By Justin Chadwick
Melbourne coach Mick Stinear was pleased but not totally satisfied after watching his team grind to a 30-point AFLW win over Fremantle.
Dockers midfielder Kiara Bowers tallied 26 disposals, 12 tackles and a goal to give her side a chance of pulling off an upset win at Fremantle Oval on Sunday.
Kate Hore of the Demons celebrates after scoring a goal during the 2022 S7 AFLW Round 06 match between the Fremantle Dockers and the Melbourne Demons at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.Credit:Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images
The Dockers had two opportunities early in the final quarter to snatch the lead, but their misses proved costly as Melbourne kicked the last four goals of the match to secure the 10.6 (66) to 5.6 (36) win.
The victory ensured Melbourne (5-1) stayed equal top with Brisbane, Adelaide and Collingwood, but Stinear wasn’t satisfied with his team’s display.
“I would say we got outworked in clearances and around the contest,” Stinear said.
“I was pleased to get the result. It was good to find a way to get ahead in that last quarter.
“We’re happy with the win-loss at the moment, but we’re not content with how we’re playing or where our game style is at.
“We’re not chasing perfection, but we are certainly chasing consistency and application in how we want to play.”
Demons forward Kate Hore was crucial in the victory with three goals, two of which came in the last term when Melbourne made the most of a strong breeze.
Former Docker Sabreena Duffy kicked two goals, including a spectacular banana from the pocket late in the match.
Demons midfielder Olivia Purcell finished with 26 disposals and a goal, while Tyla Hanks racked up 21 disposals.
Fremantle’s finals hopes are now all but over after scraping up just one win and a draw from the opening six rounds.
“Never happy when you lose obviously, but I thought it was our best performance of the year when you take into consideration the quality of the opposition,” Dockers coach Trent Cooper said.
“We didn’t defend as well as we’d like, but I thought we played a lot more of our brand of footy for most of the game.“
Demons star Tayla Harris kicked the opening goal of the match then produced a mark-of-the-year contender when she jumped over two players to take a superb floating grab in defence.
Melbourne captain Daisy Pearce kicked a goal and set up another in the first half.
But it was Bowers who was the dominant player on the field, tallying 18 disposals, four clearances, eight tackles, five inside 50s and a goal by the long break.
Gabby O’Sullivan had the chance to put Fremantle ahead when she received a 50m penalty early in the final period.
But her kick against the strong breeze was wayward, and Melbourne took full advantage by slamming through the next four goals.
