Darcy Vescio may have to wait until round three to play their 51st game after a moment of madness in the first quarter.
Playing their 50th game, Vescio is sure to attract the attention of the MRO after what could have been an ugly incident in the opening minutes of the game.
Not dissimilar to a controversial incident involving their fellow clubman, Patrick Cripps, Vescio chose to leave the ground, turn side on and caught their opponent high.
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Schleicher bravely ran back with the flight of the ball, taking a courageous intercepting chest mark on the Pies’ 50m arc, before Vescio flew in late to deliver the hit.
There was a collective drawing of breath around IKON Park as the Collingwood superstar lay on the ground. But Schleicher, who has made her name as a tough as nails rebounding defender, fortunately got back to her feet to take the kick.
That may not save Vescio, however, with the AFL’s stiffer interpretation on high hits with the potential to cause injury, it’s likely Vescio is facing an initial one-week suspension.
MIGHTY MIDFIELD
Collingwood’s new-look midfield was firing on all cylinders as it showed a season without All-Australian duo Brit Bonnici and Bri Davey might not be as bad as thought.
Ruby Schleicher and Chloe Molloy moved into the Pies’ engine room from defence and forward respectively and were able to provide the mature presence around the footy Collingwood was craving at the end of their season six campaign.
Schleicher started in the centre bounces for the Pies before drifting behind the ball where she provided her regular consummate leadership and intercept skills, while Molloy proved a tackling machine, heaping pressure on the Blues’ prime movers.
The addition of young gun Imogen Evans and stints by defender Alana Porter and Tarni Brown proved the Pies’ midfield depth may no longer be a weakness as they shoot for premiership glory.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing though, as Jaimee Lambert came from the ground late with a lower leg injury. Lambert pounced on a loose ball in the Blues’ forward 50 before being set upon by Madeline Guerin who laid a strong tackle.
But Lambert’s left leg became trapped underneath the tackle and it appeared to buckle before the 29-year-old grabbed at it and stayed down for more than a minute.
She was helped from the field by trainers and was sporting a hefty limp but returned late in the game to guide the Pies home.
BABY MAGPIE SHINES
It may prove to be one of the all-time steals if Imogen Evans’ debut was anything to go by.
Collingwood is crying out for midfield depth after losing All-Australians Brit Bonnici and Bri Davey to ACL injuries in season six, emerging star Mikaela Cann sidelined with a calf injury and relying heavily on Jaimee Lambert.
But Evans, 18, who captained the Gold Coast Suns’ academy, showed more than enough to suggest she can fill the void as the season progresses with a stellar debut where she looked as comfortable laying bone-crunching tackles as she did with ball in hand.
The highlight of Evans’ game was a sublime check side snap on the run in the second quarter to extend Collingwood’s lead.
She may come under MRO scrutiny for a tackle on the Blues’ Daisy Walker, however.
Evans ran Walker down in the middle of the ground, but as the Pies youngster dragged her opponent down it appeared Walker’s head hit the turf and play was stopped for a minute while she was taken from the ground.
It wasn’t a sling tackle, and no free kick was paid, which should help Evans.
TALE OF TWO GOALKICKERS
One hadn’t played footy for 543 days, the other was playing her first game in the big league.
Six-and-a-half minutes into the game the roar from IKON Park would’ve been heard from streets away as Carlton debutant Mia Austin slotted the first goal of Season Seven of AFLW.
The 18-year-old showed off her impressive leap as she flew over the top of the pack 20m from goal, clunking the ball above her head.
Austin, who played in the ruck at the Eastern Ranges, coolly went back and never looked like missing.
Jordan Membrey had waited a year-and-a-half to don the black and white again after suffering an ACL injury, but it took her just 10-minutes to make her mark.
Every Collingwood player on the ground flocked to the 26-year-old after she nailed the Pies’ first goal of the season, a set shot from 25m out.
Membrey led the Pies’ goalkicking in 2020, and will provide much needed class and polish around the sticks this season as Chloe Molloy makes a more permanent move into the midfield.
BLUES 2.0 2.0 3.0 3.0 18
PIES 2.0 4.2 5.4 5.6 36
MOTTERSHEAD’S BEST – Blues: McEvoy, Hill, McKay, Moody. Pies: Schleicher, Brown, Evans, Chiocci, Allen, James, Lambert.
GOALS – Blues: Austin, Vescio, Moody. Pies: Membrey, Chaston, Evans, Brown, Allen.
INJURIES – Blues: Walker (head). Pies: Lambert (leg), Moloney (concussion).
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JAMES MOTTERSHEAD’S VOTES
3 R. Schleicher (COLL)
2 T. Brown (COLL)
1 I. Evans (COLL)
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