The Western Bulldogs’ AFLW rebuild has hit its first velocity bump in an emphatic 63-point defeat to Better Western Sydney.
Tam Hyett’s tenure as Bulldogs coach began with a loss after the Giants slammed via 9 unanswered objectives to triumph 10.12 (72) to 1.3 (9) in windy situations at Manuka Oval on Saturday.
Hyett, an assistant coach in Melbourne’s 2022 ladies’s premiership season, was handed the job of revamping the Bulldogs after final season’s picket spoon.
In the meantime, Cam Bernasconi’s Giants will cherish their biggest-ever victory after recording solely two wins to complete sixteenth final 12 months.
New Big Eilish O’Dowd produced a goal-of-the-year contender on debut inside 15 seconds of the opening siren.
The Irish recruit received the faucet in opposition to Edmonds and bolted straight via the hall to open the scoring from inside 30 together with her first disposal and set a brand new league document for the quickest objective scored.
Alyce Parker was excellent within the GWS engine room and completed with one objective, 29 disposals and 7 clearances to mark her fiftieth sport.
Nicola Barr (29 touches), Zarlie Goldsworthy (4 objectives) and Eilish O’Dowd (two objectives) additionally performed starring roles.
For the guests, former captain Ellie Blackburn (25 disposals, 9 clearances) impressed whereas Alice Edmonds took 37 hitouts to the Giants’ complete of 9.
The Bulldogs recorded only one level earlier than the primary break, with the hosts main by eight factors.
McKee hit the scoreboard within the second time period for the one Bulldogs objective of the sport, however Goldsworthy’s objective restored the Giants’ buffer after a 50m penalty was paid in opposition to Grigg for encroaching the mark.
GWS then kicked 5.6 to none to construct a 44-point lead at third-quarter time.
The Bulldogs notched yet another level within the ultimate time period to complete with their equal-lowest-ever AFLW rating.
Bombers defeat to Freo made worse by horror head conflict
Essendon have suffered a horror begin to the AFLW season, with captain Bonnie Toogood injured and Amber Clarke knocked out in a sickening collision that headlined a gutting 43-point loss to Fremantle.
The Bombers confirmed Clarke was concussed however cleared of a neck harm, whereas Toogood had a “knock” to her knee after the incident in Saturday’s 10.4 (64) to three.3 (21) defeat in entrance of 2820 followers at Windy Hill.
Key ahead Toogood was steaming ahead to take a mark inside 50 when she collected teammate Clarke, who had run into her path seemingly utterly unawares, within the second quarter.
The pair clashed heads, then Clarke’s head bounced on the bottom when she landed. Play was stopped as medics cared for Clarke, earlier than taking her from the sector on a stretcher.
Star goalkicker Toogood was visibly distraught on the sidelines and had therapy on her knee.
The Bombers referred to as an finish to Toogood’s day however she was cleared of concussion and returned to sit down on the bench with ice on her proper knee.
Essendon led by eight factors on the time — after Daria Bannister kicked the opening objective on return from an ACL tear — however appeared rattled by the incident.
Electrical Fremantle took full benefit, reeling off 4 unanswered objectives to take management with Aisling McCarthy and Aine Tighe nabbing two objectives apiece.
Bannister kicked her second objective, from a deliberate rushed behind free kick, to chop Fremantle’s result in 12 at half-time.
Lisa Webb’s Dockers led by the identical margin at three-quarter time and nabbed 5 unanswered objectives within the ultimate time period to ship an excellent thrashing on the highway.
The defeat is an early blow to Natalie Wooden’s Essendon’s bid to enhance on final season’s maiden finals look.
Within the twilight sport on the Gold Coast, a ruthlessly environment friendly St Kilda helped itself to a commanding 54-point win over the Suns.
Regardless of popping out second finest in many of the key stats, the Saints owned the scoreboard from begin to end and ran out 11.8 (74) to 2.8 (20) winners.
Star ahead Jesse Wardlaw dominated, kicking two objectives and establishing 4 extra for teammates.
Marinoff stars as Adelaide down Port
Adelaide’s Ebony Marinoff produced one other dominant show to steer her aspect to a 14-point win in opposition to Port Adelaide of their AFLW season opener.
The sensible Marinoff collected a game-high 29 disposals within the Crows’ 7.7 (49) to five.5 (35) victory at Alberton Oval on Saturday night time.
Adelaide’s co-captain, one of many competitors’s premier gamers, propelled her aspect contained in the attacking 50m zone eight instances, received 5 clearances and laid 10 tackles.
Adelaide’s Jessica Allan booted two objectives and dominated the rucks with 30 hit-outs whereas teammates Anne Hatchard (22 disposals, 12 tackles, one objective) and Madison Newman (19 possessions) had been additionally stand-outs.
Port, winners simply 3 times of their preliminary two AFLW seasons, confirmed pluck in opposition to the three-time premiership winners.
However Crows star Marinoff was unable to be managed, the five-time All-Australian setting the tone for Adelaide with a commanding first quarter.
Marinoff gathered eight disposals that includes three inside 50s to assist her aspect create a 12-point benefit at quarter time, 3.1 to 1.1.
The Energy closed the hole within the second time period with majors to Shineah Goody and Gemma Houghton, punctuated by a objective from Adelaide’s Allan from a ruck infringement.
The Crows held an eight-point buffer at half-time, 4.4 to three.2, and stretched their result in 15 factors early within the third quarter when Chelsea Biddell marked and goaled.
However the Energy struck in opposition to the tide when Dowrick sprinted into an open objective from a uncommon attacking foray.
The Crows, regardless of having 20 extra inside 50s than Port at three-quarter time, led by solely 10 factors, 5.7 to 4.3.
Ruck Allan’s second objective gave the Crows a 16-point break simply two minutes into the ultimate time period and settled the end result earlier than a crowd of 5194 spectators.
Hore takes management, Harris injured as Dees beat Cats by two factors
Melbourne will sweat on the health of key ahead Tayla Harris after she tweaked her left shoulder within the Demons’ Kate Hore-inspired AFLW round-one win over Geelong.
Melbourne trailed by 11 factors halfway via the third time period earlier than Hore sparked a run of three consecutive objectives to grab a 6.6 (42) to six.4 (40) win at Kardinia Park on Saturday.
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Harris, 27, required therapy on her already closely strapped left shoulder after innocuous incidents within the first and third quarters.
She left the sector at three-quarter time for what she referred to as “precautionary” causes after coping with the problem in pre-season.
“Clearly I’ve had some shoulder points alongside the best way, and simply one other little incident, it is spherical one,” Harris advised the Seven Community.
“The ladies are doing an superior job, I really feel prefer it’s a possibility to look at the present. Yeah, immediately it’s [precautionary].”
The Cats have excessive expectations after reaching the preliminary ultimate final season, and showcased their means to use stress all through the sport.
The sensible Hore (three objectives, 23 disposals, six clearances) stepped up each time the sport swung in Geelong’s favour.
Gun Cats trio Amy McDonald (28 disposals, 9 clearances), Georgie Prespakis (21 touches) and Nina Morrison had been influential, together with versatile tall Jacqueline Parry (two objectives).
Wardlaw shines as Saints beat Suns
St Kilda have made the very best begin to their 2024 AFLW marketing campaign, scoring a convincing 54-point win over Gold Coast.
Spearheaded by goalkicking ace Jesse Wardlaw, the Saints led at each change to safe an 11.8 (75) to 2.8 (20) triumph at Carrara Stadium.
Wardlaw confirmed no indicators of low season rust and completed with two objectives, 17 disposals and 9 rating involvements, whereas midfielder Jamiee Lambert (one objective, 17 touches) impressed on the contest.
St Kilda additionally loved a wholesome unfold of goalkickers, with midfielders Olivia Vesely and Tyanna Smith among the many 9 to hit the scoreboard.
Becoming a member of the competitors in 2020, Nick Dal Santo’s expenses might be aiming for his or her first finals appearances after simply lacking out final season by proportion.
“It feels wonderful, like, clearly lacking out on finals simply makes us need to make that this 12 months,” Wardlaw advised Fox Footy.
“We have had a protracted, laborious pre-season. We all know why we missed out on finals and what we wanted to alter to get there, so first spherical we are able to tick off and hopefully just a few extra wins to get us there.”
The end result continues a poor streak for Gold Coast, who’ve by no means received in spherical one.
“We fell down in just a few spots, it is honest to say. We obtained comprehensively outplayed tonight,” Suns coach Cameron Joyce mentioned.
“The best way we have been making ready and coaching and enjoying within the pre-season, I do not suppose any of us would have seen that coming.
“That is not normally our DNA by way of what we produced tonight.”
AAP/ABC
