World Footy News

The Fremantle Dockers were 11-point victors over Carlton in an extremely physical game of AFLW played by both sides at the Fremantle Oval. Both teams tackled exceptionally well and gave it their all in the game, today in the west. It was a great entertaining match of football by two sides who were trying to avoid the wooden spoon.

Image Source: @FoxFootyLive

It was an exciting end-to-end action packed opening quarter of football. The Dockers had a lot of the attacking play early in the first half of the quarter and as a result they broke through with the first goal of the match via Kara Donnellan who kicked the goal after she used the wind to her advantage. Dana Hooker was on fire in the first term, as she finished the quarter with 11 disposals. Maddi Gay set up Tayla Harris, as she kicked it to Harris and she quickly replied for the Blues with a goal. Harris soccer kicked the goal from about a metre out from the goal square. A highlight of the first quarter was the great tackle from Ashley Sharp who stopped the Blues run out of defense, but Sharp unfortunately could not capitalize on the scoreboard with a major due to the strong wind. Rain had started to come down with five minutes left in the quarter. Harris used her strength in the forward 50 and helped set up a team goal, because she hand passed the football to Alison Downie who ran into an easy open goal on the run.

The Dockers responded with a quick goal of their own, as Sharp kicked to the recent retiree Amy Lavell who was all on her own in the forward 50 for the Dockers and Lavell slotted through the goal nicely in her final match with a lovely kick. Katie Loynes with a massive bump on Gabby O’Sullivan and O’Sullivan went off to the bench. Alicia Janz limped to the bench at the end of the quarter. Sarah Hosking played well for the Blues that quarter in the centre, as at quarter time she had 5 possessions and 4 tackles. At quarter time the Dockers had a slim lead of 2 points over the Blues.

This match continued to be an extremely tight contest in the second term, as both of the teams only scored a goal apiece in the quarter. Loynes was lively in the second, as she put her body on the line for her Blues. Harris continued her dominance this term, because she was everywhere on the ground. She kicked a major after Nic Stevens who was under pressure shepherded the dribbling goal through. O’Sullivan’s day seemed to be finished after the heavy bump she received in the first quarter, as did not come back on the ground. Kellie Gibson showed her brilliance through the middle, as she evaded in and out of two Blues players and kicked to Lavell who kicked it to Hayley Miller who marked and played on to kick the classy goal superbly through the big sticks on the run. It was a quick reply goal from the Dockers and it was Miller’s first goal in her AFLW career. The second quarter saw great end-to-end football from both teams who played great attacking brands of football. O’Sullivan had a concussion test and can come back into the game but she did not. At half time the Dockers were down by three points.

The game opened up a bit more in the third quarter, as the Dockers outscored the Blues three goals to two. Darcy Vescio was clever around goal as she kicked the goal of her left boot within the first minute of the third quarter. A highlight of the third term was when Harris took a great diving courageous mark. Janz reported to have injured her right knee badly, because she emerged on the sidelines with crutches. Lisa Webb slotted through the goal truly from about 40m out. Kellie Gibson kicked her first goal for the Dockers after being traded from the Crows last year.

Shae Audley came to the bench after she received a head knock in a tackle. It became fiery contest midway through the third quarter, as Donnellan elbowed Harris late in the term and an infringement was given away from the Dockers skipper. As a result Loynes nailed through the goal from the goal square. Donnellan went straight to the bench after the goal and Michelle Cowan the Dockers coach was on the phone to her straightaway. Soon after, there was a big collision between Harris and Tayla Bresland and Hayley Miller. Miller and Bresland came off the ground in the hands of the trainers as they tried to catch their breaths due to being heavily winded. Donnellan copped a heavy knee to her head. The retiring champ Lavell put through her second goal of the game after the siren sounded for three quarter time and the Dockers led by three points over the Blues.

Before the final stanza even started the Blues lost Shae Audley due to concussion. Good news at the start of the fourth, as Miller and Bresland were back on the ground after the hard collision they were involved in late in the third quarter.

The Dockers put on a goal fest in the final quarter, because they kicked three goals to the Blues one. Steph Cain placed a massive goal saving tackle on Vescio deep in defense. It was a great running goal from Sharp who backed her speed in and put the afterburners on to runaway from the pack and kicked the goal on the run. Straightaway, Ebony Antonio booted through the goal nicely and the Dockers kicked two consecutive goals in the final quarter. Hooker nailed through a great running goal from just on 50, as she received the handball receive over the top from Kellie Gibson. The Dockers defense held up well as the Blues had repeated inside 50s, but they unfortunately could not score more than one major on the scoreboard. Downie scored a beauty of goal after she took a good contested mark. This was Downie’s second goal of the match and this goal was the final goal of the match.

In the final stanza the Dockers were down in numbers, but this did not faze them, as they went onto have a strong three goal final quarter to hold onto win by 11 points in a real solid win. This strong final term by the Dockers helped them to avoid the wooden spoon and the Blues are the wooden spooner’s for 2018 AFLW season.

Image Source: @freodockers