A review of Round 13 in the 2023 rebel VFLW season.

There is only one round to go in the home and away season and there is remarkably only one team guaranteed to play in the 2023 rebel VFLW Finals Series.

Eight others remain in contention to secure the remaining five spots after another round where every match had a major bearing on the ladder.

And with the teams sitting seventh and eighth scheduled to face the bottom two in Round 14, along with third playing sixth and fourth taking on fifth, there are at least two, if not three, elimination finals that have come early this weekend.

WESTERN BULLDOGS vs CARLTON

WESTERN BULLDOGS 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 2.2 (14)
CARLTON 3.0, 4.0, 6.0, 7.1 (43)

CARLTON put itself in the box seat to play finals for the first time in its history after a Christina Bernardi masterclass brushed aside Western Bulldogs by 29 points at ETU Stadium on Saturday.

Bulldogs captain Mary Sandral gave her side the perfect start, but it only took two minutes for her opposite number Bernardi to respond from long range and when she added two more by the three-minute mark of the second term, along with another to Izzy Khoury, the visitors had the game in their keeping.

Neither team scored for the next 32 minutes before Bernardi added a fourth and while the Bulldogs won the last quarter, the Blues were far too good.

Carlton remains in eighth spot, but its strong percentage means it only needs to beat Darebin in the final round to finish ahead of the losers of both the Williamstown vs Geelong Cats and Box Hill Hawks vs Southern Saints games to play in an elimination final.

Bernardi was the hero on her return for the Blues, kicking 4.0 from 13 disposals and adding five tackles, while Maddie Di Cosmo showed just why she made the U23 All-Stars team with 24 touches, nine clearances and 10 tackles.

Millie Klingbeil (22 disposals, five clearances), Ash Thorneycroft (21 disposals, nine tackles, seven entries) and Khoury (19 disposals, eight tackles, one goal) were others to star for Carlton.

Dom Carbone (21 disposals, five clearances, six tackles) and Sarah Skinner (22 disposals) were again the Bulldogs’ best pair after missing last week, with Ashleigh Snow (17 disposals, five tackles) and Jorja Borg (40 hitouts) also good.

CASEY DEMONS vs BOX HILL HAWKS

CASEY DEMONS 1.2, 1.2, 2.3, 2.3 (15)
BOX HILL HAWKS 1.0, 2.5, 2.6, 6.6 (42)

BOX HILL Hawks finished with a head of steam to overrun Casey Demons by 27 points at Casey Fields and climb from seventh to fourth on the ladder.

The Hawks led by just three points after a seesawing first three quarters but responded with their season on the line to kick 4.0 to no score in the last term to keep their finals destiny in their own hands.

Box Hill’s pressure ended up being far too much for Casey to handle, with the visitors laying a hefty 110 tackles to 70, leading to a 36-19 inside-50 domination.

The Demons couldn’t find any easy possessions, with Jordan Mifsud (15 tackles), Grace McRae (12), Caitlin Thorne (11), Jade Wise (10) and Annie Muir (nine) there to wrap them up whichever way they turned.

Mifsud also led the way with ball in hand, adding 19 disposals to her 15 tackles, with Akayla Peterson (17 disposals, five clearances), McRae (15 disposals) and Ellie McLinden (15 disposals) also getting amongst it, while Maddie Boyd (12 disposals, five marks, six tackles, one goal) was important.

Leah Swain was outstanding for Casey, winning a whopping 52 hitouts to go with 14 disposals, with Shannon Danckert (19 disposals, six clearances, 10 tackles, five rebounds) terrific around the contest and Amber Kinnane (11 tackles), Marla Neal and Shree Fairchild (nine each) keeping their own heat on the opposition.

NORTH MELBOURNE vs DAREBIN FALCONS

NORTH MELBOURNE 3.3, 5.5, 6.7, 8.9 (57)
DAREBIN FALCONS 0.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.2 (8)

NORTH MELBOURNE is still alive after cruising to a 49-point win over Darebin at Arden Street Oval on Saturday, but other results mean the Kangaroos need another massive victory to reach the finals for the first time.

The Kangaroos couldn’t have done much more, conceding just one goal and never being threatened by the Falcons.

North Melbourne just had to take care of business against the Falcons in Round 13, and that’s what they did, kicking 3.3 to 0.0 in the first term to take control and extended their lead at every change, conceding just the solitary goal to Lauren Jatczak on the half-time siren.

They were +122 in disposals despite losing hitouts and clearances, with their pressure forcing the Falcons into errors.

Audrey Rhodes (27 disposals, eight clearances, five tackles), Jen Guy (26 disposals, 10 tackles), Ciara Fitzgerald (24 disposals, six marks), Marli Klaumanns-Moller (22 disposals (nine tackles, one goal) and Annabel Scott (24 disposals) knocked up winning the ball, while the experienced Reni Hicks had 16 disposals, 11 tackles and kicked two goals.

Sally Lynch (27) and Shannon Egan (20) had the better of the hitouts for Darebin, with Angelica Gogos (23 disposals, 11 tackles, five rebounds) again winning plenty of the ball and Alyssa Mifsud (17 disposals, seven clearances, six tackles), Zoe Larkins (15, six tackles) and Emma Mackay (17) also going well.

Despite the impressive victory, wins to fellow finals aspirants Carlton, Box Hill Hawks, Williamstown and Collingwood have left the Kangas needing to beat the Magpies by 46 points to overhaul them – although the task will be a little easier if the Seagulls lose to Geelong.

SOUTHERN SAINTS vs WILLIAMSTOWN

SOUTHERN SAINTS 0.0, 1.2, 1.2, 3.3 (21)
WILLIAMSTOWN 2.4, 2.4, 3.7, 3.7 (25)

WILLIAMSTOWN recorded its fifth-straight victory and eighth in 10 matches to climb to third spot and the brink of a maiden finals spot, holding off Southern Saints by four points at Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval.

The Saints were a game clear on top of the ladder two weeks ago, but consecutive defeats mean they will almost certainly miss the finals if they can’t beat Box Hill Hawks on the road in Round 14.

In another game heavily affected by the wind, not a single point was scored to the Hampton end of the ground as the Seagulls took the upper hand with 2.4 in the opening quarter to build a lead that didn’t look like being caught until the dying stages.

They held the Saints to one goal in the second term and matched that in the third before the desperate home team rallied in the last, with a 13th-minute goal to Mel Bertuna setting up a nerve-wracking finish, but the Saints couldn’t find a winner.

Jasmine Kawa put in another massive effort since being switched into the ruck, with her 24 disposals being eight more than the next most prolific player on the ground. She also added seven marks, 26 hitouts, six clearances and seven tackles to be a clear best on ground.

Megan Williamson (15 disposals, five clearances, seven tackles), Sharnie Whiting (14 disposals, six rebounds), Teagan Brett (two goals) and Sarah Thomas (10 tackles) were also prominent for the Seagulls.

Saint Alex Hynes was similarly huge in direct opposition to Kawa – how many players could lay 18 tackles in a game, let alone a ruck who also put up 28 hitouts?

Tessa Boyd (16 disposals, six tackles), Madi Capsalis (14 disposals, six clearances, five tackles) and Michelle Podnecky (14 disposals, six clearances) also played well for the home team.

COLLINGWOOD vs GEELONG CATS

COLLINGWOOD 1.0, 3.9, 4.10, 5.13 (43)
GEELONG CATS 0.1, 0.1, 0.3, 0.3 (3)

COLLINGWOOD went a long way to locking up its spot in the top six, climbing from fifth to second when it held Geelong goalless in a 40-point hammering at AIA Centre on Sunday.

The Magpies were like most teams on the finals tightrope, but the massive win boosted its percentage by 11 and wiped 20 off the Cats’ own previously hefty number.

The result means the Magpies will hold onto a finals berth unless they suffer a huge loss to North Melbourne this week. By contrast, Geelong will need to beat Williamstown in the last game or it will be watching on in the finals.

After kicking the only goal of a tight first quarter, Collingwood took total command and perhaps should have won by more given it sprayed 2.9 in the second term before the game tightened up again.

Jess Bates put in another dominant display that yielded 30 disposals, seven clearances, eight tackles, six entries and a goal, while rookie Evangelia Nikolitsis was a wonderful sidekick with 26 possessions, six marks, six clearances, six tackles and five rebounds.

Emily Worpel (24 disposals, six rebounds), Charlotte Simpson (17 disposals, six clearances, seven tackles) and Mia Fuller (17 disposals, seven tackles) did their best to stem the flow, but the Magpies were far too strong in their best performance of the season.

PORT MELBOURNE vs ESSENDON

PORT MELBOURNE 0.0, 1.1, 3.1, 3.4 (22)
ESSENDON 0.1, 0.1, 2.1, 3.1 (19)

PORT MELBOURNE is the only team to be guaranteed finals action following a thrilling three-point triumph over reigning premier Essendon at ETU Stadium in Round 13.

The result tipped the Bombers out of the top six heading into the final round and put the Borough a win away from the minor premiership.

Celebrating captain Claire Dyett’s 50th VFL match, the Borough held the Bombers to just one behind in the first half while kicking the only goal themselves.

When Fed Frew and Jessie Williams kicked goals inside the first two-and-a-half minutes of the third term, the Borough looked set to run away with a commanding victory.

However, El Chaston and Mia-Rae Clifford came up with replies for Essendon to set up a tense last quarter.

Young Bomber Scarlett Orritt kicked the only goal of the final term in the 12th minute, but Port’s three behinds were enough to see it home and a game clear on top of the ladder after finishing 10th last season.

The victory was even more meritorious with Essendon dominating all the major stat categories, with Grace Dicker racking up 21 disposals, 10 clearances, 13 tackles and six inside-50s, while Chaston (22 disposals, seven tackles, five entries, one goal) and Sophie Molan (22 disposals, eight clearances, seven tackles, five entries) were also prominent around the ball.

Jaimee-Lee Morrow worked hard in the ruck with 30 hitouts against Beth Wilson (24) and Kate Dudley (25), while Reese Sutton had 10 tackles to go with 12 touches.

But the Borough was cleaner with its opportunities, led by Kaitlyn O’Keefe (15 disposals, 13 tackles), Lauren Caruso (17 disposals, seven tackles), Olivia Barton (16 disposals, six rebounds) and Williams (13 disposals, nine tackles, one goal) standing out.

ROUND 14 FIXTURE

Saturday, July 1: Williamstown vs Geelong Cats (10:00am, DSV Stadium); Essendon vs Western Bulldogs (11:00am, Windy Hill); Carlton vs Darebin Falcons (11:00am, IKON Park); Box Hill Hawks vs Southern Saints (11:30am, Box Hill City Oval – VFL double header); North Melbourne vs Collingwood (3:00pm, Arden Street Oval). Sunday, July 2: Casey Demons v Port Melbourne (3:30pm, Casey Fields – 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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