A review of all the action from Round 2 of the 2025 rebel VFLW season.

NORTH MELBOURNE-WERRIBEE     0.1   3.1   5.3   6.8 (44)
WILLIAMSTOWN                               1.0   3.0   4.0   4.1 (25)

NORTH Melbourne-Werribee showed it has the ability to win in more ways than one as it outlasted Williamstown by 19 points in a tough Anzac Day clash at Arden Street Oval.

The Kangaroos trailed until midway through the second quarter and were down by 11 points at one stage as the Seagulls proved they will again be a major player in the 2025 premiership race.

However, back-to-back goals from Maddie Di Cosmo and Nyakoat Dojiok wrested back the lead in the 10th minute.

The two heavyweights went goal for goal for the next 20 minutes until Zoe Savarariyan gave the reigning premiers the lead for the last time seven minutes into the third term and they eased away to a strong victory despite kicking 2.7 from that point on.

The Kangaroos controlled possession with a strong handball game, winning the disposal count 267-159 with 85 more handballs than Williamstown and generating a 38-18 inside-50m count.

Stella Reid (25 disposals, six marks), Di Cosmo (21 disposals, 13 contested, eight clearances, one goal), Elizabeth Jackson and Alana Barba kept the pressure on for the victors

Emily Eaves was a powerhouse for the Seagulls with 21 disposals, nine clearances and six tackles, while Sharnie Whiting played in defence and worked hard for seven rebounds, Megan Williamson laid 12 tackles and Laura Blue did a great job to hold Dojiok to one goal.

BEST
North Melbourne: Maddie Di Cosmo, Elisabeth Jackson, Renee Tierney, Zoe Savarirayan, Taylor Ortlepp, Stella Reid
Williamstown: Emily Eaves, India Barker, Gabriella De Angelis, Megan Williamson, Georgia Howes, Mia D'Agostino

GOALS
North Melbourne: Zoe Savarirayan 2, Maddie Di Cosmo, Nyakoat Dojiok, Taylor Ortlepp, Matilda Zander
Williamstown: Teagan Brett, Neve Crowley, Gabby De Angelis, Emily Eaves

DISPOSALS
North Melbourne-Werribee: Stella Reid 25, Maddie Di Cosmo 21, Elizabeth Jackson 21, Caitlin Fletcher 18, Charlotte Ryan 18
Williamstown: Emily Eaves 21, Sharnie Whiting 15, Neve Crowley 12, Mia D’Agostino 12, India Barker 11

WESTERN BULLDOGS     4.2   4.3   5.6   6.6 (42)
DAREBIN FALCONS         0.0   0.0   1.1   3.3 (21)

WESTERN Bulldogs grabbed their first win of the year after a powerful first quarter put paid to Darebin’s challenge in a 21-point result at Mission Whitten Oval on Saturday.

Helped by a team boasting nine AFLW-listed players, the Bulldogs looked on their way to a crushing win when they kicked four unanswered goals in the first quarter to lead by 26 points, but the Falcons were able to get their teeth into the game after that, conceding just one behind in the second term.

And although they weren’t able to hit the scoreboard themselves until an Alyssa Mifsud behind two minutes after half-time and a Nicole Callinan goal five minutes later, they actually won the rest of the game, kicking 3.3 to 2.4 after quarter-time in a performance that should give them plenty of confidence, especially with Rohenna Young medallist Monique De Matteo being held goalless for the second straight week.

Ellie Gavalas showed her class for the Bulldogs with 25 possessions and 11 tackles, with fellow AFLW players Analea McKee (18 hitouts, eight tackles, one goal), Heidi Woodley (two goals) and Jasmyn Smith also in strong touch.

Veteran Ange Gogos proved she is still one of the best players in the VFLW with a fearless performance that netted 31 disposals (20 contested), 11 clearances and 11 tackles, while youngster Lulu Beatty laid down a marker after losing her AFLW spot at Carlton with 27 touches (78 per cent efficiency) and 14 marks and Sabine Cowley Du Parquet looked dangerous in attack with five marks and two late-quarter goals.

BEST
Western Bulldogs: Analea McKee, Ellie Bishop, Ellie Gavalas, Heidi Woodley, Tamsin Crook, Sarah Sansonetti
Darebin Falcons: Ange Gogos, Lulu Beatty, Caitlin Bunker, Sabine Cowley du Parquet, Alyssa Mifsud, Isabella Daddo

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Mali McLeod, Heidi Woodley 2, Brianna McFarlane, Analea McKee
Darebin Falcons: Sabine Cowley du Parquet 2, Nicole Callinan

DISPOSALS
Western Bulldogs: Ellie Gavalas 26, Heidi Woodley 20, Jasmyn Smith 20, Analea McKee 16, Ellie Bishop 13
Darebin Falcons: Ange Gogos 31, Lulu Beatty 27, Caitlin Bunker 16, Alyssa Mifsud 15, Nicole Callinan 12

ESSENDON             4.2   8.2   10.2   10.4 (64)
COLLINGWOOD     0.1   1.1   2.1      3.6 (24)

AN AFLW-heavy Essendon team handed out a 40-point smacking to Collingwood at Windy Hill, but the Bombers weren’t feeling in the mood to celebrate after losing key midfielder Emily Gough to an ACL injury.

Gough, 20, started well with four early disposals as the Bombers banged on four unanswered goals in the first term but landed awkwardly in a marking contest just before quarter-time, with scans revealing the worst possible outcome.

She is the second AFLW player to go down in consecutive weeks after St Kilda’s Emmelie Fiedler hurt her knee playing for Sandringham last week.

The injury initially didn’t stop Essendon’s charge as it piled on another four majors in the first 12 minutes of the second term to lead by 49 points, but the home team understandably didn’t have as much spring in its step after the main break, adding just 2.2 to the Magpies’ 2.5.

Chloe Adams was terrific with and without the ball for the Bombers, grabbing a game-high 20 touches but also being the best tackler on the ground with 10.

Grace Belloni (15 disposals, two goals) was also outstanding and Layla Prince won 30 hitouts and 11 touches in the ruck in a terrific contest with Mackenzie Bourne (21 disposals and 14 hitouts).

Christina Bernardi used all her experience to kick two goals and Jayda Richardson also hit the scoreboard twice.

Bourne was the Magpies’ best with Dom Carbone (15 disposals, seven tackles) relatively quiet. Lauren Szigeti, Amelie Gladman and Courtney Jones also made their presence felt.

BEST
Essendon: Chloe Adams, Layla Prince, Marnie Robinson, Mia Van Dyke, Amy Gaylor, Christina Bernardi
Collingwood: Mackenzie Bourne, Amelie Gladman, Courtney Jones, Jemma Ramsdale, Lily-Rose Williamson, Molly Eastman

GOALS
Essendon: Grace Belloni, Christina Bernardi, Jayda Richardson, Chloe Adams, Amy Gaylor, Emily Gough, Brooke Plummer
Collingwood: Jacinta Baxter, Chloe Hunt, Lauren Szigeti

DISPOSALS
Essendon: Chloe Adams 20, Mia Busch 17, Amy Gaylor 16, Grace Belloni 15
Collingwood: Courtney Jones 15, Dom Carbone 15, Mackenzie Bourne 14, Lauren Szigeti 14

GEELONG CATS   0.1   0.2   3.3   4.5 (29)
CARLTON            3.3   6.3   6.4    7.6 (48)

CARLTON bounced back from a big loss in Round 1 to comfortably beat Geelong by 19 points at Deakin University.

With Lucy Burke slamming through three first-half goals, the Blues blew the Cats off the park with six goals to none to safely bank the four points.

The home team fought back strongly in the second half with four majors to one to put some respectability on the scoreboard.

Carlton controlled possession (276-187) and more than doubled Geelong’s mark tally (70-28) in a terrific half of footy.

AFLW-listed stars Brooke Vickers (27 disposals, 12 contested, eight marks, eight tackles, one goal), Amy Trindade (30 disposals, eight marks), Octavia Di Donato (25 disposals, 10 tackles) and Lila Keck (19 disposals, two goals) did as they pleased.

But the young Cats didn’t give up, with Abby Favell and Zoe Cowan laying 10 tackles each and Mekah Morrissy nine, while Chloe Bryant had 10 contested possessions, Hayley Peck won 20 hitouts and kicked a goal and Jemima Woods looked dangerous in attack with 1.2.

BEST
Geelong Cats: Jemima Woods, Mekah Morrissy, Hayley Peck, Elise Cook, Breanna Pratt, Abby Favell
Carlton: Amy Trindade, Brooke Vickers, Nadia von Bertouch, Lucy Burke, Hannah Bowey, Lila Keck

GOALS
Geelong Cats: Stephanie O'Kane, Hayley Peck, Seisia White, Jemima Woods
Carlton: Lucy Burke 3, Lila Keck 2, Sophia McCarthy, Brooke Vickers

DISPOSALS
Geelong Cats: Chloe Bryant 17, Elise Cook 16, Abby Favell 16
Carlton: Amy Trindade 30, Brooke Vickers 27, Octavia Di Donato 25, Lila Keck 19, Lou-Lou Field 18

SANDRINGHAM      2.0   2.0   4.1   4.2 (26)
CASEY DEMONS     0.0   1.2   1.4   3.6 (24)

SANDRINGHAM held off a fast-finishing Casey Demons to claim a two-point victory at RSEA Park to remain one of just three undefeated teams.

The Zebras grabbed control of the game with opening quarter goals to Sophie Locke and Emily Shepherd with the wind before holding the Demons to just one in the second term.

They repeated the dose in the third quarter and looked in good shape with a 15-point advantage turning for home in a low-scoring game but Alice Robinson and late inclusion Zoe Mitchell’s second goal cut it back to just three points with 11 minutes still to play.

The Demons pressed for a winner and created a turnover with a fierce tackle on Tayla Kearns that led to a Jo Lin left-foot snap from 15m that was desperately intercepted for a rushed with less than seven minutes to play.

Kearns was helped off by two trainers but despite losing their co-captain, the Zebras clung to the advantage despite the ball spending almost the entire last five minutes inside Casey’s attacking half.

Charlotte Baskaran won plenty of the ball for Sandringham and laid 12 tackles in a strong performance, although she would have liked to have used the ball better, while Erica Fowler worked hard with 18 touches, 10 tackles and 11 hitouts despite the Demons dominating the taps 72-18.

A huge 113-82 tackle count played a big role, with Baskaran, J’Noemi Anderson (12), Imogen Evans (11) and Fowler all hitting double figures.

Megan Fitzsimon was almost a lone hand for Casey with her 32 disposals being 11 more than any other player on the ground and 15 better than her best teammate in Meg Macdonald, while she added 10 tackles and seven clearances as well.

Macdonald stuck 13 tackles while Georgia Campbell delivered a massive 52 hitouts to go with 10 touches.

BEST
Sandringham: Charlotte Baskaran, Erica Fowler, Tayla Kearns, Emily Shepherd, Ella Friend, Hannah Stuart
Casey Demons: Megan Fitzsimon, Georgia Campbell, Meg Macdonald, Zoe Mitchell, Jessica Pacevski, Alice Robinson

GOALS
Sandringham: Lauren Brazzale, Arianna Clarke, Sophie Locke, Emily Shepherd
Casey Demons: Zoe Mitchell 2, Alice Robinson

DISPOSALS
Sandringham: Charlotte Baskaran 21, Erica Fowler 18, Kyla Forbes 15, Ella Friend 14, Abbey Tregellis 14
Casey Demons: Megan Fitzsimon 32, Meg Macdonald 17, Amelia Dethridge 15, Tegan Williams 14

BOX HILL HAWKS       1.3   3.5   4.8   5.10 (40)
PORT MELBOURNE     2.1   5.1   5.2   5.4 (34)

BOX HILL Hawks overcame a five-goal first half burst from Port Melbourne to run the Borough down and win a thriller by six points at Wonthaggi.

The Borough conceded the first goal to Rosie Dillon after five minutes but were unstoppable in the next 14 minutes after Laura Wright bagged a popular goal 13 minutes into her return from a knee reconstruction.

Port went off, adding another before quarter-time and slamming on three more in the first six minutes of the second quarter to lead by 20 points and look on its way to a second win to start the year.

But the Hawks managed to wrest back the momentum, kicking two goals before half-time to cut the deficit to eight and then restricting the Borough to just three behinds in the second half, squaring the scores at three quarter-time.

Both teams traded behinds before Liv Fogarty took a strong pack mark on the edge of the goal square and kicked the only goal of the final quarter in the 13th minute and the Hawks were able to ensure Port Melbourne didn’t get a chance to pinch it back.

It was a game played largely between the arcs with just 28-25 inside-50s in favour of Box Hill, with Ellie McLinden, Bec Neaves and Isla Baldwin using the ball as well as anyone, while Paige Price had 28 hitouts in a strong rucking effort.

Lauren Caruso, Ava Seton and Kaitlyn O’Keefe were strong for the Borough while Wright finished with 11 touches and the goal in a solid comeback.

BEST
Box Hill Hawks: Ellie McLinden, Paige Price, Matilda Van Berkel, Rebecca Neaves, Isla Baldwin, Mia Zielinski
Port Melbourne: Ava Seton, Molly Denahy Maloney, Courteney Bromage, Laura Wright, Isabella Stutt, Kate Adams

GOALS
Box Hill Hawks: Rosie Dillon, Olivia Fogarty, Jess Matin, Stasia Stevenson, Mia Zielinski
Port Melbourne: Georgia Booth, Courteney Bromage, Jordan Mifsud, Kaitlyn O’Keefe, Laura Wright

DISPOSALS
Box Hill Hawks: Isla Baldwin 16, Ellie McLinden 15, Nat Exon 13, Rebecca Neaves 13
Port Melbourne: Lauren Caruso 18, Bella Stutt 17, Ava Seton 15, Jordan Mifsud 13