World Footy News

The Greater Western Sydney Giants keep their finals hopes alive in the second season of the AFLW after they ran out 18-point winners over the Fremantle Dockers at the Fremantle Oval.

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It was a do or die match for both teams who needed a win to keep there seasons alive. The Dockers came into the match after a loss last round to the Lions and the Giants came off a draw in the wet against the Crows.

From halfway through the second quarter till the final siren, the Giants played a relentless brand of football, because they did not drop off any of their high intensity and pressure football.

It was a tight contested match in the first quarter. The Giants were dominant early with a lot of the possession and heaps of attacking play. In the first quarter the Giants tackled strongly and most of the match was played in their forward half of the ground. This dominant play by the Giants made it difficult for the Dockers to get it out of their defensive 50. The Giants scored the opening goal of the contest after Pepa Randall kicked the football long to a pack and Phoebe McWilliams took a strong contested mark and from about 15m she slotted through the goal truly. Soon after the Giants scored the first goal, the Dockers responded with a quick major of their own after Amy Lavell kicked the football to Stacey Barr who marked the football on the lead and a 50m penalty was given to Barr. The 50m penalty brought Barr to the goal square and she kicked the major from the goal square to level the scores. Late in the opening quarter, Courtney Gum kicked long to Cora Staunton the Irish goal sneak prodigy who dropped the mark but Staunton crumbed the football cleanly and scored the goal of a snap kick from 40m out. The Giants at quarter time led by one goal in a strong physical start to the match.

The Giants kept the Dockers goalless in the second quarter, as they owned the term with the only 2 goals. Early on in the second term the Giants defense were under a bit of pressure but their defense held up well. Then halfway through the second quarter the Giants begun to get on top of the Dockers with their slicker ball movement, their great strong tackles and pressure all over the ground. The Giants scored the first goal of the second term after Rebecca Beeson handballed to her captain in Amanda Farrugia who on the run snap kicked through the crucial goal for her Giants from 25m out. Late in the first half, Staunton hand passed to Gum and the 36 year old slotted through the running goal for the Giants. This was classy play from Courtney Gum and Staunton who were both able to open their forward line up and score the goal. This helped open up a 17-point lead for the Giants over the Dockers at the main break, as they continued to play a very tough physical brand of football. Gum continued her strong form for the Giants with 10 disposals and a goal.

In the third term, the Giants continued to control the momentum in the game over the Dockers. The Giants kept the Dockers goalless again in the third quarter as they went on to score the only 2 goals of the quarter in a dominant display by them. Beeson scored the Giants first goal of the second half, because she was dealt with late with high contact after she took the mark, so a 50m penalty was given to her and Beeson booted through the goal nicely from 25m out on a slight angle. The midfielders for the Giants made it hard for the Dockers to break away with clear possessions through the centre of the ground. Another 50m penalty was given this time to the Dockers and Gabby O’Sullivan from about 30m out nailed through a much-needed goal for her side. Staunton continued her strong pressure up forward of the Giants, as she kicked long to a pack in the goal square where Jacinda Barclay marked strongly and slotted through the goal from the top of the goal square. At three quarter time the Dockers had a 23-point deficit.
The Giants continued to be ruthless in the final stanza with their pressure on and off the ball, because they made it hard for the Dockers to shift any of the momentum their way in the term. Stephanie Cain kicked the football long inside her attacking 50 and the football dribbled through for the first goal of the last quarter with three and half minutes left in the match. The Giants were too good in the end, as they ran out 18-point winners over the Dockers in the west. Gum continued her standout year in the midfield for the Giants, as she finished off with 16 touches and a goal. The Giants strong marking forwards in McWilliams and Staunton were the difference in the end.

FREMANTLE                            1.0   1.2   2.3   3.3 (21)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY  2.0   4.1   6.2   6.3 (39)

GOALS
Fremantle: Barr, O'Sullivan, Cain
GWS Giants: McWilliams, Staunton, Farrugia, Gum, Beeson, Barclay

BEST
Fremantle: Antonio, Cain, Hooker, Donnellan, Filocamo, Webb
GWS Giants: Gum, Brush, McWilliams, Eva, Barclay, McKinnon

INJURIES
Fremantle: Nil
GWS Giants: Nil

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Simmonds, Johansen, McPhee

Official crowd: 2571 at Fremantle Oval