A review of all the action from Round 3 of the 2024 rebel VFLW season.
SOUTHERN SAINTS vs GEELONG CATS
Southern Saints 2.3 3.5 4.6 5.6 (36)
Geelong Cats 1.2 1.2 3.5 8.6 (54)
GEELONG produced a stunning final quarter to win its first game of the 2024 rebel VFLW season and leave the Southern Saints shellshocked in a stirring 18-point upset victory at Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval on Saturday.
The Cats failed to kick a goal against a star-studded Box Hill Hawks last week and trailed for three quarters against the Saints – by as much as 15 points midway through the third.
Denby Taylor got them within seven points at the three-quarter time siren, before Breanna Pratt, Chantal Mason and Liv Stewart kicked goals within four minutes of each other to deliver to stun the Saints.
Despite Sophie Phillips getting one back for the home team there was no stopping the momentum with two more Geelong goals sealing a wonderful win.
Abbey McDonald was tireless in a losing cause against Carlton in Round 1 and after missing the Hawks loss she was back being her team’s best player in Round 3, finishing with 25 disposals, 10 marks, six tackles and a goal in a game otherwise dominated by the Saints on the individual numbers.
Pratt (18 disposals, seven marks, one goal) and Poppy Schaap (18 disposals, five inside-50 entries) also did well for a Cats’ team that tackled its way to victory, with six players laying four or more tackles.
That helped the Cats overcome the efforts of Ella Friend (21 disposals, one goal) in the middle, Georgia Foran (20 disposals, seven rebounds) in defence and Madison Torpey (16 disposals, 25 hitouts) in the ruck, while Chloe Hunt kicked two goals and Ali Hynes had nine tackles.
NORTH MELBOURNE vs CASEY DEMONS
North Melbourne 2.3 3.5 3.5 4.7 (31)
Casey Demons 4.0 4.1 4.2 5.4 (34)
JO LIN was the hero as the Casey Demons landed the second upset of the round, breaking their 2024 duck with a desperate three-point win over previously undefeated North Melbourne despite one of the all-time great tackling displays from Audrey Rhodes.
The Demons led almost all day at Arden Street Oval after slamming on four goals in the opening quarter before the game turned into a battle of wills through the middle two quarters that yielded a sole major to Nyakoat Dojiok seven minutes into the second quarter.
The Kangaroos didn’t score after that goal until they added a couple of behinds midway through the last term but looked like pinching the game when Renee Tierney put them in the front with less than eight minutes to play.
But after a false start from a Tegan Williams miss, the Demons drove forward one last time with a long ball from draftee Ryleigh Wotherspoon being beautifully marked by Lin in a pack at the top of the goal square. She calmly kicked the goal to secure a deserved victory to kickstart the Demons’ year.
Kangaroos best-and-fairest winner Rhodes was the clear best afield with a scarcely believable 25 tackles to go with 25 disposals (11 contested), seven clearances and a goal as North laid 106 of them in a desperate bid to overturn their early deficit.
Maddie Di Cosmo (20 disposals, eight clearances, 14 tackles) and Alana Barba (22 disposals, five clearances, 10 tackles) also proved tough to elude.
But Casey wouldn’t be denied, with Meg Macdonald (23 disposals, seven clearances, eight tackles), Wotherspoon (19 disposals, seven tackles) and Sarah Lampard (20 disposals) working tirelessly to give their team a much-needed victory after two defeats to start the year.
DAREBIN FALCONS vs ESSENDON
Darebin 1.0 1.3 1.4 1.4 (10)
Essendon 2.0 3.1 4.5 5.10 (40)
ESSENDON kept Darebin to just four behinds after quarter-time to cruise to a 30-point victory over the Falcons at the NEC Hangar.
In a Falcons home game transferred due to ground unavailability, Darebin’s quest to break a 23-match losing run started brightly when recruit Monique De Matteo booted the opening goal, but majors to Jayda Richardson and Ash Melnikas had the Bombers in front by quarter time.
And that’s how it stayed, with the margin only being kept in check by Essendon’s profligacy as it sprayed 2.9 in the second half, including six consecutive behinds from the 14th minute of the third quarter to the 12th minute of the last.
The Bombers were +109 for disposals on their way to a 38-14 inside-50 count as Steph Wales sparkled in the ruck with 25 disposals, eight marks and 19 hitouts. Melnikas gathered 24 touches, seven clearances and a goal, Ruby Mahony led all comers with 26 disposals and Ash van Loon had 20 disposals, five marks and seven tackles.
Reigning best and fairest Ange Gogos and new co-captain Caitlin Bunker tried to keep Darebin in the contest with 18 touches each, with Bunker (12) and Gogos (eight) laying 20 tackles between them and Gogos having six rebounds, while Grace Wake stuck 11 tackles.
BOX HILL HAWKS vs COLLINGWOOD
Box Hill Hawks 2.1 3.3 4.4 5.7 (37)
Collingwood 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.3 (3)
BOX HILL Hawks continued their imperious start to the year, holding a second consecutive opponent goalless in beating Collingwood by 34 points at Fenjiu Stadium.
The Hawks, who haven’t conceded a major since the third quarter in Round 1, weren’t able to run up the big scores they did in the previous two games but were not in danger of losing at any stage.
AFLW young gun Charlotte Baskaran starred against the Magpies with 24 disposals, nine tackles and two goals.
She wasn’t alone, with Tamara Smith, Jenna Richardson (nine marks) and Gabby Collingwood all impressing with more than 20 touches. Danika Spamer could also be in the votes after 18 possessions and 12 tackles and Ainslie Kemp had 17 touches and seven marks.
Collingwood was held scoreless in the second half but fought hard to only concede 2.4 in that time as Lucy Cronin put in a lion-hearted effort down back with 19 disposals, six tackles and eight rebounds.
Sarah Ingram (19 disposals, five tackles), Marnie Jarvis (18 disposals), Jaide Anthony (14 disposals, seven tackles), Kaitlin Day (13 disposals, five clearances) and Maya Ellin (11 tackles) could also hold their heads high.
WESTERN BULLDOGS vs SYDNEY SWANS
Western Bulldogs 0.1 0.1 2.1 3.4 (22)
Sydney Swans 2.4 5.8 8.10 12.12 (84)
YOUNG Sydney rising star Montana Ham showed herself to be a born leader and best-and-fairest winner Laura Gardiner took her own ball to the game as the Swans kicked off their rebel VFLW guest stint with a powerful 62-point victory over the Western Bulldogs at Mission Whitten Oval.
The 2022 No.1 draft pick, Ham only turned 20 last week and celebrated that milestone by being named captain for the game before producing a dominant display in attack that yielded 20 disposals, four marks and six tackles before cashing in herself with three last-quarter goals to finish with five majors.
Gardiner was even more devastating, piling up an amazing 47 disposals – two shy of her personal best effort for Geelong against Port Melbourne in 2022 that brought her to the attention of the Swans’ AFLW recruiting team. 22 were contested, plus six marks, seven clearances and five inside-50s.
But she also shone without the footy, adding 14 tackles to a day where she made Champion Data’s pen run dry, with the Swans picking up 117 more disposals, 29 more marks and 20 more inside-50s.
Holly Cooper, who the Swans selected during last year’s Expansion U18 Talent Pathway Pre-Signing Period, also had a day out with three majors.
The Swans boasted 18 AFLW-listed players to none and put paid to the contest with 5.8 to 0.1 in the first half and didn’t let up after the break, with Paige Sheppard and Tanya Kennedy having 22 possessions each.
The Bulldogs stuck at their task well and were rewarded with three second-half goals, led by Keeley Hardingham winning the ruck battle against Lexi Hamilton with 21 disposals and 25 hitouts, Dom Carbone gathering 19 disposals, former Swan Sarah Skinner winning eight clearances and Isadora McLeay having 11 tackles.
CARLTON vs GWS GIANTS
Carlton 1.2 4.4 4.4 5.5 (35)
GWS Giants 1.1 2.3 6.7 6.7 (43)
GWS Giants also recorded a debut victory in the rebel VFLW, using a blistering third quarter to overrun a strong Carlton team by eight points in a high-standard game at IKON Park featuring 23 AFLW-listed players.
The Blues led by 20 points at the 11-minute mark of the second term after Lila Keck dobbed the first goal of her VFLW career, but Tasmanian debutant Madison Brazendale did the same with the last kick of the opening half to give the Giants momentum heading into the break.
And the Giants took it in style with the classy Jess Doyle leading the way as her side banged on four unanswered goals for the third term to turn a 13-point deficit into a 15-point advantage.
Carlton’s Mia Austin kicked truly within two minutes of the final quarter, but the visitors were able to shut the game down for an impressive victory despite failing to score in the last term.
Brazendale starred for the victors with 20 disposals and a goal, while Mikayla Pauga, who arrived at the Giants in last year’s trade period, was also vital with 16 possessions, nine tackles and a goal. Fleur Davies was strong in the ruck with 31 hitouts and a goal and Cambridge McCormick intercepted strongly for five marks.
Young Carlton co-captain Octavia Di Donato did everything in her power to get the Blues over the line with an impressive 27 disposals, while midfielder Keeley Skepper, Maddy Guerin and rookie Steph Demeo slotted into the game’s top five ball winners and Lily Goss stuck 12 tackles in a fierce effort.
“Once we settled and tweaked a few things structurally, we got the game on our terms and it was a really positive game for us,” Giants coach Cam Bernasconi told gwsgiants.com.au.
“We scored four goals from forward-50 stoppage which is something we are looking to improve this year. That was really pleasing.”
WILLIAMSTOWN vs PORT MELBOURNE
Williamstown 0.0 0.1 0.1 1.3 (9)
Port Melbourne 1.2 2.2 3.2 5.2 (32)
PORT Melbourne celebrated its 50th rebel VFLW match and the same milestone for Eloise Ashley-Cooper with a comprehensive 23-point victory over Williamstown at DSV Stadium to remain unbeaten in its premiership defence.
The Borough dominated the contest from the outset, holding the Seagulls to just one behind to three quarter-time as they went +52 in disposals, +22 in marks, +12 in hitouts and +14 for inside-50s.
It did take 12 minutes for boom recruit Ava Seton to break through for Port’s first goal and the visitors themselves were held to one goal in each of the opening three terms despite having the top five ball-winners on the ground.
Richmond AFLW player Eilish Sheerin starred on debut for the Borough with 24 disposals, six tackles, 11 clearances and seven inside-50s, while Seton followed her game-opening goal with 20 touches, seven clearances and six entries.
The joined Ashley-Cooper (19 disposals) as the three best players on the ground, with Mackenzie Ford having 12 tackles and Stella Reid (15 disposals, six marks, five tackles, one goal) also prominent.
Williamstown, which was marking two of its own milestones in the half-centuries of Nicole Julian and Megan Williamson, gave itself a glimmer of hope when Sharnie Whiting kicked a miraculous goal from the pocket to open the last quarter and cut the margin to 13 points, but it took just four minutes for Port Melbourne ruck Madeleine Patterson to restore the advantage before Emily Harley finished things off.
Ash Thorneycroft and India Barker’s 14 touches were the Seagulls’ most prolific, with Thorneycroft, Williamson and Emily Eaves laying nine tackles apiece.
