ESSENDON 7.4 (46)
SOUTHERN SAINTS 7.4 (46)

FORMER Essendon captain Courtney Ugle took full advantage of a late 50-metre penalty to rescue a heartstopping draw for the Bombers against the in-form Southern Saints at The Hangar on Sunday.

Ugle took a mark on the paint of 50 with 90 seconds left on the clock but was marched to the goal line after Winnie Laing failed to heed the umpire’s call to retreat on the mark, with the resulting major – just the second of her 43-game VFLW career – completing an Essendon comeback from 14 points down at three quarter-time.

Reigning best-and-fairest winner Eloise Ashley-Cooper won a free kick for holding the ball 40m out on the siren as the Saints desperately tried to hold on to two points, but her set shot fell short to realise the first rebel VFLW draw of the season and the first of Essendon 50 VFLW-game history (and the Saints’ 52 games).

It was a contest befitting two premiership contenders, with the teams trading three goals each in the first term as they went to the break all square.

Essendon took control in the second term with 2.2 to no score to build its half-time lead before the Saints wrested the momentum with a dominant third quarter that yielded 4.4 to nothing.

Facing their first challenge of the season, the Bombers responded, holding the Saints scoreless again in the last quarter with goals to defender Kendra Heil and then Ugle setting up the thrilling finish.

The match stats show just how tight the game was, with hitouts squared 30-30, clearances going to the Saints 30-28 and inside-50s to the Bombers 30-27, although Essendon did have 31 more disposals and 19 more marks.

First-year player Amelia Radford was again a key performer for Essendon, finishing with team highs in disposals (20), clearances (seven) and inside-50s (six), while Bulldogs recruit Danielle Marshall (18, seven marks, six rebounds) was outstanding in defence, ruck Simone Nalder (14 disposals, 28 hitouts) and Jordan Zanchetta (15, six clearances, six tackles, one goal) also stood up and Heil and Frew kicked two goals each.

Hannah Stuart led the charge for the Saints with 21 disposals, nine clearances, six tackles and a goal, Tahlia Meyer (16, five rebounds), Laing (14, six inside-50s), Alexandra Hynes (24 hitouts) provided good support and Olivia Flanagan and Tessa Boyd kicked two goals each – the first two goals of Boyd’s young career.

Saints 50th gamer Kayla Ripari had six disposals and a goal, while Bombers milestone woman Jessie Davies had eight touches and kicked a behind.

Essendon Bombers' Kendra Heil is tackled by Southern Saints' Winnie Laing during their round five VFLW match at The Hangar on March 13, 2022. Picture: Quinn Rooney/AFL Photos

DAREBIN 4.6 (30)
CARLTON 3.4 (22)

THE Darebin renaissance is continuing after the Falcons became the first VFLW team to win 50 matches after overwhelming Carlton by eight points at Ikon Park on Saturday.

The powerhouse Falcons raced to 42 wins in the first three years of the new competition to the end of 2018, but the next eight have been a lot harder to come by – just four in 2019 and one in 2021 before they completed a third victory in the first five rounds of this season to hit the milestone in their 84th match and celebrate Nicole Callinan’s own 50th VFLW game in style.

Darebin led by by two, seven and three points at every change and refused to concede to a Carlton team that was desperate to bounce back from its loss to Port Melbourne a week earlier.

Lily Goss kicked Carlton’s third goal in the fifth minute of the third quarter to mak it a two-point ball game and the defences took over, with just two behinds each added from then until Emma Mackay won a sprint back to the goalsquare to soccer the sealer with the last kick of the game.

Angelica Gogos continues to prove herself to be one of the recruits of the season with 22 disposals and eight tackles to drive Darebin’s resurgence, while Naomi Celebre (19, six clearances, five inside-50s), Callinan herself (18, six clearances, five tackles), Mackay (13, five clearances, two goals) and full-back Victoria Blackwood (five tackles, seven rebounds) were also important.

Ashlee Thorneycroft was Carlton’s best player, earning team highs in disposals (19) and clearances (five) and laying a remarkable 15 tackles, while ruck Jorja Borg wasn’t far behind, winning a staggering 44 hitouts in a terrific battle with Falcon Sally Lynch (30) while also having 16 touches and seven tackles.

Annie Lee worked hard down back and had four marks and six rebounds, while Lauren Brazzale and Bry Gurr (17 each) were also good.

A bandaged Cecilia McIntosh of the Essendon Bombers handballs while being tackled during the round five VFLW match against the Southern Saints at The Hangar on March 13, 2022. Picture: Quinn Rooney/AFL Photos

GEELONG 5.4 (34)
CASEY DEMONS 5.15 (45)

CASEY Demons moved to the top of the rebel VFLW ladder despite doing everything they could to keep Geelong in the game before winning by 11 behinds at Deakin University.

The Cats had the better of the first half, kicking three goals to one in the first quarter and sharing one each in the second to lead by seven points at the main break and 13 when Georgia Clarke kicked her second five minutes into the third term.

But despite poor conversion again blighting the Demons, they gradually wore the home team down, drawing level by the final change and kicking 1.5 to nothing in the last term to remain undefeated, defeating the Cats for the first time in five head-to-head matches and handing them a second straight home defeat.

Lauren Magee was terrific behind the ball for Casey, finishing with 25 disposals, five clearances, seven tackles and four rebounds, and Alison Brown was also a tower of strength in defence with 20 touches and six rebounds.

Jacqueline Parry (23 disposals, five marks, seven inside-50s) was sensational on the ball but blighted her copybook with 1.4, while Krstel Petrevski (20, six inside-50s) was also terrific, Alison Dowler kicked two goals and Alex Kirkwood laid eight tackles.

Demon Maggie Caris had the better of her older sister Rene in a long-awaited ruck match-up, winning 20 hitouts to 10 and 15 disposals to six.

Full-back Carly Remmos was close to best-on-ground in a losing team for Geelong, having 25 disposals including a remarkable 12 rebound-50s, Tamara Smith (22 possessions, 13 tackles), Isabella Hill (21 touches), Melissa Bragg (eight tackles) and Claudia Gunjaca (seven rebounds in an unfamiliar defensive role) contributed well and Mia Skinner and Clarke kicked two goals each.

Southern Saints' Alexandra Hynes pulls down a strong pack mark over teammate Amelia Peck and Essendon Bombers' Alex Morcom during their Round 5 VFLW match at The Hangar on March 13, 2022. Picture: Quinn Rooney/AFL Photos

WESTERN BULLDOGS 1.1 (7)
HAWTHORN 16.12 (108)

HAWTHORN kicked the sweep against the beleaguered Western Bulldogs in winning by a massive 101 points to make the Dogs’ 50th VFLW game a forgettable one at VU Whitten Oval.

As with last week against Casey, the Bulldogs kicked the opening goal, this time through Mary Sandral, but that was all she wrote as Hawthorn piled on 16.12 to a solitary rushed behind for the rest of the day.

The last time a team kicked 100 points the VFLW was when Darebin booted 21.9 (135) against Seaford on August 19, 2017, on its way to back-to-back premierships – 1666 days and 321 matches earlier and before either Hawthorn or the Bulldogs had even joined the competition.

On that day AFLW stars Katie Brennan (eight goals), Daisy Pearce (four) and Mel Hickey ran riot and now Falcons coach Kate Tyndall also appeared in the best players.

This time the Hawks won disposals 307-202, hitouts 29-13, marks 62-35 and inside-50s 46-15 as captain Tamara Luke did as she pleased with 24 disposals, nine marks, five tackles, 17 hitouts, five inside-50s and a goal, Dom Carbone had a breakout game with 22 touches and three goals and Katelyn Cox celebrated her recall with 20 possessions and five inside-50s.

Bridget Deed starred again with 18, six clearances and five inside-50s and Kristy Stratton dominated up forward with four majors and six tackles, while Mietta Kendall, Lauren Szigeti and Jessie Williams kicked two goals each to add to the home team’s pain.

Remarkably, the Bulldogs won the clearances 24-23 led by Brooke Hards’ seven (and seven tackles), but their best players were defenders Lucy Schneider, who worked tirelessly to finish with 24 disposals, five marks and five rebounds, Melanie Freeman (16 touches, six marks, four rebounds) and Elizabeth Snell (10 tackles).

Southern Saint Hannah Stuart is the new outright leader in the VFLW Coaches Player of the Year award. Picture: AFL Photos

COLLINGWOOD 5.12 (42)
PORT MELBOURNE 3.3 (21)

COLLINGWOOD took 3½ quarters to break a gallant Port Melbourne before winning by 21 points at Victoria Park.

The Magpies wasted several chances to build an early lead, registering nine behinds including several posters as it took until the 14th minute of second term before Matilda Zander finally put them on the board.

Akayla Peterson answered for the Borough within minutes and the visitors hung around, quickly responding to each of Collingwood’s next two goals before before Zander and Nyakoat Dojiok finally put it beyond their reach inside the final four minutes to mark Nicole Hales’ 50th club game in style.

Zander completed an outstanding game with 17 disposals, five tackles and 2.3, while Hales had a strong milestone match with 22 touches and five marks, captain Caitlin Bunker (20, seven marks, nine tackles) was also impressive, Mollie Emond delighted her personal cheersquad with 23 disposals and five clearances, blue-haired tackling machine Demi Hallett (nine) was again hard to escape and young tall Bella Smith took six marks.

Olivia Barton was excellent in defence for Port Melbourne, earning 21 disposals five marks and five tackles, while Katlyn O’Keefe (19 possessions, 11 clearances, five tackles) was the standout midfielder on the ground, Sophie Locke (18, seven tackles, five inside-50s) and Peterson (15, seven marks) were also strong and Kate Dudley had 30 hitouts but didn’t otherwise gather a possession.

Essendon Bombers' Jessie Davies is tackled by Southern Saints' Georgia McLean during their round five VFLW match at The Hangar on March 13, 2022. Picture: Quinn Rooney/AFL Photos

NORTH MELBOURNE 6.8 (44)
WILLIAMSTOWN 1.4 (10)

NORTH Melbourne recorded its first win of the season, romping away from Williamstown in the last quarter to win by 34 points at Aegis Park.

The Seagulls kicked the first goal through Bridie Kennedy after 10 minutes, held the lead until early in the second quarter and were still in touch at the final break when they trailed by just eight points.

But the Kangaroos had the momentum and finally put it on the board with 4.2 to nothing in the last term for confidence-boosting victory built on the back of 85 more disposals, 10 more inside-50s, 22 more hitouts and a one-sided 70-18 advantage in marks.

Jess Duffin again dominated across half-back for North with 21 disposals, 10 marks and six rebounds, Tess Craven starred in her second game with 19 possessions and two goals, Ella Maurer had 19 and six inside-50s, Elizabeth McGrath 15 disposals and 30 hitouts, Alexia Hamilton took six marks and kicked two goals, Alice O’Loughlin had five marks and two goals and Ciara Fitzgerald claimed six marks and Brittany Gibson, Hannah Ibrahim and Jess Jones took five each.

Jasmine Kawa was outstanding on the ball for Williamstown with a game-high 25 disposals, five clearances and five tackles, Sharnie Whiting repeatedly turned back the tide to have 21 possessions and 10 rebounds, Kennedy 17 and five clearances and Eliza Straford 16, five tackles and five inside-50s.

Twitter: @BRhodesVFL

Southern Saint Grace Buchan will play her 50th VFLW match on Sunday. Picture: Quinn Rooney/AFL Photos

LADDER

Casey Demons 20 (268.9%), Essendon 18 (359.8%), Hawthorn 16 (366.7%), Southern Saints 14 (155.1%), Geelong 12 (184.2%), Collingwood 12 (118.9%), Darebin 12 (56.9%), Williamstown 4 (69.1%), North Melbourne 4 (62.0%), Carlton 4 (47.8%), Port Melbourne 4 (45.9%), Western Bulldogs 0 (9.6%).

THIS WEEK

March 19-20: General Bye.

NEXT WEEK – ROUND 6, March 26-27: Casey Demons v Southern Saints, Geelong v Essendon, Western Bulldogs v Darebin, Hawthorn v North Melbourne, Williamstown v Port Melbourne, Carlton v Collingwood.

THEN: ROUND 7, April 2-3: Southern Saints v Port Melbourne, Western Bulldogs v Geelong, Hawthorn v Carlton, Williamstown v Darebin, Collingwood v Casey Demons, North Melbourne v Essendon.

In a first for VFLW, all matches in 2022 will be live streamed free. One VFLW feature match per week can be watched live via afl.com.au and the AFL Live Official App. All remaining games will be streamed live and available on demand via the VFL/W YouTube channel (youtube.com/AFLVictoria).

To access live scores, results, ladder, stats and to link to live streams/replays, download the VFL/W Official App from the Apple or Google app stores.