St Kilda’s barren run of six AFLW losses is finally over after the Georgia Patrikios-inspired Saints held on for a controversial two-point win over Port Adelaide.
Nick Dal Santo’s side trailed by 12 points at halftime at Moorabbin Oval, but kicked the only two goals of the second half to improve its win-loss record to 3-6.
The Power was denied a potential matchwinner in contentious circumstances with 2min41sec left on the clock.
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Gemma Houghton’s set shot appeared to sneak through for a goal that would have put Port in front, but it was adjudged a behind by the goal umpire.
Houghton and Erin Phillips looked on incredulous as the goal was disallowed, with Fox Footy commentators believing the ball had been touched, while St Kilda players in the goal square looked despondent as the shot went through.
An AFL spokesperson said that the incident would be reviewed as a matter of routine on Monday.
It comes just one week after the Sydney Swans were robbed, with the AFL admitting an umpiring error cost them dearly against Essendon.
The Swans fell to the Bombers by four points, but the result should have been the other way.
Patrikios led the way with a team-high 19 possessions, with Rosie Dillon, Hannah Priest and Kate Shierlaw all influential.
Phillips had nine of her 21 disposals in a frantic final term, but the veteran superstar couldn’t will her side to a second win for the season, Port’s losing run extended to five defeats on the trot.
SAINTS ASTRAY
The Saints led by five points at the first break after their superior pressure helped them play much of the first quarter in their forward half.
But they spurned the opportunity to put a larger gap on their opponents with some wayward kicking for goal.
Shierlaw set up Lucy Burke for her first AFLW goal in the first minute then bagged her 12th major of the season from a goal square scramble, but her side registered a wasteful six behinds.
In stark contrast, the visitors were highly efficient with two goals coming from their first three inside 50s, Hannah Ewings and Jade de Melo splitting the middle.
CRUNCH!
Olivia Vesely was her side’s top possession winner in the first quarter, but she was left dazed and distressed after a sickening head clash with teammate Tarni White early in the second term.
Both players were able to make their way to the bench for treatment, with White returning with her bloodied nose packed with gauze, but a concussed Vesely was ruled out for the rest of the match.
The incident appeared to disrupt the Saints’ momentum and Port made them pay for their inaccuracy.
In a devastating 90-second burst, the Power slammed through three goals, including one to Gemma Houghton in her 50th AFLW game, to register their highest first-half score of the season and lead by 12 points at the main break.
PATCHY POWER
The Power didn’t register a goal in the second half of last week’s loss to North Melbourne and the visitors went missing again after the restart.
In what was almost a carbon copy of the first quarter, St Kilda poured on the pressure in the third and kicked the only two goals of the term to lead by four points heading into the last quarter.
Phillips set up Houghton for a potential game-winning goal with three minutes left in the match, but the former Fremantle star’s set shot just grazed the post as the Power fell agonisingly short.
SCOREBOARD
SAINTS 2.6 2.7 4.11 4.11 (35)
POWER 2.1 5.1 5.1 5.3 (33)
PHELAN’S BEST
Saints: Patrikios, Priest, Shierlaw, Dillon, Xenos, Stuart.
Power: Phillips, Ewings, Levicki, Foley, Moloney, Surman.
GOALS
Saints: Shierlaw, Stuart, Burke, Guttridge.
Power: Houghton, Johnson, de Melo, Ewings, Surman.
INJURIES
Saints: Vesely (concussion), White (nose).
Power: Nil.
VENUE
Moorabbin Oval
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JASON PHELAN’S VOTES
3 Phillips (Port)
2 Patrikios (StK)
1 Priest (StK)
Suns keep finals hopes alive | 01:00
DEES LOCKED INTO TOP TWO
Melbourne has cemented a top-two finish with Kate Hore booting three goals in a clinical 41-point dismantling of Essendon at Casey Fields on Sunday.
In blustery conditions, the surging Demons made it five wins in a row to draw level with top-ranked Brisbane with an 8-1 record with one round remaining before finals.
With the Demons about 65 points up on third-placed Adelaide (7-2), Melbourne won’t be displaced from second spot and can still improve on that position.
The minor premiership is still up for grabs in what promises to be an intriguing conclusion to the home-and-away season, with 27 percentage points separating the top two sides.
The Lions host finals-bound Collingwood at Metricon Stadium on Friday night, while Melbourne will play strugglers West Coast at Casey Fields on Saturday.
Sunday’s clash was an impressive tune-up for the finals campaign, with Mick Stinear’s side restricting its opposition to a score of 1.3 (9) for the third game in succession.
Karen Paxman starred with a game-high 24 possessions and also kicked a goal, while Olivia Purcell, Tyla Hanks and Libby Birch also influential, with Hore doing the damage in attack.
Maddie Prespakis had 23 touches for the Bombers, but she had precious little help.
THE NUMBERS
The Demons came out on top in a number of key statistics including total possessions (232-176), uncontested possessions (122-77) and inside 50s (36-17).
For the third game in a row, miserly Melbourne kept its opponent scoreless in the opening term, the Demons skipping out to a 14-point lead off the back of a lopsided 13-2 inside 50 count.
Catherine Phillips kicked her side’s only goal in the second quarter, but the Demons kicked two goals into a stiff breeze to extend their lead to 17 points at the main break.
Hore added two more as Melbourne surged to a 38-point three-quarter time lead before cruising to a comfortable win.
BEST NEWBIES?
It was a bitter pill to swallow for the Bombers who will look to bounce back against Port Adelaide and finish their encouraging inaugural AFLW season on a high note.
Essendon has impressed at times with three wins and two losses by two points or less, but couldn’t manage a score in three quarters against the Demons in what is the club’s lowest ever score.
But with nearly double Hawthorn’s percentage, a win in Sunday’s clash at Alberton will guarantee Essendon ends the season as the best-performed expansion team.
SCOREBOARD
DEMONS 2.2 4.2 7.5 7.8 (50
BOMBERS 0.0 1.3 1.3 1.3 (9)
PHELAN’S BEST
Demons: Paxman, Hore, Purcell, Hanks, Birch, West, Mithen.
Bombers: Prespakis, Vogt, Toogood, Phillips, Bannister.
GOALS
Demons: Hore 3, Bannan 2, Paxman, Zanker.
Bombers: Phillips.
INJURIES
Demons: Nil.
Bombers: Nil.
VENUE
Casey Fields
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JASON PHELAN’S VOTES
3 Paxman (Mel)
2 Hore (Mel)
1 Prespakis (Ess)
Roos keep top 4 hopes alive! | 01:15
TIGERS CLINCH FINALS AND CLOSE TO TOP FOUR
Surging Richmond has a top-four finish in its grasp after three goals to Monique Conti helped the Tigers make it seven wins on the trot with a 44-point demolition of Greater Western Sydney on Sunday.
Ryan Ferguson’s side adapted better to the blustery conditions at Mildura Sporting Precinct and improved to a 7-2 win-loss record to replace Collingwood in fourth spot on the ladder with one round left in the home-and-away season.
A double chance would be fitting reward for the barnstorming Tigers, who had only won six games in three seasons heading into this AFLW campaign, and will play finals for the first time in the club’s history.
Conti was the driving force for Richmond with a game-high 23 possessions to go with her trio of goals, but she had plenty of willing helpers with Jess and Sarah Hosking, Grace Egan and Ellie McKenzie all prominent.
Richmond can cement a top-four finish with a win against fellow finalist North Melbourne at Arden Street on Sunday.
Alyce Parker toiled hard for her 18 touches, but it was a disappointing day for the Giants on the back of last week’s win over Hawthorn, with Cam Bernasconi’s side set to finish the season without once managing to put together back-to-back wins.
WHACKY WIND
The windy conditions made for some odd stats across the first half.
The Tigers had first use of the breeze and used it with devastating effect to surge to a 26-point quarter-time lead over the scoreless Giants.
Richmond went inside attacking 50 13 times in the opening term, while the Giants didn’t register an inside 50 and barely managed to move the ball into their forward half.
Egan’s goal from 45m out gave a good indication of the strength of the breeze, with her high right-foot snap sailing through post high.
With the wind at her back, Jess Hosking banged through just the second goal of her 47-game career and Stella Reid threaded the eye of the needle from the boundary line for her second goal after the quarter-time siren.
GWS registered the first seven inside 50s of the second quarter, but failed to make the most of the breeze.
The Giants won the inside 50 count 11-2 for the term, but while they kept Richmond scoreless, they managed just one goal to Parker to trail by 18 points at the main break.
CONTI STRIKES
The Giants did well to restrict Richmond after the restart, but Conti’s class shone through again.
The three-time All Australian swooped on a loose ball and her running shot from 52m out carried the pack and bounced through for a goal shortly after Katie Brennan nailed her set shot.
Conti then drew a free kick shortly before three-quarter time and coolly converted her shot after the siren to make it a 37-point margin.
In a measure of how well her day was going, Conti’s only blunder still resulted in a goal in the last quarter.
The star midfielder kicked her set shot into the player on the mark, but she drew a free kick for high contact as she scrambled to recover the ball and booted her third.
Coupled with Courtney Wakefield’s final term major, the Tigers kicked two goals into the teeth of the wind, while all the Giants scores came with the aid of the breeze.
SCOREBOARD
TIGERS 4.2 4.2 7.3 9.4 (58)
GIANTS 0.0 1.2 1.2 1.2 2.2 (14)
PHELAN’S BEST
Tigers: Conti, J Hosking, Egan, Seymour, McKenzie, S Hosking, Reid.
Giants: Parker, Barr, Hicks, Eva, Evans.
GOALS
Tigers: Conti 3, Reid 2, Brennan, Wakefield, Egan, J Hosking.
Giants: Parker, Barr.
INJURIES
Tigers: Nil.
Giants: Nil.
VENUE
Mildura Sporting Precinct
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JASON PHELAN’S VOTES
3 Conti (Rich)
2 Parker (GWS)
1 J Hosking (Rich)
