AFLW wrap: Orla O'Dwyer and Cora Staunton on target
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 29: Orla O'Dwyer of the Lions celebrates a goal during the round four AFLW match between the Brisbane Lions and the Geelong Cats at Maroochydore AFC on January 29, 2022 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Jono Searle/AFL Photos/Getty Images)
Brisbane Lions got a late scare but held out to claim their second win of the season defeating the Geelong Cats 27-25 on Saturday at their first home game in Maroochydore Multi-Sports stadium. The hosts were celebrating Saturday’s home game after unveiling the 2021 Premiership Flag pre-game.
The Lions who won on Tuesday against Carlton Blues by 35 points at Merticon Stadium, got off to a slow start against Geelong after the visitors got the opening goal of the game through Chantel Emonson. The hosts got moving in the second quarter with a goal through Dakota Davidson to lead by four at half time.
After competing in tough rucks around the field, Tipperary woman Orla O’Dwyer kicked her first goal of the season from open play after great work by Charlotte Hodder. In the fourth quarter they led by 15 points but a late rally from Chloe Scheer scoring 2.1 gave the Lions a scare but the reigning Premiers held out by two points.
Three superb defensive efforts from Courtney Hodder and Orla O'Dwyer capitalises 🦁#AFLW | #AFLWLionsCats pic.twitter.com/OAWTwyxWCV
— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) January 29, 2022
A hat-trick of goals from Erin Phillips helped her Adelaide Crows side retain their position at the top of the AFLW Ladder after a 35-21 victory over the Melbourne Demons.
The 2019 Premiers led from first siren to the last and did have a 32-point lead at three-quarter time before the Demons kicked three goals of their own in the final term to put a polish on the scoreline.
Ailish Considine kicked a behind for the Crows and had 15 disposals for the winners. While Sinead Goldrick had 12 disposals on a disappointing day for the Victorian-based side.
Cora Staunton bagged her sixth goal of the season in helping the GWS Giants to a huge 21-point win over the Western Bulldogs at their first home game in Henson Park.
Staunton snaps another for the Giants 🔥#AFLW | #AFLWGiantsDogs pic.twitter.com/yjnZpmO9Bv
— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) January 28, 2022
The star of the show was Giants defender Nicola Barr who pocketed three goals of her own playing in the forward line. Barr, who had never scored in her previous 33 games, got a start in the forwards due to lack of availability of players because of Health & Safety Protocols. Bríd Stack again made her presence felt defensively shutting down the Bulldogs attacks at various stages.
Super Mums 🧡 pic.twitter.com/ag3iAknC4g
— GWS GIANTS (@GWSGIANTS) January 28, 2022
Speaking to the media post-match, Giants head coach Al McConnell said: “I am pretty proud of the girls today. We know we are better than what we offered last week. It is fabulous under the duress of the week that we could pull off a gutsy win.”
Fremantle Dockers pulled off a massive 38-7 win over Collingwood away from home in Victoria Park to hold onto second place in the AFLW Ladder.
From the opening ball-up the Dockers squeezed the Pies defence forcing errors and applyinging pressure throughout with 41 ‘Inside 50’ offensive entries compared to Collingwood’s 10 entries.
Leitrim’s Aine Tighe had another big performance for the Dockers in a ‘tagging’ role keeping Pies attackers and rucks out of the game. Over the four games for the Dockers, Tighe has shown great versatility throughout and is becoming one of the more important players on the Dockers list.
Aine Tighe off half-back deserves some 👏👏👏
— Fremantle Dockers AFLW (@freodockersAFLW) January 28, 2022
What an impressive performance yesterday. #foreverfreo pic.twitter.com/D9t4041Fdy
Sarah Rowe had Pies' game-high 24 disposals while Aishling Sheridan picked up just six disposals due to lack of possession in the Collingwood forward line.
North Melbourne had a 30-point win over Carlton Blues on Sunday at Ikon Park.
Scores were level midway through the second quarter before Aileen Gilroy’s behind late in the term helped the Kangaroos bounce into a eight-point lead at half-time. Thereafter, the visitors had complete control across the park and were 51-21 runaway winners.
History was made in the final match of the weekend as the Gold Coast Suns won their first ever back to back games in the short history of the competition.
The Suns came from eight points down at three-quarter time to defeat the Richmond Tigers 39-34 at Metricon Stadium.
Both St. Kilda and the West Coast Eagles sat out the weekend’s action due to Health and Safety Protocols in both squads. Both clubs are scheduled to return next weekend.
Collingwood 1.1 (7) lost to Fremantle 5.8 (38); GWS Giants 7.1 (43) bt Western Bulldogs 2.1 (22); Adelaide Crows 4.11 (35) bt Melbourne Demons 3.3 (21); Brisbane Lions 3.9 (27) bt Geelong Cats 4.1 (25); Carlton 3.3 (21) lost to North Melbourne 7.9 (51); Gold Coast Suns 5.9 (39) bt Richmond 5.4 (34); Western Bulldogs vs Fremantle at Whitten Oval, 8:10am start on Tuesday February 1st.
