A review of Round 10 in the 2023 rebel VFLW season.
THE closest rebel VFLW season since the competition was formed in 2016 is getting even closer, with a couple of surprising results leaving just two wins between first and eighth on the ladder with four rounds to go before the finals.
How did Round 10 unfold?
WESTERN BULLDOGS vs COLLINGWOOD
WESTERN BULLDOGS 2.1, 4.1, 6.3, 6.4 (40)
COLLINGWOOD 0.0, 1.2, 1.3, 3.6 (24)
WESTERN Bulldogs produced their best win since 2019 and amazingly resurrected their faint hope of squeezing into the 2023 finals with a stunning 16-point upset of Collingwood at ETU Stadium on Saturday.
The Bulldogs, who went winless with a percentage of 16 last year, recorded their third win of a much-improved season and their second in a row when they dominated a team that was sitting third before the game.
Led by a brilliant four-goal performance from first-year player Jaimi Tabb, the Bulldogs kicked 2.1 to 0.0 in the opening term and never looked back, getting out by as much as 30 points at three quarter-time before the Magpies put a little respectability on the board in the last quarter.
The Bulldogs held the Magpies to a paltry 195 disposals for the game, as fourth gamer Emmalyn Nekrep arrived as a VFLW player in a magical performance. Having not won more than nine touches in her first three games, Nekrep had 22 disposals, five inside-50s and kicked a goal in a best on ground performance,
Nekrep was backed up by the more experienced Eleanor Bishop (22 disposals, six clearances, six entries), Tahlia Meier (22 disposals, five marks), Dom Carbone (22 disposals, five clearances) and Sarah Skinner (19 disposals, six marks, seven tackles), while Jorja Borg (14 disposals, 36 hitouts) again dominated in the ruck and Tahlia Pulcino nailed eight tackles to go with 12 touches.
Collingwood’s only previous loss to the Bulldogs in seven matches was the 2019 second semi-final at ETU Stadium and it crashed again at the same venue, despite the efforts of Coaches MVP Award leader Jess Bates (22 disposals, five clearances, 15 tackles), Elizabeth Jackson (21 disposals, five clearances, five tackles), captain Caitlin Bunker (17 disposals, nine tackles, five entries) and Nyakoat Dojiok (14 disposals, 11 tackles).
GEELONG CATS vs PORT MELBOURNE
GEELONG CATS 0.3, 1.3, 2.3, 3.7 (25)
PORT MELBOURNE 0.1, 4.1, 5.2, 5.2 (32)
A BRILLIANT second quarter ended a run of three heartbreaking losses in a row for Port Melbourne, who climbed back into the top six with an upset seven-point triumph over ladder-leader Geelong at Deakin University.
The Borough had lost to North Melbourne (two points), Southern Saints (three points) and Williamstown (four points) heading into their trip down the highway but produced a rollicking four-goal-to-one second quarter to grab the initiative.
Despite managing just 1.1 in the second half, the Borough’s defence held strong, seeing off the challenge as the Cats kicked 1.4 in the last term to waste their chances of stealing the points.
Port Melbourne won convincingly despite being -49 in disposals, -11 in marks, -7 in inside-50 and having only one of the top six ball winners in Eliza Morrison (22 disposals), with Georgia Alomes kicking two goals in her first game for the club and Courteney Bromage ferocious with nine tackles.
Abby Favell (32 disposals, nine clearances, five tackles) and Charlotte Simpson (28 disposals, seven clearances, one goal) were outstanding in a losing cause for the ladder leader, with Gabbi Featherston (21 disposals), Breanna Beckley (18 disposals, five tackles) and defender Brooke Plummer (17 disposals, six rebounds) providing great support.
SOUTHERN SAINTS vs CASEY DEMONS
SOUTHERN SAINTS 1.5, 4.5, 4.7, 4.7 (31)
CASEY DEMONS 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 3.5 (23)
SOUTHERN Saints overcame a goalless second half and a huge last quarter from the Casey Demons to consolidate second spot on the ladder by eight points at RSEA Park.
Backing up a dominant win earlier in the season, the Saints had total control over the Demons for three quarters, holding their 2022 preliminary final victims goalless until three quarter-time and building a 27-point advantage.
But they had a late scare, as the Demons banged on three goals in seven minutes to give themselves a shot at an unlikely win before the Saints’ defence regrouped to lock away the points.
Despite losing hitouts 52-20, the Saints doubled the Demons’ inside-50 count (42-21) on the back of quality efforts from Winnie Laing (20 disposals, six tackles), Sophie Phillips (17 disposals, five marks, six entries), Georgia Foran (16 disposals, eight marks, six rebounds), Gabriella De Angelis (15 disposals, eight tackles) and Madi Capsalis (14 disposals, eight entries).
Alex Hynes (11), Maighan Fogas (10) and Bella Enno (10) tackled themselves to a standstill.
Belinda Woolcock was brilliant in defence for the Demons with 21 disposals, five tackles and 10 rebounds, while Shannon Danckert (17 disposals, 12 tackles) and Shree Fairchild (17 disposals, seven tackles) weren’t far behind, Leah Swain did as she pleased in the ruck with 50 hitouts and Ciara Burke snared two goals.
NORTH MELBOURNE vs BOX HILL HAWKS
NORTH MELBOURNE 1.1, 1.1, 1.5, 1.5 (11)
BOX HILL HAWKS 0.0, 3.0, 3.1, 5.3 (33)
BOX HILL Hawks overcame a scoreless first quarter and left North Melbourne’s finals hopes hanging by the thread with a 20-point win at Arden Street Oval.
The result propelled the Hawks into third place on the ladder.
The Kangaroos started well with the only goal of the first term, but they had no further joy in attack as the Hawks booted three majors in the second quarter and cruised home with another two without reply after the main break.
Jordan Mifsud bounced back from a quieter game against Carlton last week to be best on ground with 24 disposals, nine clearances, 10 tackles and five inside-50s and she took Caitlin Thorne (19 disposals, six marks, seven entries), Cassie Davidson (19 disposals, six marks) and Matilda van Berkel (18 disposals, six entries) with her, while Sarah Humm bobbed up with two goals and Annie Muir landed 10 tackles.
Jess Jones was terrific in the ruck for North Melbourne, winning 28 hitouts and following up for 15 possessions while being double teamed by Grace Matser and Maddie Boyd.
Jones gave plenty of chances to Annabel Scott (20 disposals, five clearances, five tackles) and Jennifer Guy (16 disposals, eight tackles), with Ciara Fitzgerald (18 disposals, five rebounds) doing well in defence.
DAREBIN FALCONS vs ESSENDON
DAREBIN FALCONS 0.0, 0.0, 0.1, 1.2 (8)
ESSENDON 1.3, 1.3, 3.5, 6.6 (42)
ESSENDON took most of the game to break down a determined Darebin defence before running away with a 34-point victory at La Trobe University on Sunday.
The Bombers got a good start when Maddi Wilson nailed a goal in the seventh minute before the Falcons clamped down, stopping them adding another for more than half the game when Reese Sutton broke the drought in the ninth minute of the third term.
Essendon still only had three goals midway through the last term and led by just 15 points when Millie Shone kicked the Falcons’ only major, but the reigning premier finally blew up the dam wall with three in the last eight minutes.
Darebin might have lost 17 games in a row since it surprised by going 5-2 in the first half of last season before star 2022 recruit Angelica Gogos suffered a season-ending injury, but they do have plenty of talent at the top end.
Gogos was in stunning touch against the Bombers with 32 disposals, five clearances, 15 tackles and nine rebound-50s and fellow keys Alyssa Mifsud (20 disposals, eight rebounds), Shannon Egan (16 disposals, 42 hitouts), Karly McNiece (14 disposals, six tackles, five rebounds) and Steph Simpson (14 disposals, five tackles) also played well.
But Essendon’s strength runs deeper and Sutton (22 disposals, seven clearances, eight tackles, five inside-50s, one goal) had one of the best games of her career with support from Tia Davidge (19 disposals, seven clearances) and Sophie Molan (19 disposals), with VFLW games record holder Mia-Rae Clifford kicking two goals.
WILLIAMSTOWN vs CARLTON
WILLIAMSTOWN 1.2, 2.3, 4.6, 7.8 (50)
CARLTON 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 2.0 (12)
WILLIAMSTOWN was 11th when it ran out to play ladder-leader Carlton at Ikon Park in Round 5.
Having gained confidence from their first win of the year against Darebin a week earlier, the 1-3 Seagulls ambushed the 3-1 Blues that day, and they did it again at DSV Stadium on Sunday, belting them by 38 points for a fifth win in seven games to draw level at 5-5, just a game outside the cluttered top six and two from top spot.
Carlton snagged an early goal through Izzy Khoury in just the third minute, but was then smacked from pillar to post, managing just 12 inside-50s and one more scoring shot for the day – a Maddie Di Cosmo goal with eight minutes left in the game – as Williamstown booted six in a row.
Williamstown was +74 in disposals and +31 for entries as the Blues simply couldn’t get their hands on the ball. It was only the visitors’ work rate (115 tackles) that saved them from a bigger defeat.
All that said, it wouldn’t surprise to see Ashlee Thorneycroft appear prominently in the coaches votes after she had an equal game-high 17 disposals and laid an unthinkable 23 tackles. Others who toiled hard in defeat were Khoury (six clearances, six tackles, one goal), Di Cosmo (five clearances, 12 tackles), Georgia (14 tackles) and Emily Hurley (36 hitouts).
By contrast, Emily Eaves (17 disposals, five clearances, seven tackles), Megan Williamson (15 disposals, nine clearances, 11 tackles), Lori Stepnell (15 disposals, seven tackles, 14 hitouts), Sharnie Whiting (16 disposals, one goal), Sarah Thomas (six clearances, 11 tackles) and Ellie Cleland (eight tackles) ensured the Seagulls had winners everywhere and Sarah Cameron took full advantage, backing up her three goals against the Blues in Round 5 with another four this time around.
ROUND 11 FIXTURE
Saturday, June 3: Western Bulldogs vs Port Melbourne (10:30am, ETU Stadium – VFL double header); Carlton vs Southern Saints (11:00am, IKON Park – VFL double header); Box Hill Hawks vs Williamstown (11:30am, Box Hill City Oval – VFL double header); Geelong Cats vs Casey Demons (12:00pm, Deakin University). Sunday, June 4: Darebin Falcons vs Collingwood (10:30am, Genis Steel Oval – VFL double header); Essendon vs North Melbourne (11:am, NEC Hangar – VFL double header).
Click here to view full fixture and ladder.
Broadcast and streaming: All matches in the 2023 rebel VFLW season will be live streamed free via the AFL website (AFL.com.au) and AFL Live Official App.
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