Port Melbourne and Collingwood kept their premiership dreams alive with thrilling wins in the opening week of the VFLW Finals Series.

CARLTON                      3.0        4.3        5.3        5.5 (35)
PORT MELBOURNE      1.2        2.6        6.6        6.9 (45)

A strong third quarter drove Port Melbourne to an elimination final win at IKON Park after defeating Carlton by 10 points on Saturday. After an even opening 10 minutes to the game which saw both sides open their accounts with goals, the Blues would get the jump to lead at the first break, kicking two goals in the last three minutes of the match to go ahead 10 points. They would keep the Borough at arm’s length in the second term and twice hit game-high leads of 15 points in the quarter before a late Kaitlyn O’Keefe goal made the deficit nine points for the away side. It would prove to be a goal that sparked a terrific start to the second half for Port Melbourne as they booted four goals. Two of those came within minutes of each other from Paris Gebel-Lamb to set the tone in third term and with only one goal conceded the Borough would hold a nine-point lead by three quarter time. No side would kick a goal in the final quarter which solidified Port Melbourne’s upset victory and made it two wins from two against the Blues in 2026. The likes of Emear Scally (22 disposals, seven clearances) and Courtney Jones (18 disposals, 11 tackles) led the charge for Port Melbourne whilst Gebel-Lamb’s two third quarter goals was the third time she’s booted two majors in a match this season. Hannah Scott’s form didn’t fall away despite Carlton’s exit from season 2026; she led her side in disposals (24) whilst also having 10 tackles, meanwhile Ellie Sbeghen was outstanding in the ruck with 54 hit outs, 15 disposals and seven inside 50s, and Mia Caffry ended her impressive campaign on a high with 19 touches, six clearances and five tackles.

BEST
Carlton: Hannah Scott, Grace Matser, Octavia Di Donato, Lucy Burke, Kiara Bischa
Port Melbourne: Not submitted
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COLLINGWOOD              0.0        3.1        6.1        6.2 (38)
WESTERN BULLDOGS    3.2        5.2        5.4        5.7 (37)

Collingwood pulled off a stunning comeback to advance to the semi-final after a one-point triumph over the Western Bulldogs at Victoria Park on Sunday. The Magpies, who were coming into this match off two straight losses, were blown out of the water by the sixth placed Bulldogs in the first term as they kicked three goals whilst keeping the home side scoreless to lead by 20 points at quarter time. When Bulldogs forward Analee McKee booted her first goal of the second quarter at the eight-minute mark, the margin had reached a game-high 25 points and the Magpies had managed just one behind in the same period, but the hosts wouldn’t be down for long. Three goals in three minutes from Collingwood would suddenly flip the game on its head with the deficit only at seven points before a second McKee goal set the margin at 13 points at the main break. But that late second quarter goal wouldn’t tear apart the Pies momentum in the third term, as within three minutes of play, two further Collingwood majors made it a one-point ball game, before an Eva Harris goal gave the home side their first lead of the match. The Western Bulldogs would struggle to find the goals thereafter, trailing by three points at three quarter time before only managing three further behinds in the final quarter despite a flurry of inside 50 entries. Collingwood would do enough defensively in the final moments of the game to escape with a narrow triumph, their first at the venue this season and since Round 12, 2025. Tahlia Sanger was simply brilliant in the win, amassing 27 touches, 15 tackles and four intercept possessions. Her teammates in Abbey Tregellis (23 disposals, seven clearances, one goal) and Jemma Ramsdale (15 disposals, nine intercept possessions, six marks) were also critical in the victory. The Bulldogs had plenty of contributors as they nearly pulled off a huge upset, McKee finished with two goals and eight marks (five of those contested) and Lauren Ahrens was a rock in defence with 27 disposals and 13 intercept possessions.

BEST
Collingwood: Tahlia Sanger, Sophia de Castella, Erin McKinnon, Abbey McDonald, Abbey Tregellis, Lily Jordan
Western Bulldogs: Not submitted
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