EASTERN RANGES 9.5 (59) def SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS 7.4 (46)

EASTERN Ranges brought Sandringham back to earth with a thud after coming from behind to record a stirring 13-point victory in their NAB League Girls clash at Kilsyth Recreation Reserve on Saturday.

Coming off the bye, the Ranges trailed at every change but banged on four unanswered goals through the middle of the final term to remain undefeated after two games and move into second spot on the ladder.

The teams traded majors in the first half after four-goal hero Georgia Wilson got the ball rolling for Eastern inside two minutes, although the Dragons got out by as much as 13 points in the second quarter before the home team worked its way back into the contest.

The Ranges controlled the intensity in the second half and looked the better team, although Sandringham pinched goals either side of the last break to Rebecca Thompson and the excellent Mia Zielinski to sound the alarm bells.

PLAY FOOTY Find your local club here

But Eastern lifted once more, with Alyssia Pisano, Mia Austin, Charli Granville and Wilson all hitting the scoreboard in just eight minutes to put the result beyond doubt.

Wilson made the most of her eight disposals to kick 4.1 and also laid six tackles, while ruck Austin also starred with 15 touches, 26 hitouts and three goals, providing first use to boom midfielder Bridget Deed (27 disposals, 11 tackles, five inside-50s) and fellow Hawthorn-listed VFLW player Izzy Khoury (22, five tackles, six inside-50s), while Jacinta Hose did a lot of heavy lifting with 10 tackles.

Sandringham was again best served by Sofia Hurley, who was strong in the middle with 25 touches and a massive 16 tackles, classy rebound defender Georgia Foran, who was clean coming out of defence with 14 kicks including 10 rebound 50s, and Keely Coyne (20 possessions, nine tackles), while Zielinski had five shots on goal for 3.1.

WESTERN JETS 5.8 (38) def NORTHERN KNIGHTS 3.5 (23)

CHARLOTTE Baskaran was unstoppable as Western banked its first victory for the season, riding a dominant second quarter to account for Northern by 15 points at Highgate Recreation Reserve on Saturday.

After a tight first term, the Jets took off with four goals to none in the second to lead by 29 points at half-time and held on comfortably despite not kicking another major for the day.

The Knights tried hard in the second half but Western's defence held firm and only conceded two goals for the half despite Ava Jordan (26 touches, seven tackles) and Rylie Wilcox (25, seven marks) again dominating and Tannah Hurst (eight tackles) and Tarrah Delgado racking up 18 each, but they remained winless after three games.

Baskaran had her own football as she firms in the No.1 AFLW draft pick debate, kicking the first goal of the game on her way to earning a stunning 38 disposals (19 kicks, 19 handballs), five tackles and five inside-50s.

Montana Ham was also brilliant for Western with 32 touches and eight inside-50s, and would have shaded Baskaran for best-on-ground honours had she finished better than her four behinds, while Trinity Skenderis (23), Paige Ryan (20), Stephanie Asciak (18) and Annie Gray (seven tackles) also impressing.

MURRAY BUSHRANGERS 3.4 (22) def GWV REBELS 2.2 (14)

MURRAY moved to third spot on the ladder after winning a tough slog against Greater Western Victoria by eight points at Highgate on Sunday.

In a clash where goals were hard to come by, Zarlie Goldsworthy's straight kick midway through the third quarter – the first for either team in more than half the game, proved decisive.

Paige Glover kicked the first of the last quarter to get the Rebels back within two, but Mindy Quade came up with the answer six minutes later to wrap up the Bushrangers' second win.

Zara Hamilton stepped it up another notch with a magnificent 38-possession, eight-mark and seven-inside-50 showing to give her a remarkable average of 31 touches across the first three games, while Goldsworthy was also brilliant with 25, 12 tackles and seven inside-50s and Keely Skepper continued her fine season with 20.

Molly Walton (22, six tackles and a goal) was best for GWV, with strong support coming from Jamie Lee Speakman (20, nine marks), Ruby Stephens (19) and Lilli Condon (18).

DANDENONG STINGRAYS 12.5 (77) def BENDIGO PIONEERS 7.3 (45)

DANDENONG outlasted a gallant Bendigo by 32 points to remain undefeated and go a game clear on top of the ladder in the early game at Highgate on Sunday.

The Pioneers challenged the in-form Stingrays strongly, getting within five points when Samantha Johnston kicked truly at the 10-minute mark of the third term, but Dandenong steadied with the next four goals and five of the last six to run out comfortable winners.

Hawthorn's Port Melbourne recruit Jaide Anthony led the way up forward for Dandenong with six marks and three goals and 16-year-old Sophie Butterworth also kicked three, capping off the strong work of Emily Shepherd (25), Olivia Robinson (20 and a goal) and Charley Ryan (18 and a goal).

Octavia Di Donato, who has won a spot on Essendon's VFLW development list for this season, was outstanding for Bendigo with 28 disposals and six marks, while Lucia Painter also turned in a strong performance with 20 touches, eight tackles and two goals and another new Bomber, Scarlett Orritt, laid seven tackles.

TASMANIA DEVILS 2.9 (21) lost to OAKLEIGH CHARGERS 5.2 (32)

OAKLEIGH bounced back from last week's defeat and made Tasmania pay for its inaccurate kicking in an 11-point win at North Hobart Oval on Saturday.

The Devils controlled long periods of the game but just couldn't find the scoreboard, trailing by a point at half-time despite the Chargers having kicked their only two scores – both goals – in a two-minute period of the first quarter.

In fact, they held the premiers goalless from the 17-minute mark of the third term until Kristen Smith booted the first of her two majors on the three-quarter time siren, but were only level despite nine scoring shots to four.

And they paid the price as Oakleigh kicked the only two of the final term to get the points, led again by star midfielder Jasmine Fleming (29 disposals, 11 tackles, seven inside-50s), Charlotte Taylor (23, six tackles) and Jorja Jackson (18).

Tasmania was best served by Madison Brazendale, who had 24 touches and laid seven tackles, Claire Ransom (16, 11 tackles), Charlie Vandenberg (25 hitouts) and Meg Thompson (eight tackles), with the Devils' pressure being on full display as they stuck 98 tackles for the game, with nine players having at least five.

GEELONG FALCONS 15.11 (101) def GIPPSLAND POWER 4.7 (31)

GEELONG was far too good for Gippsland, winning by 70 points in the third game of the Highgate triple-header on Sunday.

The Falcons dominated from start to finish, having 5.7 on the board before the Power kicked their first through Ash Centra (16 disposals, two goals), and were never seriously challenged as Geelong Cats' rookie Analea McKee kicked five goals from 18 disposals and eight marks.

She capped off the ball-winning feats of Grace Purcell (23, one goal) and another Cat in Charlotte Simpson (21, one goal), while a third Cats development player in Lizzie Dowling ran shotgun with four goals of her own.

Apart from Centra, Ella Stoddart tried hard for Gippsland with 20 possessions and six tackles while Tayla Burn pitched in with seven tackles.

LADDER AFTER ROUND 3: Dandenong 12, Eastern 8, Murray 8, Oakleigh 8, Geelong 8, Sandringham 8, Tasmania 4, GWV 4, Bendigo 4, Western 4, Calder 4, Northern 0, Gippsland 0. (The top two teams from each of the Country and Metro Divisions will play each other in the semis, with the winners to face off in the Grand Final).