St Kilda has romped to one of the best wins of its short AFLW history, stunning powerhouse Adelaide by 22 points for a perfect start to the season.
The Saints had not beaten Adelaide in their first five meetings since entering the competition in 2020, but Nick Dal Santo’s charges smashed the Crows around the ball as they claimed a 6.5 (41) to 2.7 (19) win at Moorabbin Oval.
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Debutant Zoe Besanko kicked two goals — including one with the first kick of her career, emulating top pick Ash Centra’s start for Collingwood on Thursday — while fellow draftee Ella Forbes and young recruit Charlotte Baskaran impressed.
“I don’t think they missed a training session, to be honest,” captain Hannah Priest told Fox Sports.
“So deserving, and you can clearly see that they’re ready to make their mark on the competition.”
Adelaide’s Hannah Munyard was carried off after suffering a seemingly serious left ankle injury in the dying moments of the third quarter, while reigning league best and fairest Ebony Marinoff (27 disposals, nine tackles, four clearances) put the Crows on her back.
Former Saint Niamh Kelly (21 disposals, 554 metres gained) and Madison Newman (21 disposals, 534 metres gained) gave Adelaide some run, and first-round draft pick India Rasheed (one goal, 15 disposals) had an eye-catching debut.
Foundation Crow Chelsea Randall was unavailable through a family commitment, and the Crows missed her quality and leadership.
St Kilda led by five at quarter-time and two at the half, but they kept Adelaide goalless in the second half, with a third-quarter surge setting up victory.
The Saints extended their lead to 20 late in the third term when Marinoff gave away a 50-metre penalty and Besanko kicked her second.
Adelaide surged in the final term but could only manage four behinds.
Hawks exact revenge as Lions continue to start slow
The Hawks held on to ensure Brisbane started a third straight AFLW season with a home loss. (Getty Images: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos)
Hawthorn has laid down their marker as the AFLW team to watch after claiming a thrilling four-point away win over perennial contenders Brisbane in their season opener.
The Hawks, who lost to eventual grand finalists Brisbane in their qualifying final last season, headed to Ipswich on Sunday with a point to prove.
The Hawks defended their hearts out to claim a 4.9 (33) to 3.11 (29) victory in front of 4,208 fans, leaving Brisbane to rue their wastefulness, particularly a late miss by Dakota Davidson, who hit the post with a potentially game-tying shot with five-and-a-half minutes left.
“Especially after last year’s finals, we wanted to make a statement, and I think we came out and did that, which is really good,” defender Tilly Lucas-Rodd told the Seven Network.
Hawthorn was defensively brilliant, keeping Brisbane goalless in the second and third quarters.
The Hawks suffered a massive pre-game blow when Irish gun Aileen Gilroy withdrew through injury, and had another scare when Jasmine Fleming went down, grabbing her right knee in the third quarter, but she had it taped and was able to return to play.
Hawthorn led by 13 points at the start of the final term when Fleming burst out of a stoppage and hit Aine McDonagh on the chest for her second goal, before a wonderful goal from Ellie Hampson gave Brisbane a second wind.
The Lions kept peppering Hawthorn’s goal without snatching the lead, with Davidson’s close miss from just right of the goals while trailing 33-27 being the toughest pill to swallow as Brisbane opened a third consecutive season with a home loss.
AAP
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