Bella Dawes of the Lions celebrates a goal on Sunday.Credit: Getty Images
The Brisbane Lions can take at least one win away from the weekend as their AFLW side claimed a 27-point victory in their grudge match against Hawthorn at Kinetic Oval on Sunday afternoon.
It was the showdown many fans had circled at the season’s start as ex-Lions stars Emily Bates, a former league best and fairest winner, and Greta Bodey, an All-Australian and club leading goalkicker, faced their old side after swapping to brown and gold.
It was far from the walkover expected in Frankston with the powerhouse of Brisbane, last year’s grand finalists and season six premiers, up against newcomers Hawthorn, who last season struggled to notch wins in their inaugural season. The Hawks won the opening half but ran out of legs while the Lions kicked away.
Star Brisbane defender Natalie Grider said she knew it would be a tough contest, especially with the building rivalry between the two sides. She said the Hawks had great pressure early while the Lions took a while to get going.
Grider had the job on Bodey, who drew first blood with the opening goal of the match – a major which would have done wonders for the former Lion’s mindset.
“We’ve played a lot on Bodey. Obviously, you do a lot at training for the last few years, so I think we’re all pretty confident,” said Grider, who dismissed any disgruntlement from her side towards their former teammates.
“We work as a unit really well so we hadn’t talked too much about the exact match-up but just whatever rolled out on game day.”
“Just in general, when you lose players, it obviously hurts a little bit, but now we’ve had a great pre-season as a new team and worked really well. It was just almost another game of footy for us.”
Season seven league best and fairest Ally Anderson was put on Bates, a match-up made even more tantalising given their friendship and ferocity around the contest. The pair attended the Brownlow together on Monday but by Sunday afternoon, there was plenty of pushing and shoving between them.
Bates finished with 14 tackles, while Anderson had 30 touches, eight tackles and eight clearances.
Bates admitted to Channel Seven she was nervous before the bounce but afterwards said she was proud of how her side attacked the game.
“I think when you know each other so well, you know each other’s strengths,” she said. “So I think for me, I’m playing my best footy when I’m just hunting the footy, getting aggressive with my opposition, which I was with Cathy [Svarv] and Ally.
“But yeah, it didn’t really change much for me and I’m just glad that’s over ... It was fiery, it was fierce, but that’s the way we want to play footy”.
Emily Bates of the Hawks takes possession of the ball.Credit: Getty Images
The Hawks got the better of the Lions in the opening half and took an eight-point lead into the main break. They did well to drive the ball forward and then locked the ball in their attacking half, while shutting down the Lions’ outside run.
However, the second half was a different story. The Lions regained the lead with back-to-back third-quarter goals from Bella Dawes and Dakota Davidson, while the Hawks were held scoreless.
Lions defender Breanna Koenen moved into the midfield for the second half, going to opposition skipper Tilly Lucas-Rodd.
By the fourth quarter, the Hawks were out of legs, while the Lions got their outside run back, with Sophie Conway and Svarc pivotal. Davidson, who missed last week due to suspension, unleashed her built-up energy. She finished with three goals while Dawes kicked two.
For Hawthorn, young midfielder Jasmine Fleming continues to develop and be crucial to her side’s midfield while recruit Kristy Stratton was key in defence with 12 tackles.
HAWTHORN 1.1 4.2 4.2 5.2 (32)
BRISBANE LIONS 1.2 2.6 4.9 8.11 (59)
GOALS
Brisbane: Davidson 3, Dawes 2, Smith, Hampson, Conway.
Hawthorn: Hipwell 2, Bodey, Ashmore, McDonagh.
BEST
Brisbane: Anderson, Davidson, Dawes, Svarc, Koenen.
Hawthorn: Bates, Fleming, Stratton, Lucas-Rodd, Wales.
Kangaroos squash goalless Giants
Jasmine Garner has put on another master class as North Melbourne handed GWS their fifth consecutive loss of the AFLW season with a 30-point win in blustery conditions.
Influential: Jasmine Garner.Credit: Getty Images
Garner and Ash Riddell starred as the Kangaroos snatched their fourth consecutive win against the Giants at Arden Street on Sunday.
“For the most part, we didn’t feel overly threatened,” Kangaroos coach Darren Crocker said.
“Would we like to score more? You know what? In a hard-fought, quite a scrappy, messy affair, you take that.”
Touted as the best player in the season so far, Garner again proved damaging with a goal, 24 disposals and six clearances alongside Riddell (31 disposals, 12 clearances).
The ever-prolific Alyce Parker (34 disposals, five clearances, eight tackles) was the shining light for the winless Giants.
It was far from an easy afternoon for North Melbourne as Chloe Dalton (seven intercept possessions) and Tarni Evans (six) dominated in defence for the visitors in a goalless opening term.
Garner finally hit the scoreboard with a major to open the second term, playing on to advantage instead of taking a free kick to catch out the Giants.
Kate Shierlaw took an outstanding mark just in front of goal to add another major for the Kangaroos before halftime.
North Melbourne’s other goals came from Bella Eddey and Lulu Pullar in the final term. –AAP
NORTH MELBOURNE 0.3 2.4 2.7 4.8 (32)
GWS 0.0 0.2 0.2 0.2 (2)
GOALS
North Melbourne: Garner, Shierlaw, Eddey, Pullar.
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