FREMANTLE stalwart Ebony Antonio made a stunning comeback on Saturday, headlining a huge penultimate round of the AFLW’s seventh season.
The Cats fell in a close game against reigning Premiers Adelaide but lost no fans in the process, while the Western Bulldogs strengthened their hold on eighth place.
Each week, Gemma Bastiani will look at a key talking point in each match in this handy recap, just in case you missed it.
Finals are gonna be fun
If Friday’s Adelaide v Geelong match is anything to go by, this series of finals is going to be fun. A close contest to the wire, the margin never exceeded eight points as the two sides traded blows. Danielle Ponter submitted her Goal of the Year contender to open the game, Kate Darby, Chloe Scheer and Shelley Scott showed off their contested scoring prowess, and Caitlin Gould played the game of her life in the ruck and front lines . Although it was ultimately heartbreaking for the Cats, the build-up to the Finals couldn’t have been better for both teams.
Carlton limped to the finish line
After some promising signs throughout the season, an accumulation of injuries limped the Blues through to the end of the season, and even until the final siren of games. Starting strong against Gold Coast, they just couldn’t make it count on the scoreboard and the Suns took full advantage when the Blues crumbled. It was a similar story last week against Richmond, and no matter how many positional changes the Blues made in the game, they just couldn’t play until the final siren.
Collingwood’s double chance is far from confirmed
The Pies have sat in the top four all season, but now on the business side they are faltering. A 32-point loss to North Melbourne on Saturday was the first blow, and now they have to face a raging Brisbane to close out their home and away campaign. A failure to truly punish teams when they’ve had them on the ropes is coming back to bite them, as their 147.6 percentage is eclipsed by other elite teams and next week may well prove the difference between a double chance and a playoff final. .
Collingwood players walk off the pitch after an eighth round loss, season seven, 2022. Image: AFL Photos
The wait was worth it
It’s been a tough season for Fremantle, to say the least. Injuries to many key players have seen the Dockers drop to the bottom end of the ladder, but with the return of Ebony Antonio on Saturday, we were reminded how much the Dockers were lacking. At the start of his 50th game, Antonio kicked in his signature goal – a side step atop the 50m arc at a tight angle – to get his side moving. Antonio’s impact was huge as the Dockers recorded their second win of the season in style.
Swanson for All Australian
West Coast captain Emma Swanson’s season is sure to be in the mix for her first Guernsey All-Australian, following another outstanding performance on Saturday afternoon. Racking up a record 543m in 28 takedowns, eight clearances and four inside 50s, Swanson did everything in his power to battle the Bulldogs. Although ultimately not to be, Swanson’s season deserves recognition at the end of the year.
Emma Swanson in action during round nine, season seven, 2022. Image: AFL Photos
Jesse Wardlaw and Ally Anderson make a hell of a duo
With Anderson in the middle and Wardlaw up front, the Lions look untouchable. Anderson’s hard work rate in the contest has been remarkable this season, and Saturday night was no different. With 30 eliminations, 10 clearances and 399m earned, she led the team out of midfield and often delivered the season’s top scorer. On offense, Wardlaw competes well in the air, but on the ground she has an athleticism and clean hands that few possess her size. With three more goals added, Wardlaw’s total now stands at 17 for the season.
JESSE WARDLAW What motivates the competition’s top scorer
Ally Anderson in action during round nine, season seven, 2022. Image: AFL Photos
The Saints love an inexperienced opponent
On Sunday, St Kilda snapped their six-game losing streak to claim their third win of the season. All three of the Saints’ wins have come against expansion sides – Sydney and Hawthorn in the opening two rounds, and now Port Adelaide. Yes, the Saints have had to deal with injuries, but they just haven’t been able to compete with more experienced opponents. For them, the offseason will be able to learn to play their game even when the opposition are trying to take it away from them, a task easier said than done.
Grace Egan made Monique Conti a better player
It’s common knowledge that Monique Conti is a star and her full-time dedication to the AFLW this season has seen her improve, but the addition of Grace Egan to that midfield mix has been just as much. important. Conti no longer needs to be the one in and under every stop, instead she can now spin with Egan and become more damaging with the ground she gains and the impact of the scoreboard. Together, they had 42 kills, 13 tackles and 710 yards gained against the Giants, which lifted the Tigers into the top four.
The Melbourne experience matters when it matters
In some of the toughest conditions for football – the gale blowing at Casey Fields – the Melbourne experience came to the fore. Able to adapt beautifully to intense conditions, the Demons knew that when they had the wind they could use their kicking game to hit their contingent of key forwards, and when they didn’t it was all a race and carry issue they might generate. That realization made them look a cut above an emerging Essendon side and was largely led by Karen Paxman in what was close to a career-best game for the star.
