World Footy News

 

The Lions won by a whopping 40 points over the Giants up in Sydney at the Blacktown International Sports Park and there hopes of making the 2018 AFLW Grand Final are well and truly alive. All night the Lions were a class above the Giants who could not do anything to stop the strong momentum shown by a Lions outfit where everything fell right into place in tonight’s match for them. The six goal first stanza set up the win for the Lions who scored ten goals and kept the Giants to three goals for the entire match. 

Image Source: @aflwomens

The Lions silenced the Giants home crowd in the first stanza, as they scored six consecutive goals after the Giants kicked the opening goal. They were all over the Giants with their superb ball movement from defense to the middle midway to late in the first term. As in the early stages of the opening quarter, the Giants did all of the attacking. Brit Tully placed a good pressure tackle on Nat Exon deep in the Giants forward 50 and Tully squeezed through the kick from 30m on a tight angle for the first goal of the match. Sabrina Frederick-Traub was on fire in the first term, as she kicked three goals. Frederick-Traub snap kicked a beauty of a goal around her body out of the pack after she out muscled the rest of the players. It was a great celebration by Frederick-Traub and her teammates.

Soon after, Frederick-Traub marked strongly and from just on 25m she slotted through the goal nicely through the middle. Jess Wuetschner booted through the major after she received the handball. Sophie Conway on the run kicked a great running goal and the Lions were confident and started to run riot in Sydney. Frederick-Traub nailed through her third goal off a check side kick. Brittany Gibson placed a strong tackle on Giants hard nut Vice Captain Alicia Eva. Frederick Traub to Emma Zielke who kicked to Wuetschner who marked the footy and she put through the goal from 30m out. The Lions after a strong quarter had a 31-point advantage at quarter time.

In the second quarter the match tightened up and the Lions scored one goal, as they kept the Giants goalless. The scoreboard dried up in the second term. Lions held up well all over the field and made it difficult for the Giants to score and to break away with clear possessions. Sophie Conway kicked the football towards an open forward line and Kate McCarthy won the foot race, after she put on the afterburners and nailed through the goal on the run.

The Lions wore down the Giants early in the second term with their strong tackling and pressure. Ellie Brush came off with a blood nose due to the blood rule. Pepa Randall placed a ripper of a tackle on Sophie Conway but the umpire said it was a high tackle. The Giants home crowd did not like the umpire’s decision one bit. At the main break the Lions had a six-goal advantage over the Giants.

The game slowed down in the third stanza, as the Giants came out hard in the quarter with immense pressure and intensity. Courtney Gum crumbed the football wonderfully on the goal line and she slotted through a much-needed goal. The Giants came out with more composure in the third quarter, as they tried to get back into the game. It made for a tight tussle and both teams were tackling ferociously. Jacinda Barclay placed a superb crunching tackle deep in attack for the Giants.

Vice Captain Eva put on show some individual brilliance in the third, as she placed a great inspirational run down chase tackle on the lightening fast McCarthy just as the Lions were heading into their forward line. The Lions slicker ball movement continued in this quarter. A 50m penalty was given to Sharni Webb after Maddy Collier over stepped the mark and Webb from about 10m out put through the goal. Elle Bennetts over the top to Cora Staunton who ran into an open goal and it was a much-needed goal for the Giants. The Giants were down by 29 points at three quarter time.

This game continued to be tight in the final stanza and the Giants did everything they could to capitalize on the scoreboard with a major. They became so desperate in the last five minutes of the match, but the Lions continued to hold up well in defense. Goals were hard to come by for the Giants tonight. The Lions kicked the final two goals of the match. It was a very even performance by the Lions tonight. Frederick-Traub was awarded a free kick inside 50, after Randall held onto her for too long. Frederick-Traub booted through her fourth goal of the match. McCarthy’s quick speed was on show again in the fourth quarter, as she ran away from the Giants midfielders and on the run she kicked to her leading target in Wuetschner who sold some candy and kicked her third goal and the final major of the match.

The Lions put an end to the Giants season tonight up in Blacktown by a massive 40 points to keep their season roaring alive in the 2018 AFLW season. It was a great fine display by the Lions tonight whose intent in this match was second to none. They now have a nervous 48 hours, because they are still in contention to make the 2018 AFLW Grand Final.

 

Image Source: @FoxFootyLive