With scores locked at 27-27 and just three-minutes on the clock the game needed a hero.
It looked like Carlton’s Mimi Hill, last season’s Rising Star winner, would drag her side over the line as she dominated around the ball, but Port Adelaide’s defence stood tall when it mattered as the season’s first draw was played out.
The Blues had a chance after the siren to pinch but Lily Goss’s shot from 50m fell just short.
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Both sides had their chances to pinch it late, but Port was left to rue a second-half fade out while the Blues’ connection late let them down.
Darcy Vescio had arguably the best chance to win it as she motored forward with a three-on-two inside 50, but her handball was a shocker, missing the chance to run in and nail an easy score and the win.
PETERSON WINGING IT
We know Kerryn Peterson the All-Australian defender, but we may be witnessing Peterson the All-Australian winger.
The 30-year-old tore the first quarter to shreds playing on the outer wing of Ikon Park, nailing the role with equally impressive work behind and in front of the ball.
Her nine-disposal quarter — the most on the ground — was capped off with a beautiful running goal, the second of her career, after some sharp link up work inside 50.
So good was Peterson’s play around the ground she had 155m gained for the quarter, amazingly surpassing her total for the season in just 16 minutes of football.
But the Blues’ skipper was able to fold back into her more natural defensive role to intercept the ball three times, ensuring the Power didn’t put a goal on the board in the opening term.
Peterson finished with 21 touches, 401m gained, eight intercepts and a goal.
POWERFUL QUARTER
Port Adelaide played its best quarter of footy since entering the competition this season in a scintillating second term when they kicked four goals to none.
The Power had twice as much of the ball as the Blues as they heaped on the pressure with 10 inside-50s to two.
It started around the ball, with Hannah Ewings, Justine Mules and Kate Surman dominating the clearance battle and setting their side up with an immediate territory advantage.
Abbey Dowrick’s monster right boot was also a feature of the quarter, highlighted by a 50m pass to Jade De Melo who had made her way out the back of the Blues’ defence to kick her second of the term.
Olivia Levicki and Marian Moloney kicked the other two Port goals, while Erin Phillips – who had hardly been sighted in the first quarter – got busy with seven touches.
DAL THE TACKLING MACHINE
Jess Dal Pos is one of the cleanest kicks in AFLW, but it was her tackling that shone in game 50.
She equalled her career-best tackling return with 10 for the contest – a game-high.
It was highlighted by a huge holding the ball free kick just 15m from goal in the last quarter. The 28-year-old went back and never looked like missing, sending it straight over the goal umpire’s head to bring Carlton back to within two points.
SCOREBOARD
BLUES 2.1 2.1 3.1 4.3 27
POWER 0.1 4.2 4.3 4.3 27
MOTTERSHEAD’S BEST
Blues: Peterson, Laloifi, McKay, Hill, Skepper.
Power: Ewings, De Melo, Dowrick, Foley, Duursma.
GOALS
Blues: O’Dea, Peterson, Moody, Dal Pos.
Power: De Melo 2, Levicki, Moloney.
INJURIES
Blues: Guerin (knee). Power: Nil.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JAMES MOTTERSHEAD’S VOTES
3. H. Ewings (PA)
2. K. Peterson (Carl)
1. V. Laloifi (Carl)
CONTI HITS OVERDRIVE AS TIGERS CRUISE HOME
It was always going to be difficult coming in as an expansion side for the Hawks, but Richmond’s seasoned bodies in the midfield showed their experience in the 35-point victory.
Ellie McKenzie (16 disposals) has all of the tools to become a star of the competition. In the first term her breakaway pace and strength in the contest shone through in a big way.
Grace Egan was a key contributor with 23 touches and a goal, and she looks to be assimilating into the Tiger midfield with aplomb.
The Hosking sisters, Sarah and Jess, thrived in the conditions, whilst Meg Macdonald made her presence felt in her first match of season seven, laying some bone-crunching tackles and applying plenty of defensive pressure.
She produced one of the highlights of the match when she executed a brilliant smother before gathering the ball and finding a teammate which ultimately resulted in a Richmond goal.
Mon Conti was at her brilliant best as well, as she continues to stamp her authority on the AFLW competition.
CAN YOU STOP CONTI?
Mon Conti will go a seriously long way towards winning the AFLW best-and-fairest award this season, if her efforts against the Hawks are anything to go by.
Conti was everywhere for the Tigers, amassing 23 disposals in a best-on-ground performance.
But it was her ability to hit the scoreboard that caught the eye, booting two first half goals.
Hawthorn captain Tilly Lucas-Rodd went head-to-head with Conti throughout the evening, but Conti managed to really hurt the Hawks with her pace in offensive transition.
Lucas-Rodd (17 disposals, eight tackles) worked her way into the match as the game wore on, a testament to the hard-working heart and soul type player she is to Hawthorn.
BRIDIE HIPWELL FAN CLUB
The match was officially a sell-out approximately two hours before the first bounce and there’s a fair chance that Hawthorn debutant Bridie Hipwell’s family and friends had bought a decent amount of that allocation.
When Hipwell had her first kick of the day her supporters on the Punt Road wing roared, and they cheered on every touch and tackle of Hipwell’s throughout the day.
The Sandringham Dragon product has a unique mix of athleticism and height, which makes her a difficult player for opposition defenders to match up on.
She played forward throughout the day but has the ability to play in the midfield too.
Hawthorn’s blooded three other debutants as well, including Isabelle Porter, Ainslie Kemp and Laura Elliott.
Former Demon Ainslie Kemp made her debut in the Brown and Gold after three ACL reconstructions and finished with eight, whilst Porter had 11 touches of her own.
Laura Elliott was a late inclusion for tall defender Mackenzie Eardley, who hurt her knee in the warm-up.
INJURIES HURT THE HAWKS
Hawthorn had two key players succumb to injury last weekend in Louise Stephenson (ankle) and Tamara Luke (knee) and their presence was sorely felt within the Hawks camp.
Young Lucy Wales was left shoulder the majority of the ruck load on her own and tried her best, but it was certainly a tough assignment.
Stephenson was touted for a large role in the Hawthorn midfield this season to help Lucas-Rodd at the contest, but her loss meant the Hawks had to turn to their younger on-ball brigade against the Tigers.
Charlotte Baskaran (13 disposals) had her best game of her AFLW career, whilst Jas Fleming (11 touches) continues to develop and become a player of the future for the Hawks.
The wet weather meant the absence of Stephenson was even more profound, but the young Hawks certainly will have learnt a lot from the experience playing against some of the competition’s finest.
SCOREBOARD
TIGERS 2.0 4.0 6.1 7.2 (44)
HAWKS 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.3 (9)
BOLCH’S BEST
Tigers: Conti, Egan, Sheerin, McKenzie.
Hawks: Gilroy, Lucas-Rodd, Baskaran, Ashmore.
GOALS
Richmond: Conti 3, Egan, Reid, McKenzie, Wakefield.
Hawthorn: Baskaran.
INJURIES
Tigers: nil.
Hawks: Shannon (concussion), Eardley (knee), replaced by Elliott.
UMPIRES
Wallace, Mitchell, Lopes.
VENUE
Swinburne Centre.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
BOLCH’S VOTES
3 M. Conti (RICH)
2 G. Egan (RICH)
1 A. Gilroy (HAW)
DEMONS BLOW SAINTS AWAY EARLY
It was the third-best opening term in AFLW history.
The Dees blew a shellshocked St Kilda out of the water with one of the best quarters of footy you’ll see this year in their 26-point win.
Despite kicking into a stiff breeze, Narrm piled on six goals to none to open the contest on the back of elite stoppage work, winning clearances by six.
They had eight more inside-50s than the Saints and 44 more disposals (82-38).
Eliza West, who has been arguably the most improved player in AFLW this season, led the way for the Dees with four clearances and nine touches, while Eden Zanker, who had three clearances of her own, kicked two goals.
The ever-dangerous Kate Hore was nuisance up forward and kicked an early goal and dished another off, and Meg Fitzsimon, Karen Paxman and Alyssa Bannan kicked the others.
PURCELL RUNNING HOT
By her own admission Olivia Purcell had a quiet finals series for the Dees, who fell just short of a maiden flag.
But the 22-year-old continued her stellar start to the season with another dominant midfield display.
Purcell had the ball on a string, finishing with and equal career-high 27 touches to go with four clearances and 316m gained.
Her scintillating start to the season, coupled with the rise of West, has given an extra dimension to the Dees’ midfield, allowing Paxman to play on the wing and easing the load on the impressive Tyla Hanks.
SAINTS’ SIGNS
At quarter time it looked as though St Kilda was set for its heaviest defeat in its AFLW history.
But Nick Dal Santo’s side showed some grit in digging in and holding the Dees at bay for the remaining three quarters, keeping their vaunted opposition goalless.
You could point to Narrm’s inaccuracy after quarter time, but that would overlook improved ferocity and endeavour from the Saints, who laid 25 more tackles (45-20) than Narrm in the second and third terms combined.
The increase in intensity was led by Rosie Dillon and Tarni White, who both had eight tackles through three quarters, while Georgia Patrikios continued her impressive return to the Saints’ fold with seven.
SOARING SHIELAW
Kate Shierlaw is enjoying the best start to a season in her career, leading the AFLW goalkicking award having already kicked a career-high eight goals this season.
Shierlaw’s previous best was six goals in 2021, but she has taken her game to the next level this season with elite work rate and finding different ways to kick goals other than from big contested marks.
The 33-year-old is crying out for some extra help up forward, however, and if the Saints can get Caitlin Greiser firing they can take it up to the big teams.
SCOREBOARD
SAINTS 0.0 1.1 2.1 3.2 20
DEES 6.1 6.3 6.7 6.10 46
MOTTERSHEAD’S BEST
Saints: Shierlaw, Dillon, White, Patrikios, McDonald, Patrikios.
Dees: Purcell, West, Paxman, Hore, Hanks, Mithen.
GOALS
Saints: Shierlaw 2, Matin.
Dees: Zanker 2, Hore, Fitzsimon, Paxman, Bannan.
INJURIES
Saints: nil.
Dees: nil.
VENUE
RSEA Park
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JAMES MOTTERSHEAD’S VOTES
3 O. Purcell (MELB)
2 E. West (MELB)
1 K. Paxman (MELB)
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