Round 3: This Saturday night, watch the Freo Dockers and the Pies battle it out for their third straight win.
The smell of freshly cut grass on a warm summer night and footy—it doesn’t get better than this.
This is set to be a big one! Both the Dockers and the Pies will be riding high after historic wins last week and they’ll be battling to keep their undefeated run going.
Grab your mates and get along to Fremantle Oval, where there’ll be plenty of passion and ferocity on show. So much more than footy, the NAB AFL Women’s Competition is all about a vibrant atmosphere of fun and celebration.
Entry is free!
Bring your footy for some Macca’s Kick 2 Kick after the final siren.
See you on Saturday, February 22 at Fremantle Oval.
Dockers undefeated after top-of-the-table win over Magpies
Fremantle stays on top of Conference B after downing a determined Collingwood outfit
FREMANTLE has elevated itself above the AFLW pack and remains the only undefeated team after a thrilling three-point win against a desperate Collingwood on Saturday.
The Dockers extended their winning streak at Fremantle Oval to seven games and maintained their perfect record in 2020 with the 5.3 (33) to 4.6 (30) win in front of 5,636 fans.
Their defence was heroic, holding off the surging Magpies in the final quarter and keeping their opponents to one goal in the second half, despite Collingwood's massive 34-21 advantage in forward entries.
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Defenders Angelique Stannett, Philipa Seth and Laura Pugh were excellent, while midfielder Hayley Miller (13 and five clearances) took it up to the Magpies' onball stars.
Kiara Bowers lifted in the second half and finished with a game-high 14 tackles as the Dockers continued to define themselves as a high-pressure team that doesn't give an inch.
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They hit the Magpies with a tackling assault in the opening term, laying 22 tackles and forcing repeat turnovers and kicking three goals from four inside 50s.
Their efficiency was disguising Collingwood's midfield ascendency, however, and once the Magpies had soaked up Freo's opening salvo, the visitors got to work on building a lead of their own.
Jordan Membrey and Aishling Sheridan celebrate a Collingwood goal against Fremantle. Picture: AFL Photos
Star midfielders Jaimee Lambert (32 possessions and four clearances) and Brianna Davey (18 and seven clearances) led the way as the Magpies built a five-point lead at the main break.
The game went up a level in the third quarter, with young Freo star Roxy Roux inserting herself with a crunching tackle on Porter, earning a free kick and converting her set shot.
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Bowers continued her ruthless approach, laying a crunching tackle on Davies, who was held to one touch in the third quarter before a goalless final term.
The heroes The Dockers back five is made up of Angelique Stannett, Janelle Cuthbertson, Laura Pugh, Evangeline Gooch and Philipa Seth. The group is growing in confidence every week and provided the backbone of Freo's win on Saturday with their timely spoils, desperate attack on groundballs, and composed use when clearing defensive 50 evident.
The ladder now The Dockers are one game clear at the top of Conference B, separating themselves from the Magpies, Carlton and Melbourne, who all have two wins in a highly competitive side of the competition. Brisbane and Gold Coast's draw in Conference A means the Dockers are the only undefeated team.
The stat that mattered Fremantle went inside 50 just six times to Collingwood's 23 in the first half but managed to stay within five points of the visitors. Gabby O'Sullivan, Ashley Sharp and Kate Flood made the most of their chances, preventing what should have been a more sizeable Magpies' lead.
Ashley Sharp gets a hard ball against the Magpies. Picture: AFL Photos
Keeping the faith The Dockers midfield plans for Davey and Lambert didn't work out in the opening half, but the coaching group didn't panic. Trent Cooper backed his midfielders to bounce back and win their share of the ball, with Miller and Bowers excellent after half time. They didn't match the high numbers of Collingwood's onballers, but that's not Freo's game.
Say what "The interchange was the only stat we won for the day … but we hung in there and I thought we actually played pretty well in the second half and controlled it as much as you can control it in those situations. I'm just really happy with how resilient we were." – Fremantle coach Trent Cooper
Trent Cooper enjoys Fremantle's win against Collingwood. Picture: AFL Photos
"It was a tough game, a physical game. Fremantle certainly are very much a good pressure team and they brought that in the second half. We (won) a lot of key statistical areas … but just our polish at the end under pressure, we just couldn't quite execute the right thing at the right time." – Collingwood coach Steve Symonds
What's next Collingwood hosts Melbourne in a Friday night showdown at Marvel Stadium, with both teams looking to bounce back from their first losses of the season. The Dockers travel for the first time this year and will face St Kilda (1-2) at RSEA Park.
Collingwood's Ash Brazill clashes with Kate Flood of Fremantle. Picture: AFL Photos
