Amy Kane is mobbed by her Collingwood teammates after kicking a goal on debut against Darebin at Preston City Oval on Saturday. Picture: Kelly Defina/AFL Photos

HAWTHORN 7.11 (53)
CASEY DEMONS 2.2 (14)

HAWTHORN franked its rebel VFLW premiership credentials and put a dent in those of the Casey Demons when it romped past the Demons by 39 points in their heavyweight showdown at Box Hill City Oval on Sunday.

The Demons went into the clash undefeated but were swamped after a tight first half, conceding 4.6 to 0.1 to slip from top spot to third as the Hawks took their double chance spot four weeks out from the finals.

Tamara Luke was the catalyst for Hawthorn’s win, kicking all three of her team’s first-half goals, including the one that broke the game open just before half-time, while Nadia von Bertouch (17 disposals, 11 marks, six rebounds) was almost impassable at full-back and Jordan Mifsud (20 disposals, five clearances), Eliza Shannon (19, five marks) and Dom Carbone (19, four marks) took the initiative in the middle.

But the Hawks are sweating on the health of talented AFLW signing Zoe Barbakos, who was carried off the ground with a knee injury.

Defender Rebecca Grant fought hard against the tide to be Casey’s best player with 22 possessions, five marks and eight rebounds, Lucy Wales won the ruck with 19 touches, four marks, 15 hitouts and five inside-50s, Sammie Johnson had 17, five rebounds and six tackles and Mel Hogg 17 and five clearances.

Darebin's Sally Lynch and Collingwood's Nyakoat Dojiok fly for a mark. Picture: Kelly Defina/AFL Photos

DAREBIN 3.3 (21)
COLLINGWOOD 8.7 (55)

COLLINGWOOD prized the door to the top six open again with a convincing 34-point win over Darebin at Preston City Oval on Saturday.

The Magpies were unbeatable last year but have struggled for any form in 2022 until their season went on the line, with Monique Dematteo starting things in the first minute and Sarah King adding another before an armwrestle saw no more goals added until Nicole Callinan put the Falcons on the board six minutes before half-time.

But Eloise Chaston answered before the break and Collingwood kicked five of the last six goals to move back within one victory of Darebin’s sixth spot on the ladder.

Elisabeth Jackson was the standout for the Magpies in earning 26 disposals, five marks, and nine clearances, while Matilda Zander (16, two goals), Marla Neal (16, six inside-50s, six tackles) were vital in their parts of the ground.

Callinan was the Falcons’ best with 14 touches, seven tackles and a goal, with Simone Ruedin (13, six marks), Ellen Buckley (15, five clearances) and Emma Mackay (11, two goals) providing support, but they now face a tough task to stay in the six with matches against Hawthorn and Essendon still to come.

Gena Lawson-Tavan stretches for a mark for Darebin. Picture: Kelly Defina/AFL Photos

PORT MELBOURNE 2.5 (17)
GEELONG 7.8 (50)

LAURA Gardiner produced one of the best individual games seen in rebel VFLW history with an astonishing performance to lead Geelong to a 33-point win over Port Melbourne at ETU Stadium on Saturday.

Gardiner has taken her own football to games all season and is getting better with every game, with her 27 disposals in Round 2 being her quietest game before consecutive tallies from Round 6 onwards of 31, 35, 35 and 39 before pulling out a scarcely believable 49 disposals, six marks, 10 clearances and 11 inside-50s to take her season average to 36.

Paige Sheppard (27, six marks, six clearances, one goal), Tamara Smith (26, five clearances, seven inside-50s, 11 tackles) and Chloe Leonard (24, six marks) produced games that would normally contend for top votes but were dwarfed by Gardiner’s performance, while Mia Skinner kicked two goals.

Kaitlyn O’Keefe was tireless for the Borough in earning 21 disposals, five clearances, four inside-50s, five rebounds and 10 tackles, with help coming from Sarah Dargan (18, five clearances), Lisa Davie (16, nine rebounds), Akayla Peterson (16, five marks) and Olivia Barton (15, seven rebounds).

Collingwood's Georgia Ricardo marks in front of Darebin's Millie Shone. Picture: Kelly Defina/AFL Photos

SOUTHERN SAINTS 6.8 (44)
WILLIAMSTOWN 4.4 (28)

CAITLIN Greiser lived up to the hype as she almost single-handedly helped Southern Saints avoid disaster, kicking three last-quarter goals to see off a gallant Williamstown by 16 points at Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval on Sunday.

The Seagulls traded punches with the much higher-fancied Saints for three quarters and turned for home within seven points, but Greiser came to the party in the last quarter, kicking 3.2 of her team’s 3.3 to add to 19 disposals and 10 marks and cash in on another strong display from Hannah Stuart (24, five inside-50s, 10 tackles) and Sarah Black (31 hitouts, nine tackles), while Alana Woodward (12), Gabriella De Angelis (nine), Madi Capsalis (eight) and Nicki Cormack (six) laid 35 tackles between them.

Sydney Swans Academy member Emily Eaves led Williamstown’s charge with 19 disposals and five tackles, with Sharnie Whiting (15, nine rebounds), Tayla Dinuccio (13, eight tackles), Alana Sarec (26 hitouts) and Thalia Wright (seven tackles) all playing their parts.

Darebin's Karly McNiece tries to break clear of Collingwood's Joanna Lin. Picture: Kelly Defina/AFL Photos

CARLTON 4.2 (26)
NORTH MELBOURNE 8.5 (53)

NORTH Melbourne won a virtual elimination final to cut the number of top-six contenders to eight with a 27-point win over Carlton at Ikon Park on Sunday.

The Kangaroos wasted little time putting the Blues under the pump, kicking four goals to none in the first term and conceding just one before three quarter-time to keep themselves in the sixth spot conversation alongside Darebin and Collingwood.

Elizabeth McGrath was dominant for North Melbourne with 18 disposals, five marks and 20 hitouts, while Molly Eastman and Annabel Scott (one goal) had 22 disposals and seven marks apiece, Amy Smith had 20 and took four marks. Reni Hicks had 17, five clearances and a goal and Ellie Macdonald took seven marks.

Lily Goss led the way for Carlton with 22 and eight clearances, with support coming from Madeleine Di Cosmo (15, five clearances, one goal) and Ally Bild (16, four marks).

Collingwood's Aliesha Newman is tackled by Darebin's Tannah Hurst. Picture: Kelly Defina/AFL Photos

WESTERN BULLDOGS 0.2 (2)
ESSENDON 7.7 (49)

ESSENDON is the only undefeated team left in the competition and assumed top spot on the ladder after breezing past Western Bulldogs by 47 points at Victoria University Whitten Oval on Saturday.

The Bombers held the Bulldogs scoreless in Round 1 and conceded just two behinds this time, although the home team’s improvement was evident in giving up just seven goals this time compared to 15 in February.

Amelia Radford (30 disposals, five marks, five clearances, six inside-50s, six tackles) and Georgia Nanscawen (29, six marks, five clearances, inside-50s, six tackles) were both outstanding again for Essendon and Danielle Marshall (19, eight marks), Grace Dicker (20) and Joanne Doonan (two goals) were also impressive.

The Bulldogs fought hard all day, led by Britney Gutnecht (23, six marks, seven clearances, five tackles), Eliza Morrison (24) and Lucy Schneider (18), while Jemma Webster had seven tackles and broke through for their first score against Essendon at the 18-minute mark of the seventh quarter (counting Round 1).

 

Collingwood's Marla Neal looks to evade Darebin's Ellen Buckley. Picture: Kelly Defina/AFL Photos

rebel VFLW LADDER, ROUND 10 - click here

THIS WEEK

ROUND 11: Saturday, May 7: North Melbourne v Geelong (Aegis Park, 9.30am); Southern Saints v Western Bulldogs (Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval, 9.45am); Williamstown v Carlton (Williamstown, 10.05am); Darebin v Essendon (Preston City Oval, 11am). Sunday, May 8: Casey Demons v Collingwood (Casey Fields, 10am); Port Melbourne v Hawthorn (ETU Stadium, 2pm).

NEXT WEEK: ROUND 12: Saturday, May 14: Collingwood v Western Bulldogs (AIA Centre, 10am); Darebin v Geelong (Preston City Oval, 11.05am); Port Melbourne v Casey Demons (ETU Stadium, 2pm); Williamstown v North Melbourne (Williamstown, 2pm). Sunday, May 15: Southern Saints v Carlton (Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval, 11am); Hawthorn v Essendon (Box Hill City Oval, 11.30am).

THEN: ROUND 13: Saturday, May 21: Southern Saints v Essendon (Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval, 10.15am); Hawthorn v Darebin (Box Hill City Oval, 11am); Carlton v Casey Demons (Ikon Park, 11am); North Melbourne v Western Bulldogs (Aegis Park, 2.30pm); Port Melbourne v Collingwood (ETU Stadium, 3.35pm). Sunday, May 22: Williamstown v Geelong (Williamstown, 11am).

Twitter: @BRhodesVFL

In a first for VFLW, all matches in 2022 are being 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 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 Play stores.