A review of all the action from Round 12 of the 2024 rebel VFLW season.
PORT MELBOURNE vs NORTH MELBOURNE
PORT MELBOURNE 0.2 0.3 3.5 5.5 (35)
NORTH MELBOURNE 1.0 5.3 6.3 7.4 (46)
NORTH Melbourne is on the cusp of its maiden rebel VFLW finals series after a second-quarter blitz set up an 11-point win over Port Melbourne at ETU Stadium on Friday night.
Leading by four points at quarter-time, the Kangaroos banged on four goals in the second term and held the Borough to a behind to lead by 30 points at the main break and have the result seemingly shot to bits.
But three quick goals from the reigning premiers out of the break left North needing to show its mettle – and the Roos were able to do so with Alana Barba reminding everyone of just how good she is, moving two wins ahead of the seventh-placed Borough with two games to play.
Barba kicked the opening goal, added another in the blitz and then booted the sealer midway through the last on her way to 22 disposals, seven clearances, 11 tackles and three goals – all game-highs.
The Roos found a way to score despite the absence of leading goalkicker Nyakoat Dojiok on representative duties.
Maddie Di Cosmo (20 disposals) and Renee Tierney (19 disposals) also starred for the Kangaroos, while Matilda Zander bobbed up with two goals and Kate Reynolds dominated the ruck with 32 hitouts.
Port Melbourne’s premiership defence is now teetering on the precipice, although that certainly wasn’t the fault of star Queensland recruit Ava Seton (21 disposals, nine tackles, one goal), who again led through the middle.
Eloise Ashley-Cooper and Lauren Caruso showed their experience and Georgia Booth, Bella Stutt and Courteney Bromage did their jobs.
DAREBIN FALCONS vs WESTERN BULLDOGS
DAREBIN FALCONS 3.1 3.1 5.3 6.5 (41)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 1.0 2.2 3.2 3.5 (23)
THE most recognisable and powerful women’s sporting club in Australia’s signature team is back.
Monique De Matteo turned in an amazing solo performance to give Darebin another giant scalp at Genis Steel Oval on Saturday with a stunning 18-point upset of a Western Bulldogs team that was chasing its seventh win in a row.
The Falcons’ fourth win in five weeks was set up with the first two goals from star sharpshooter De Matteo, and she added a third on the quarter time siren for a 13-point lead before the Bulldogs fought back in the second quarter to cut the deficit to five.
De Matteo, however, banged on two more to start the second half and had all five majors until Nicole Callinan put the cherry on top in the final minute, moving to 21 goals and joining Williamstown’s Sharnie Whiting at the top of the Rohenna Young Medal race.
She ended up with 5.2 from 14 disposals and also laid six tackles in a brilliant performance backed up by star midfielder Ange Gogos (27 disposals, nine clearances, 10 tackles) and Callinan (18 disposals, five tackles, six rebounds, one goal), while Riley Christgoergl, Simone Baisis and Simone Ruedin also did fine jobs.
Lambert-Pearce medal contender Keeley Hardingham was again best for the Bulldogs in the ruck with 20 touches, 24 hitouts, nine tackles and six clearances, with Sarah Skinner and Dom Carbone not far behind and Jaimi Tabb kicking two goals.
SOUTHERN SAINTS vs WILLIAMSTOWN
SOUTHERN SAINTS 0.1 2.1 2.2 2.3 (15)
WILLIAMSTOWN 2.0 4.1 6.1 7.3 (45)
WILLIAMSTOWN had no such issues, dismissing the Southern Saints by 30 points at Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval on Sunday to move a game clear on top of the ladder.
Despite having less of the ball – remarkably, they only recorded 156 disposals for the day compared to the Saints’ still low 177 – the Seagulls proved remarkably efficient, only dishing out 28 handballs as they decided moving by foot was the quickest way home.
And so it proved as they conceded just two goals – both coming in a four-minute patch midway through the second quarter that was snuffed out by a four-goal strike either side of half-time that put the result to bed.
Ash Thorneycroft was the epitome of that stats sheet, having 21 kicks and no handballs, booting a goal and doing the hard work in defence as well with 14 tackles in a best-on-ground effort.
Thorneycroft was supported by Megan Williamson (17 disposals, 10 clearances, six tackles, seven entries, one goal), Maddie Edwards (11 tackles), Eliza Straford (10 tackles), Zoe Day and Brittney Gray.
Chloe Saultry held Sharnie Whiting to just five touches, but she kicked two goals to stay with De Matteo at the top of the leading goalkicker race, while Tessa Boyd and George Foran also defended stoutly and Ali Hynes was the best ruck on the ground.
CASEY DEMONS vs COLLINGWOOD
CASEY DEMONS 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.7 (7)
COLLINGWOOD 1.0 2.2 3.4 3.4 (22)
COLLINGWOOD kept the rebel VFLW finals race alive for another week as its impassable defence held the Casey Demons to the lowest score in their club history with a 15-point win in a dour struggle in slippery conditions at Casey Fields.
Full back Kasey Lennox (18 disposals, five marks, nine rebounds) was impassable until hurting her knee in the last quarter.
Running defenders Akayla Peterson (25 disposals, six marks, nine rebounds) and Sarah Ingram (29 disposals, eight clearances, five rebounds) were also unstoppable and that trio were the best three players on the ground by some distance as the Magpies took their rare opportunities to kick one goal in each of the first three quarters.
The ball spent a lot of time tied up in scrimmages – but Collingwood was able to get theirs within 20 metres of goal while Casey’s attacking stoppages were 40 metres out and it only managed one shot at goal within a reasonable distance to be held goalless for the first time in its 86-match history.
Aside from the backline, the Magpies had clear winners in ruck Danielle Sgarbi, experienced mids Jaide Anthony and Jayde van Dyk and lively forward Emily Smith.
Meg Macdonald (23 disposals, six marks, 10 clearances, 13 tackles, five entries) was the only one who could put a hand up to take votes off the Magpie trio with an outstanding display across the middle.
Tegan Williams (20 disposals, 16 hitouts) and Shree Fairchild (17 disposals, six clearances, 15 tackles) battled hard as Casey stayed in the top six but missed a chance to virtually lock their spot away.
ESSENDON vs CARLTON
ESSENDON 0.0 1.1 1.2 1.4 (10)
CARLTON 0.4 1.5 1.10 4.10 (34)
CARLTON’s AFLW stars took three quarters to shake off Essendon’s strong VFLW list before recording a 24-point victory at Windy Hill that all but ended the Bombers’ top two hopes.
The Blues were in control of the contest throughout but wasted chance after chance before Sarah Perkins kicked the first goal of the game in the 16th minute of the second quarter.
The major was answered immediately by Darcy Vescio, who became the fourth player in competition history to kick 100 VFLW goals after Moana Hope, Katie Brennan and Jasmine Garner.
They were the only goals kicked until the last quarter, when Carlton finally broke the Essendon resistance with two goals to Maddie Guerin and another to Eliza Wood sealing the four-goal win.
Guerin’s two goals capped a 23-disposal, five-clearance, five-tackle best-afield effort, while Mimi Hill (25 disposals) led all comers and Keeley Sherar (22 disposals, six clearances, 15 tackles), Abbie McKay (21 disposals, eight clearances, seven tackles, five entries) and Lily Goss (14 tackles) were also important.
Maddison Ford (22 disposals, nine marks, five rebounds) was terrific in defence for Essendon, with Ruby Mahony (23 disposals, five clearances, 13 tackles), Ash Melnikas (11 tackles) and Sophie Molan also playing well.
BOX HILL HAWKS vs GEELONG CATS
BOX HILL HAWKS 4.1 9.3 12.6 14.8 (92)
GEELONG CATS 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 (2)
BOX HILL Hawks moved back into the top two and terrorised Geelong for a second time this year, thrashing the Cats by 90 points at Box Hill City Oval.
The Hawks won 98-2 with their AFLW stars back in Round 2 and their VFLW guns repeated the dose to complete a 190-4 combined drubbing across the two games.
Geelong fought the game out and held the Hawks to 16- and 12-minute goalless patches during the second half but couldn’t generate any scoring opportunities themselves.
Tamara Luke had no such issues, booting four goals from 12 touches and five marks, while Miz Kendall, Gabby Collingwood and Jess Matin also managed braces to cap off the work of Cassie Davidson (23 disposals, five tackles, one goal), Caitlin Thorne (20 disposals, 13 tackles, seven entries), Danika Spamer, Rosie Dillon and Grace Matser.
Poppy Schaap (26 disposals, seven clearances, nine tackles), Abby Favell (25 disposals, eight marks) and Lily Jordan (18 disposals, 11 tackles) did their best for the Cats but the Hawks just had too much class all over the ground.
