Kiara ‘Turbo’ Bowers has produced a herculean fourth-quarter effort to lift Fremantle to a thrilling five-point AFLW victory over Melbourne, but there are fears returning forward Aine Tighe may have suffered a fresh injury.
Melbourne led by a point when Kate Hore snapped a goal with nine minutes remaining in Sunday’s match at Fremantle Oval.
But a major on the run from Ange Stannett proved the winning moment for Fremantle as they held on for the 6.4 (40) to 5.5 (35) triumph.
Dockers star Bowers was the pivotal figure in the match, racking up 14 disposals in the fourth quarter alone to ensure Melbourne left Perth empty-handed.
Bowers finished with 27 disposals, 17 tackles and four clearances, while Gabby Newton (29 disposals) and Aisling McCarthy (29 possessions, five clearances, one goal) were also huge.
Star Dockers forward Tighe, playing her first match since recovering from a third knee reconstruction, kicked a team-lifting goal in the third quarter but was taken out of the game a short time later with a knee issue.
Fremantle were not immediately sure whether Tighe had suffered a fresh injury concern.
“The only thing I’ve got from this is it’s knee soreness,” Fremantle coach Lisa Webb said.
“She’s a terrific person, she doesn’t give much away. I honestly don’t know enough.”
Fremantle (4-5) kept its slight finals hopes alive with arguably its gutsiest display of the season, while Melbourne (7-2) slipped to third on the ladder.
Melbourne lost Georgia Gall to a painful right ankle injury early in the match, while Demons star Tayla Harris was cleaned up in the dying moments when she was collected by Mim Strom as the Fremantle ruck reached out after a ground ball.
The Dockers stunned Melbourne early with goals to McCarthy, Georgie Brisbane and Laura Pugh, giving the home side an 18-0 lead inside 12 minutes.
Melbourne kicked three goals to none in the second quarter to turn the momentum their way, with Alyssa Bannan’s goal on the run sparking the visitors.
Melbourne blew a series of chances in the third quarter, and were made to pay at the other end when Tighe kicked the only goal of the term.
The last quarter was a war of attrition, and it was Bowers who stood the tallest.
Swans stun Blues
Sydney has emphatically dealt with its losing streak, more than doubling Carlton’s score at Henson Park.
Montana Ham, Laura Gardiner, Ally Morphett, Zippy Fish and Tanya Kennedy had a day out, as the Swans led from the start and won 11.10 (76) to 5.7 (37).
It broke their four-match losing run and was a step back for the improving Blues, who had only lost to unbeaten North Melbourne in its previous six encounters.
The Swans found winning form to convincingly defeat the Blues. (AAP: Steven Markham)
The result has the Blues placed sixth on the ladder.
The Swans briefly moved to eighth spot, but slipped back to ninth following St Kilda’s defeat of Collingwood later in the afternoon.
After kicking four goals to one in the first quarter, Sydney killed the match off with three goals in four minutes at the start of the second term, breaking out to a 40-point lead.
The Swans were dominating the midfield and four of their goals in the first half came directly from centre bounces.
Down by 38 points at the main break, Carlton played its best football at the start of the third term when it tightened up on the free-running Swans.
North closes in on winning record
The Blues hit back with three quick goals and only trailed by 20 points after six minutes of the quarter.
But they were coming from too far back and Sydney kicked the last two goals of the quarter to seal the win.
Gardiner racked up 43 disposals, just two short of the record set earlier this month by North Melbourne star Ash Riddell.
She also finished with six tackles and nine clearances.
But Ham just shaded Gardiner for best afield, kicking two goals amid her 25 disposals.
Kennedy laid a match-high seven tackles and kicked two goals, while Morphett had eight clearances in the ruck.
Round six Rising Star nominee Poppy Scholz was a stand-out for Carlton.
Moved forward in the second term, Scholz kicked three goals either side of half-time, including two in Carlton’s purple patch at the start of the third quarter.
Saints continue finals push
St Kilda has stormed to seventh on the AFLW ladder in posting their fifth straight win with a 23-point defeat of Collingwood at Moorabbin Oval.
Midfielder Georgia Patrikios tallied 28 disposals and Jesse Wardlaw was an imposing figure with six marks, two goals, six score involvements, and 16 possessions in St Kilda’s 5.5 (35) to 1.6 (12) victory.
Patrikios starred for St Kilda against Collingwood. (Getty Images: James Wiltshire/AFL Photos)
Brittany Bonici was Collingwood’s best with 27 disposals, seven clearances and nine tackles.
The Saints’ finals hopes looked slim after they opened their season with a 1-3 record.
But five consecutive wins have them on the cusp of playing finals for the first time in their history.
Next Saturday’s clash with fellow finals contender Carlton (6-3) looms as crucial to St Kilda’s top-eight hopes, with matches against ladder leaders North Melbourne (9-0) and the Western Bulldogs (3-6) to round out their home-and-away season.
Collingwood won the inside 50m count 37-20 but lacked a reliable target in attack, with the late withdrawal of No.1 draft pick Ash Centra (calf awareness) telling.
The Magpies’ only goal of the match did not arrive until there were just 15 seconds left in the third quarter, when captain Ruby Schleicher took a strong pack mark before kicking truly.
St Kilda lost Charlotte Simpson just minutes into the match after an opponent’s head crashed into her mouth as she attempted a tackle.
Collingwood won the inside 50m count 8-3 in the opening quarter, but it was St Kilda who kicked the only goal of the term — via Arianna Clarke.
Wardlaw reeled in a one-handed grab to kick the opening goal of the second quarter, and the margin extended to 16 points by halftime after Charlotte Baskaran soccered through another major.
Remarkably, St Kilda were able to kick three goals to none in the first half despite losing the inside 50m count 19-6.
Wardlaw’s four first-half marks proved critical to St Kilda, and she took another mark on the lead midway through the third quarter to extend the margin to 25 points, with Collingwood unable to reel in their rivals.
AAP