THERE is nothing better than when a team just clicks into gear and shows off the chemistry it has built over the course of a pre-season, or many pre-seasons.
We were lucky enough to witness this more than once across the course of the season, so what were the top five team performances of AFLW season seven?
5. Adelaide – round five v Greater Western Sydney
It is hard to go past the biggest win in AFLW history, and three-time premier Adelaide kicking its highest ever score.
Beating the Giants by 96 points, the Crows not only won 78 more disposals than their opponents, but also laid 15 more tackles. The Giants struggled to get their hands on the ball, and when they did, they found themselves under immediate, immense pressure.
Five different Crows won 20 or more disposals, led by midfield duo Ebony Marinoff and Anne Hatchard. The former gathered 36 disposals, eight inside 50s and laid 12 tackles, while the latter kicked three goals and enjoyed 11 score involvements from her 28 disposals.
4. Geelong – round six v Western Bulldogs
Nowhere near Geelong's biggest or most dominant win of the season, this stands out as a great team performance because it required the Cats to genuinely band together and stick fat as the Bulldogs surged for a late win.
Coming off the biggest win in their history at the time, and without midfield star Georgie Prespakis, the Cats took control of the game early. They took 48 marks for the game, indicating their controlled, neat ball use, and scored from 60 per cent of their forward entries.
Nina Morrison led the way, playing on the ball in lieu of Prespakis, registering 21 disposals, 10 tackles and eight clearances, while Shelley Scott kicked two goals.
3. Brisbane – round eight v Adelaide
Billed as a season-shaping top-of-the-table clash, Brisbane kept its bragging rights against Adelaide with a 22-point victory in round eight.
After a tight first quarter, the Lions broke away in the second quarter, piling on 26 points while keeping the Crows scoreless. Ally Anderson won 22 disposals and laid seven tackles, while Cathy Svarc added to the pressure with 12 tackles of her own. Sophie Conway and Jesse Wardlaw each kicked two goals.
Brisbane's ability to pull away when in a tight tussle proved it was a team that could shift gears within games to get control on its side, particularly against the reigning premier.
2. Richmond – round five v Brisbane
One of the most discussed games of the season, Richmond's unexpected win over minor premier Brisbane was a true team performance.
The Tigers took away Brisbane's strengths, preventing the visitors from getting any time or space. With immense pressure applied right across the field, the high-scoring Lions struggled to generate any clean attack, goaling from just 3.1 per cent of their forward 50 entries – the lowest conversion in their history – and used the ball at 56 per cent efficiency, their lowest of the season.
As a defensive unit, Maddie Shevlin (24 disposals, 10 rebounds, eight intercepts), Eilish Sheerin (12 intercepts, six rebounds) and Libby Graham (10 one percenters) were impenetrable, and greatly assisted by a game-saving smother from ruck Gabby Seymour.
1. Melbourne – qualifying final v Adelaide
In clutch matches, Adelaide has often been Melbourne's bogey side, but that was different this season. There is no better example of the mental strength the Demons developed than their qualifying final win over the Crows.
Down by 18 points at quarter-time, having conceded the fastest opening goal in AFLW history, the Demons steeled themselves, made some changes and came out a different side from the second quarter. Tyla Hanks led the midfield to dominance, Sarah Lampard moved to the wing and kicked two goals and Alyssa Bannan was given the freedom to roam higher up the ground.
Their confidence and willingness to make those in-game shifts meant the Demons were able to withstand the pressure Adelaide brought to shut down their quick, neat handballing game and ultimately win through to a preliminary final.
