World Footy News

The Pies win in an upset over the Dees by 34 points in hot conditions up in TIO Traeger Park in Alice Springs. In this match the Dees donned their new Indigenous Guernsey designed by their Indigenous player Alisha Newman.

Image Source: @CollingwoodFCW

The Pies started the match very well as they had a lot of the football, but they just could not score. This changed in the second quarter as the Pies did get reward for their effort on the scoreboard and the Pies continued to be all over the Dees in the third term as well. The Pies looked like a totally different team tonight from the previous three rounds with clean and slick ball movement against a premiership favourite in the Dees.

It was a good start for the Pies in the first quarter, as they dominated possession and had a lot of the attacking play early with four inside 50s. However, they were unable to capitalize on the scoreboard and they were kept scoreless at quarter time. The Dees defense stood up well when they were under immense pressure early on in the first term. Also early on the Pies matched the Dees with contested possession. Kate Hore had a set shot on goal from only about 15m out and she nailed it through for the first goal of the match. Elise O’Dea scored the second goal of the match, after she was the Dees player who begun the play on the wing with a hand pass. It was great work rate from her, as about 15 seconds later she ran in and slotted through the open goal for the Dees. The Dees had a 14 point advantage at quarter time.

The Pies were on the scoreboard early in the second quarter after a dribbler kick from Moana Hope that just dribbled across the face of the goal. Hope marked strongly up forward with a strong contested mark, but she unfortunately missed the goal and she looked lively up forward for the Pies in the second term. Newman placed a crunching run down tackle on Cecilia McIntosh deep in attack for the Dees. Chloe Molloy continued her strong form down back for her Pies, as she intercepted the Dees kick forward. Hope kicked the football from the centre to the forward 50 and Christina Bernardi marked the football strongly for the Pies and she lined up her set shot at goal and slotted through the goal nicely between the big sticks. This was the Pies first goal of the match. Bernardi placed really good pressure in the forward line for the Pies and as a result she was awarded a free kick. She kicked the football forward to a pack and at the bottom of the pack Hope crumbed for a quick snap kick around her body for a major. Jaimee Lambert was awarded a free kick in the centre and she kicked the football long to Bernardi who was all on her own inside 50. Bernardi kicked the football to Hope who was all by herself and Hope marked the football and booted through the goal. Bernardi and Hope played superb football up forward for the Pies in the second quarter. It was an impressive second term from the Pies who owned the second term and were up by a goal at the main break.

It was in the third quarter that the Pies came out with real flair and made light work of the Dees with their top-notch work rate, as they outscored the Dees three goals to one. Hope continued to be influential up forward for the Pies in the third term, as she was involved in their first goal of the term. Hope was 60m from goal and she kicked the football to Caitlyn Edwards who ran into kick an open goal from the goal square. Edwards booted through her second consecutive goal of the third term after Laura Duryea gave away the 50 after she ran over the mark, because she thought the umpire had blown the whistle to play on. The Pies played with high intensity and pressure in the third quarter and as a result of this work rate Meg Hutchins kicked through her first ever AFLW goal from a snap kick and “what a celebration it was from the veteran!” Alyssa Mifsud scored a timely goal for the Dees from a set shot 14m out. Hope caused a few headaches for the Dees defense this match, because she was extremely lively in the Pies forward 50. The Pies led by three goals over the Dees at three quarter time.

In the final stanza the Pies continued to control the gameplay and be dominant over the Dees. The Pies captain Steph Chiocci kicked a beautiful running goal from out of the pack from about 40m out. Daisy Pearce gave away the free kick as her tackle was too high on Amelia Barden. Barden nailed through the goal truly and the Pies continued to play great football that was non-existent in the first three rounds of the AFLW. Melissa Kuys from 15m out directly in front booted through the goal for the Pies after the Dees threw the football.

The Pies ran away with this contest since quarter time and the Dees well shell-shocked to say the least. They played exceptionally well from the start to the end of the match and notched up their first win of the 2018 AFLW season.

MELBOURNE          2.2     2.2    3.4    3.6 (24)
COLLINGWOOD     0.0     3.2    6.4    9.4 (58)

GOALS
Melbourne: Hore, Mifsud, O'Dea
Collingwood: Hope 2, Edwards 2, Bernardi, Barden, Chiocci, Hutchins, Kuys 

BEST 
Melbourne: Paxman, Downie, O'Dea, Cunningham, Jakobsson
Collingwood: Bernardi, Lambert, Chiocci, Bonnici, Hope, King

INJURIES 
Melbourne: Smith (concussion), Cranston (hand)
Collingwood: Nil

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Galbraith, Crosby, Broadbent

Official (or estimated) crowd: 2000 approx. at TIO Traeger Park