A review of all the action from Round 1 of the 2025 rebel VFLW season.
NORTH MELBOURNE-WERRIBEE 2.3 3.6 6.7 9.11 (65)
CARLTON 1.1 1.1 2.1 2.5 (17)
NORTH Melbourne-Werribee made an ominous start to its rebel VFLW title defence with a dominant 48-point win over Carlton in their season opener at Arden Street Oval on Good Friday.
Carlton ruck recruit Grace Matser kicked the first goal of the season in the seventh minute but the reigning premiers – boasting a new name after an off-season alignment with VFL flag-winners Werribee – gradually took control and eased away to a comfortable victory.
The Kangaroos kept the Blues scoreless from Matser’s goal until Sophie McCarthy hit the target at the same stage of the third, but that only sparked them into action and they kicked six more goals after that – including three to Lisa Hardeman medallist Nyakoat Dojiok – to bank the biggest win of the opening round.
They were +68 in disposals and +25 for inside-50s as they conceded just 22 opportunities to Carlton, with Big V representatives Tessa Boyd, Maddie Di Cosmo and Alana Barba leading the way underneath Kate Reynolds (31 hitouts), while Renee Tierney (two) joined Dojiok as multiple goalkickers.
Star defensive recruit Nadia von Bertouch did her best to keep the Blues in the contest with eight rebounds, with Octavia Di Donato showing the benefits of her AFLW stint at West Coast between seasons, Brooke Vickers laying 10 tackles and Amy Trindade also performing strongly.
BEST
North Melbourne-Werribee: Tessa Boyd, Madeleine Di Cosmo, Zara Flanigan, Caitlin Fletcher, Kate Reynolds, Bridget Deed
Carlton: Amy Trindade, Nadia von Bertouch, Grace Matser, Brooke Vickers, Octavia Di Donato, Lila Keck
GOALS
North Melbourne-Werribee: Nyakoat Dojiok 3, Renee Tierney 2, Charlotte Blair, Madeleine Di Cosmo, Tahlia Meier, Zoe Savarirayan
Carlton: Grace Matser, Sophie McCarthy
DISPOSALS
North Melbourne-Werribee: Maddie Di Cosmo 24, Tessa Boyd 24, Alana Barba 20, Taylor Ortlepp 19, Caitlin Fletcher 19
Carlton: Octavia Di Donato 20, Nadia von Bertouch 15, Amelia Velardo 15, Lila Keck 15
GEELONG CATS 0.3 2.4 4.6 4.6 (30)
BOX HILL HAWKS 3.1 6.3 10.4 14.4 (88)
BOX HILL Hawks kicked off their season with a 58-point thrashing of a young Geelong outfit at Deakin University on Saturday.
The Hawks took a powerful team down the highway and extended their lead at every change with a team performance led by second gamer Stasia Stevenson (16 disposals, eight tackles, two goals), Isla Baldwin (17 disposals, seven tackles), Liv Fogarty (two goals) and Jess Matin, who booted three goals from four kicks.
The victors kicked three, three, four and four goals in a consistent display, but the Cats will feel they have made strong progress under young coach Taylah Hassett and captain Mel Staunton, given Box Hill beat them 98-2 in the corresponding game last year.
Staunton (20 disposals nine tackles) led from the front, 13 of Mekah Morrissy’s 19 touches were contested and Lucy Marescuk also worked hard against one of the main premiership fancies.
BEST
Geelong Cats: Lily Jordan, Lucy Marescuk, Mekah Morrissy, Breanna Pratt, Simone Nalder, Mel Staunton
Box Hill Hawks: Isla Baldwin, Jess Matin, Liv Fogarty, Stasia Stevenson, Nat Exon, Emma Stilve
GOALS
Geelong Cats: Stephanie O'Kane, Hayley Peck, Poppy Schaap, Jemima Woods
Box Hill Hawks: Jess Matin 3, Liva Fogarty, Stasia Stevenson, Emma Stilve, Mia Zielinski 2, Gabby Collingwood, Ruby Murdoch, Annabelle Embelton
DISPOSALS
Geelong Cats: Mel Staunton 20, Mekah Morrissy 19, Lucy Marescuk 16
Box Hill Hawks: Isla Baldwin 17, Stasia Stevenson 16, Gabby Collingwood 14, Tess Cattle 14
SANDRINGHAM 4.1 4.1 7.3 8.5 (53)
DAREBIN FALCONS 0.1 1.2 1.3 3.3 (21)
SANDRINGHAM’s history-making first game in the famous Zebra guernsey and name ended in bittersweet fashion, with a comprehensive 32-point win over Darebin at Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Road Oval soured by a season-ending knee injury to Emmalie Fiedler.
The St Kilda ruck, who crossed to the Saints from Fremantle and made her AFLW debut last season, was the downside to a proud day for Sandringham as the club completed the switch from the Southern Saints.
After St Kilda star J’Noemi Anderson made history with the Zebras’ first goal in women’s footy, the game was all-but over by quarter-time with her team up by 24 points.
Apart from another salvo of three goals in eight minutes out of half-time, the Falcons put up a strong fight, kicking three goals to one for the remainder of the match to give themselves something to build on.
Imogen Evans impressed in the middle for Sandringham with six clearances in her 21 disposals, Anderson had 19 but would have wanted better than her 37% disposal efficiency, Sophie Locke was a difference maker with three goals and youngsters Kyla Forbes and Lily Skinner showed plenty of promise.
The Falcons’ veterans showed they still have it, with reigning VFLW Coaches MVP Ange Gogos their best with 24 touches, 11 clearances, eight tackles and seven inside-50s and Nicole Callinan booting two goals, while captain Caitlin Bunker provided plenty of drive with eight inside-50s.
BEST
Sandringham: Lily Skinner, Sophie Locke, Kyla Forbes, Arianna Clarke, Imogen Evans, J’Noemi Anderson
Darebin Falcons: Ange Gogos, Caitlin Bunker, Isabella Daddo, Nicole Callinan, Alyssa Mifsud, Bella Gray
GOALS
Sandringham: Sophie Locke 3, Emily Shepherd, Arianna Clarke, J'Noemi Anderson, Zoe Besanko, Darcy Guttridge
Darebin Falcons: Nicole Callinan 2, Sabine Cowley du Parquet
DISPOSALS
Sandringham: Imogen Evans 21, J’Noemi Anderson 19, Natalie Plane 17, Hannah Stuart 15, Lily Skinner 15, Kyla Forbes 15
Darebin Falcons: Ange Gogos 24, Caitlin Bunker 21, Alyssa Mifsud 16
CASEY DEMONS 0.0 2.0 2.0 3.1 (19)
COLLINGWOOD 2.1 3.1 6.5 7.5 (47)
A NEW-look Collingwood laid down an early marker with a comfortable 28-point win over Casey Demons at Casey Fields.
The Magpies fielded a host of recruits fresh out of the AFLW and were never under any serious pressure for the result despite the game being a tough contested battle.
Recruit Courtney Jones and debutant Amelia Gladman kicked the only two goals of the opening term, and although Casey hit back through an early contender for goal of the year by Georgia Gall and a major to Tegan Williams, Chloe Hunt steadied in the shadows of half time.
Collingwood put the game to bed with 3.4 to 0.0 in the third term, with the Demons having no answer to the marking power of Hunt and Jones, who combined for five goals between them).
Debutant Tahlia Sanger turned in a best-afield performance of 23 disposals, nine tackles and seven inside-50s, Molly Eastman was a brick wall off half back and Annie Muir was strong through the middle, while Lambert-Pearce medallist Dom Carbone worked hard for 22 touches and 10 tackles.
Tegan Williams was tireless for the Demons, with Melbourne-listed Gabby Colvin, Megan Fitzsimon, Magie Mahony and Ryleigh Wotherspoon all turning in strong performances.
BEST
Casey Demons: Ryleigh Wotherspoon, Megan Fitzsimon, Maggie Mahony, Tegan Williams, Lauren Jatczak, Ella Morris
Collingwood: Tahlia Sanger, Molly Eastman, Chloe Hunt, Jaide Anthony, Annie Muir, Lauren Szigeti
GOALS
Casey Demons: Georgia Gall, Alice Robinson, Tegan Williams
Collingwood: Chloe Hunt 3, Courtney Jones 2, Amelie Gladman, Tamara Henry
DISPOSALS
Casey Demons: Megan Fitzsimon 18, Ryleigh Wotherspoon 16, Maggie Mahony 11
Collingwood: Tahlia Sanger 23, Dom Carbone 22, Annie Muir 19, Molly Eastman 19, Lauren Szigeti 16
PORT MELBOURNE 1.5 4.5 5.6 7.7 (49)
ESSENDON 1.2 2.4 3.5 4.6 (30)
WRITTEN off in some quarters after the dissolution of its relationship with Richmond, Port Melbourne showed it will still be a force to be reckoned with after disposing of Essendon by 19 points at ETU Stadium.
The Borough wasted early opportunities with their first four scoring shots being behinds before Kaitlyn O’Keefe put them on the board, before Maggie O’Connell responded for Essendon to cut the margin to three at the first break.
But the Bombers were never able to crack the lead and three goals to one late in the second term gave the home team an advantage it never relinquished before Georgia Booth’s goals either side of the last break sealed the deal for the Borough.
Port’s efficiency was again on show as it won convincingly despite being -41 for disposals, -16 for inside-50s, -11 for hitouts and -4 for clearances.
O’Keefe, Booth and Jordan Mifsud kicked two goals each and were influential despite only gathering 35 touches between them, with Lauren Caruso, Ava Seton and Eloise Ashley-Cooper tackling fiercely to keep the pressure on the Bombers.
Maddison Ford (21 disposals, five marks) was the leading ball-winner on the ground and Chloe Adams (19 disposals, eight tackles) also performed well for Essendon, but only four of their 10 players to gather double-figure disposals went at better than 65% as Port’s pressure proved too much.
BEST
Port Melbourne: Not supplied
Essendon: Layla Prince, El Chaston, Ava Jordan, Chloe Adams, Megan Mifsud, Maggie O'Connell
GOALS:
Port Melbourne: Georgia Booth, Jordan Mifsud, Kaitlyn O'Keefe 2, Rachael Slater
Essendon: Tia Davidge 2, Maggie O'Connell, Jayda Richardson
DISPOSALS
Port Melbourne: Ava Seton 16, Eloise Ashley-Cooper 16, Lauren Caruso 15
Essendon: Maddison Ford 21, Chloe Adams 19, Brooke Plummer 18, Megan Mifsud 17
WESTERN BULLDOGS 1.0 2.1 2.4 2.6 (18)
WILLIAMSTOWN 1.0 1.1 1.4 4.4 (28)
WILLIAMSTOWN won the physical battle and won the war as it overpowered the Western Bulldogs by 10 points in a tough and contested preliminary final rematch at Mission Whitten Oval.
It was a messy struggle that saw neither team kick a goal between Mali McLeod nailing the Bulldogs’ second at the three-minute mark of the second term and Kiera Leare levelling the scores two minutes into the last.
But the Seagulls’ second goal of the game from Leare gave them a spark and Sharnie Whiting put her team on her shoulders, setting up Teagan Brett for a strong mark to kick her second and then bombing an impressive set shot from 45m out of the next centre bounce to break the contest open and seal the victory.
Laura Blue was outstanding in defence for Williamstown, while Megan Williamson and Emily Eaves did well through the midfield and Brett was ever dangerous in attack, while Whiting was mostly quiet but stood up when her team needed her most.
New recruit Sarah Sansonetti was impassable for the Bulldogs for three quarters in what should be judged a best afield display, with Ellie Bishop prolific and Tamsin Crook gave little away in the last line of defence.
BEST
Western Bulldogs: Sarah Sansonetti, Tamsin Crook, Bri McFarlane, Stephanie Asciak, Ellie Bishop, Jaimi Tabb
Williamstown: Laura Blue, Megan Williamson, Neve Crowley, Teagan Brett, Kiera Leare, Emily Eaves
GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Mali McLeod, Mary Sandral
Williamstown: Teagan Brett 2, Kiera Leare, Sharnie Whiting
DISPOSALS
Western Bulldogs: Sarah Sansonetti 22, Ellie Bishop 21, Isabella Davies 15
Williamstown: Jemima Wrigley 16, Megan Williamson 16, Emily Eaves 15
