the first four goals and looked to be on track to breaking a seven-match losing streak when Chloe Hunt banged through a 45m left foot snap from a pack in the ninth minute of the second term to give her side a 12-point lead.
But the Bulldogs, whose only goal to that point had been London Ashcroft’s maiden VFLW snag with the last kick of the opening quarter, worked their way back.
The home side took the lead when captain Dom Carbone kicked truly just before half-time and gaining breathing space when ex-Saint Renee Saulitis won a footrace and snapped truly in the second minute after the break.
The Saints kicked four behind in a row either side of three quarter-time but couldn’t hit the target to take back the lead, and when Jaimi Tabb won a goalmouth scramble to kick a goal with three minutes to play the Bulldogs had the four points secured.
Carbone (21 disposals, five clearances, seven tackles, one goal) was simply too clean when it mattered and Keeley Hardingham (23 disposals, seven clearances, nine tackles, 29 hitouts, six inside-50s) was the dominant tall for the Bulldogs to keep the pressure on the VFLW Coaches Player of the Year leader Ange Gogos.
50th gamer Sarah Skinner (14 disposals, six tackles) and forward Isadora McLeay (11 tackles, one goal) also had their moments in the victory.
The Saints’ defence worked overtime against a 36-22 inside-50 deficit, led by Charlotte Ryan, who should be in the votes after her 26 disposals, six clearances and eight rebounds, while Deanna Jolliffe (17 disposals, six marks, seven rebounds) and Chloe Saultry (14 disposals, five rebounds) were also fantastic.
DAREBIN FALCONS vs CASEY DEMONS
DAREBIN FALCONS 2.2 2.4 6.5 7.7 (49)
CASEY DEMONS 0.1 2.3 3.4 4.4 (28)
DAREBIN’s renaissance continued to gather steam as the Falcons won their third game in a row and climbed off the bottom of the rebel VFLW ladder.
The Falcons celebrated Riley Christgoergl’s 50th VFLW game by denying Casey Demons a spot in the top six with a convincing 21-point victory at Genis Steel Oval on Sunday.
The Falcons booted two unanswered goals in the first quarter to gain an early lead, but saw it whittled back to a point when the Demons matched that output in the second term.
But with the confidence gained from being in front and having remembered how to win over the past fortnight, Darebin regained control with a major to Amy Kane early in the third term and then made the decisive break with four of the next five.
It was a goal Ella Southgate on the three quarter-time siren that broke the Demons’ back before Monique De Matteo sealed it with her third early in the last.
Amazingly, it means that the Falcons have now gone from four-straight wins into 28-successive losses into three-consecutive wins in their past 35 matches dating back to Round 4, 2022.
De Matteo’s three goals came from 14 disposals and five marks, while she also delivered five inside-50s to move to 14 goals and equal second in the Rohenna Young Medal race.
Brilliant midfielder Ange Gogos (25 disposals, six clearances, 12 tackles, five entries, one goal) was again outstanding and could well at the very least maintain her 16-vote lead in the rebel Coaches MVP Award voiting as it goes behind closed doors for the last four weeks of the season.
Co-captain Caitlin Bunker (22 disposals, nine clearances, 11 tackles) and Alyssa Mifsud (21 disposals, seven clearances, seven tackles) were also magnificent, Sam Baisis (18 disposals, five entries) had another marvellous game in her rookie year at 27 years of age and Shannon Egan (28 hitouts, six tackles) was clearly the most influential ruck on the field.
Casey was best served again by Meg Macdonald (17 disposals, six tackles, six entries), with Zoe Mitchell (17 disposals, six tackles) and Tegan Williams (16 disposals, six rebounds, nine hitouts) also working hard, but nobody else managed more than 11 touches for the day.
WILLIAMSTOWN vs GEELONG CATS
WILLIAMSTOWN 4.1 7.7 9.8 13.11 (89)
GEELONG CATS 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.3 (3)
WILLIAMSTOWN produced the single most devastating performance in its 81-match VFLW history to maintain second spot on the ladder and leave Geelong’s finals hopes in tatters with an 86-point thrashing at DSV Stadium.
The Seagulls’ previous highest score and biggest win were 11.12 (78) and 76 points against Darebin at La Trobe University in Round 1 this year, while their previous highest score at home was 9.6 (60) against Carlton last week as they enjoy a golden patch.
Continuing the record-breaking theme, their previous biggest home win was 38 points against the Blues last year and the Falcons this season, while only once before – the aforementioned Round 1 clash with the Falcons – had they kept a team goalless.
Williamstown controlled the game right from the first bounce, with Teagan Brett kicking a goal after just 37 seconds, before Chloe Bain added the second before the clock hit 2:00.
Leading by 24 points at the first change meant the game was almost over and it certainly was when Williamstown kicked three in three minutes midway through the second quarter. The rout was complete when Brett kicked her fourth to end a run of four goals in nine minutes early in the last.
Brett’s breakout day finished with 4.1 from 16 disposals and four marks as she took the baton from Rohenna Young Medal leader Sharnie Whiting, who was held to just seven touches but still managed two goals, while fellow forward Molly Simpson booted 2.3 from 12 possessions and even Nicole Julian hit the scoreboard with her first VFLW goal in her 57th game.
Captain Eliza Straford (21 disposals, five tackles, one goal), Emily Eaves (21 disposals, five clearances, five tackles) and Ash Thorneycroft (17 disposals, five clearances, eight tackles) also had days out as the Seagulls turned a narrow 19-disposal advantage into a 45-16 inside-50 dominance and still won the tackle count 67-58.
Lily Jordan (28 disposals, five clearances, eight tackles), Abbey McDonald (23 disposals, five marks) and Poppy Schaap (18 disposals, four marks, 12 tackles) put in lion-hearted efforts for the Cats, while Jo Sunderland (14 disposals, five marks, six rebounds) tried hard in defence.
