Melbourne has killed off St Kilda in the first term of their AFLW match on the way to a 26-point win.
Key points:
- The Demons won 6.10 (46) to 3.2 (20)
- The Tigers thumped the Hawks 7.2 (44) to 1.3 (9)
- The Blues and Power finished deadlocked on 4.3 (27) apiece
In Sunday’s other matches, Richmond defeated newcomers Hawthorn, while Carlton and Port Adelaide played out a draw.
The Demons kicked all their goals in the opening quarter against the Saints and won 6.10 (46) to 3.2 (20) at Moorabbin.
To the Saints’ credit, they held firm after the early onslaught in their first game against a non-expansion side this season.
The win leaves the Demons with a 3-0 win-loss record, while the Saints are 2-1.
Melbourne’s Olivia Purcell had a game-high 27 disposals, equalling her AFLW best, while Eden Zanker kicked two goals for the Demons.
Tall forward Kate Shierlaw shone for the Saints with two goals.
The Demons ran rampant in the first term, kicking 6.1 with the wind to nothing from the Saints.
When Shierlaw kicked her second goal early in the last quarter, St Kilda only trailed by 24 points.
The Saints did not hit the scoreboard until late in the second term, with a rushed behind.
Then Libby Burch gave away an obvious free to Shierlaw and she kicked their opening goal with less than two minutes left in the first half.
Melbourne opened the third term with seven inside 50s to none, but could not capitalise.
An excellent tackle from St Kilda’s Caitlin Greiser set up Jessica Matin for the only goal of the third term.
Conti stars in Tigers’ win
A triple treat from midfield marvel Monique Conti propelled Richmond to a breakthrough 35-point victory against Hawthorn.
Conti kicked three goals in a stand-out display to help the Tigers bank their first triumph of the season, thrashing the Hawks 7.2 (44) to 1.3 (9).
The Hawks remain winless in their inaugural AFLW season but the Tigers are now just two premiership points shy of eighth spot.
The Tigers led by just five points at quarter-time, 2.0 to 1.1.
But they then overwhelmed their opponents, keeping the Hawks scoreless in the second and third quarters and to just two behinds in the last term.
With Conti dominating with two first-half goals, the Tigers created a 17-point advantage at half-time.
And Conti added another major in the third term as Richmond scored two goals to none for a commanding 30-point advantage — 6.1 to 1.1 — at three quarter-time.
Conti was dynamic in her roaming midfield role throughout Sunday’s encounter on the Tigers’ home patch, collecting an equal game-high 23 disposals.
She was given able support from Grace Egan, who also gathered 23 touches, while Eilish Sheerin (20 disposals), Gabrielle Seymour (18) and twin sisters Jess and Sarah Hosking (17 each) were also influential ball winners.
Hawthorn’s Gilroy and Tilly Lucas-Rodd battled gamely against the Tiger tide with 17 touches apiece, and Charlotte Baskaran was their sole goal kicker.
Blues, Power end in draw
The Blues trailed by 13 points at half-time and threatened to run over the top of their less experienced opponents at Princes Park.
They kept the Power scoreless in the final term and Goss won a free kick for high contact from Kate Surman with just seconds left, giving her the chance to win the game.
She took her kick from just inside the 50-metre arc as the siren sounded, but it did not make the distance.
The teams finished locked on 4.3 (27) apiece in a result that denied expansion side Port Adelaide its first AFLW win.
It came after the Power recorded losses to West Coast and the Western Bulldogs in the opening two rounds of their debut season.
Carlton had three players celebrating their 50-game milestones — Elise O’Dea, Jessica Dal Pos and Breann Moody — and all kicked goals.
O’Dea gave them the perfect start with one of two Blues majors in the first quarter, but Port Adelaide hit back with a stunning surge in the second term.
Jade De Melo kicked two goals as the Power piled on four in quick succession to hit the front before half-time.
Moody and Dal Pos kicked the only two goals of the second half to get Carlton within two points early in the final term.
Darcy Vescio and Vaomua Laloifi both had chances to put the Blues in front but scored behinds that were only enough to level the scores.
Captain Kerryn Peterson (21 disposals), Mimi Hill (19) and Abbie McKay (26) were among Carlton’s best.
Impressive 18-year-old midfielder Hannah Ewings (21 disposals) was outstanding for the Power, who were also well served by Angela Foley (14), Abbey Dowrick (14) and Erin Phillips (13).
The draw was Carlton’s first since the inaugural AFLW season in 2017.
AAP
Source: AFL NEWS ABC
