Ally Anderson has equalled the document for many disposals in an AFLW match because the Brisbane Lions kick-started their premiership defence with an 18-point win over Melbourne.
After struggling their heaviest ever defeat in spherical one, the Lions bounced again in sturdy style with a 5.3 (33) to 2.3 (15) victory at Casey Fields on Saturday.
Anderson starred within the engine room with a career-best 42 disposals, matching the mark set by North Melbourne midfielder Ash Riddell in 2022.
The Lions’s prolific midfielder tallied 28 kicks and 14 handballs, together with eight clearances and 6 tackles, in an excellent show.
“Phenomenal … it was simply an unimaginable day from Ally,” Brisbane coach Craig Starcevich mentioned.
“She’s getting good assist round her however 12 months after 12 months she simply will get to work and he or she’s having days recurrently now like she did immediately.
“I maintain seeing her bodily enhance. Somebody of their early 30s should not be enhancing bodily, however she simply retains getting higher.
“It is an ideal lesson for everybody actually … she amazes us.”
Key ahead Dakota Davidson (three objectives) and defensive rock Bre Koenen additionally shone because the Lions squared their season document at 1-1.
Nevertheless it was Anderson who brought about most complications for Melbourne coach Mick Stinear, ending with 22 contested possessions and 600m gained.
“We felt like we had been nonetheless producing alternatives and there have been issues that had been extra in our management that would’ve helped us win the sport,” Stinear mentioned.
“However within the second half these numbers began to escalate, notably her loose-ball will get, and the clearance numbers had been troubling.”
Melbourne’s defeat compounded per week of upheaval, throughout which Kate Roffey stepped down as membership president following a tumultuous interval for the membership on and off the sphere.
Roffey’s successor Brad Inexperienced was readily available to assist the Demons in a 1534-strong crowd, together with males’s stars Christian Petracca, Max Gawn and Jake Lever.
The Lions kicked the primary three objectives of the match, together with one to 50-gamer Taylor Smith, as Koenen and Poppy Boltz led a resolute defence.
Melbourne did not open their account till late within the third quarter, when debutant Alyssia Pisano stepped as much as give the house aspect a preventing probability.
Maeve Chaplin produced large tackles on Brisbane’s Ruby Svarc and Sophie Conway in a bodily begin to the ultimate time period because the Dees briefly threatened a comeback.
However Davidson gave the Lions respiration house together with her second aim after which put the end result past doubt when she adopted up with an excellent set shot from the boundary.
Anderson had greater than twice as many disposals as each different participant on the bottom, with Isabel Dawes (19 disposals) and Jade Ellenger (17) additionally among the many Lions’ main ball-winners.
Sinead Goldrick (20), Blaithin Mackin (19), Paxy Paxman and Tyla Hanks (each 16) all fought onerous for Melbourne.
Brisbane host Collingwood on Friday night time in spherical three, whereas Melbourne are at dwelling once more in an enormous conflict with final 12 months’s runners-up North Melbourne.
Hawks demolish Pies regardless of skipper’s late withdrawal
Hawthorn might mirror the extraordinary rise of their males’s crew after demolishing Collingwood by 47 factors to take care of their unbeaten begin to the AFLW season.
Even after captain Emily Bates was a late withdrawal resulting from a calf harm, the Hawks crushed Collingwood 11.7 (73) to three.8 (26) at Victoria Park on Saturday.
It was Hawthorn’s greatest rating and profitable margin of their quick historical past, topping the data they set six days earlier throughout a thumping victory over Carlton.
However the win might need come at a value after key gamers Aine McDonagh (arm, head) and Casey Sherriff (leg) left the sphere in misery within the final quarter.
McDonagh was unintentionally collected by Collingwood star Ruby Schleicher in a marking contest and left the sphere with the help of trainers.
Solely minutes earlier, Sherriff hobbled from the sphere clutching her leg.
The pair performed key roles within the thumping win, with McDonagh kicking two objectives and Sherriff slotting one.
McDonagh’s fellow Irishwoman Aileen Gilroy additionally kicked two objectives as Hawthorn broke the sport open with 5.1 to 0.2 within the third quarter.
It has been a formidable opening fortnight for the Hawks, who modified coaches throughout the low season.
After main the membership for his or her first two AFLW seasons, Bec Goddard retired from teaching, with the Hawks appointing Daniel Webster after he served as an assistant at perennial powerhouse Brisbane.
The Hawks completed sixteenth final season after putting fifteenth of their debut season, however their early type reveals they may make a serious leap in 2024.
The end result got here lower than 24 hours after Hawthorn’s AFL crew received an elimination ultimate towards the Western Bulldogs, regardless of beginning the season 0-5.
Males’s coach Sam Mitchell was within the crowd on Saturday to look at the Hawks show their fast enchancment.
Dons get their first of the season as Prespakis stars
Star onballer Maddy Prespakis has overcome a quad harm and a controversial disallowed aim to dominate in Essendon’s 16-point upset AFLW win over West Coast.
After shedding co-captain Bonnie Toogood final week to a long-term knee harm, the Bombers rebounded beautifully on Saturday in Perth and received 6.5 (41) to three.7 (25) for his or her first win of the season.
Prespakis was excellent all through, racking up 27 disposals in a best-afield recreation.
Fellow onballer Georgia Nanscawen additionally was distinguished within the win, with 25 possessions and 6 clearances.
It’s the first loss for the Eagles’s high-profile coach Daisy Pearce, and her evaluate will focus closely on their disastrous opening time period, once they someway managed zero inside-50s regardless of good situations.
Prespakis had ice on her proper quad after the match.
“No harm concern — I carried a little bit of a contusion in my quad this week, so a little bit of blood on the muscle, (and) it simply restricted the motion somewhat bit,” she advised Fox Footy.
“I fought via it rather well immediately and there was no manner I used to be lacking out (on the win).”
The Bombers began as outsiders after shedding Toogood amongst 4 modifications following final week’s loss to Fremantle, whereas the Eagles had been coming off a first-up win.
“We got here collectively as a superb group — that is what good groups do,” Prespakis mentioned.
“We had some younger women get up immediately — it was a superb win.”
With Prespakis and Nanscawen dominant within the midfield, Essendon swamped West Coast within the first time period.
The Bombers had 14 inside-50s to none, outworking the Eagles, with Emily Gough and debutant Chloe Adams placing Essendon on the board.
They need to have been three objectives up, with a Prespakis shot after the siren additionally going via.
However the umpires controversially dominated she had run off her line in taking the kick and the aim was disallowed. The replay advised it was a troublesome name on the Bombers star.
“I do not reckon I did (go off the road) … I believed it was a aim,” Prespakis mentioned post-game.
Whereas Jacqui Vogt soccered via Essendon’s third aim early within the second, West Coast had been lifting.
An awesome contest from Ella Roberts arrange Isabella Lewis for the house aspect’s first aim at 12 minutes.
Mikayla Western goaled on the run shortly earlier than half-time to maintain the Eagles within the recreation, solely two objectives down regardless of the Bombers’ sturdy begin.
As Essendon gave away three inside-50s, Amy Franklin kicked a aim from a free and the Eagles trailed by solely 5 factors within the third time period.
Stephanie Cain snapped an important aim towards the run of play contained in the final minute of the quarter, giving the Bombers a 17-point buffer on the ultimate change.
The Eagles once more pressed, however couldn’t capitalise within the goal-less ultimate time period.
Ahead Roberts starred for West Coast, and defender Beth Schilling helped maintain them within the recreation, racking up seven marks.
Port skipper Cuthbertson performed for the 12 months with knee
Port Adelaide are counting the price of their win over the Western Bulldogs after captain Janelle Cuthbertson was dominated out for the remainder of the AFLW season with a severe knee harm.
Cuthbertson landed awkwardly from a marking contest throughout the third quarter of the Energy’s 40-point victory on the MCG on Friday night time and instantly crumpled to the turf.
She needed to be helped from the sphere, with scans later confirming a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee.
Cuthbertson additionally sustained a partial tear of the medial collateral ligament.
“It is extremely robust information to take for Janelle and the entire soccer membership,” Port Adelaide ladies’s soccer boss Shane Grimm mentioned in an announcement.
“Janelle is a really resilient one who is at all times decided to get essentially the most out of herself and her teammates.
“I’ve little question she’s going to method her rehabilitation together with her normal professionalism and dedication, and that she’s going to proceed to be a robust chief round our enjoying group.”
AAP
