Brisbane Lions 33-26 North Melbourne Kangaroos
Vikki Wall kicked a goal but couldn't prevent North Melbourne falling to a seven-point defeat to Brisbane in the AFLW, boosting the Lions’ chances of a top-two finish.
The Kanagroos will rue their inaccuracy in the loss at Arden Street.
Having dominated large portions of the first half, they struggled to break down the Lions defence, and when they did, failed to punish their opponents on the scoreboard.
Meath All-Ireland winner Wall kicked her goal from a mark in the second quarter, but at half-time trailed by two points with Jesse Wardlaw a constant threat for Brisbane.
THIS IS HOW YOU KICK IT THROUGH THE BIG STICKS @vikki_wall has SCORED a GOAL from a mark for @NorthMelbourneW against the Lions in Round 7💚#AFLW #aflwomens #AWholeNewBallGame #WomenInSport #IrishWomen pic.twitter.com/qE1XnbDTs7
— AFLW Ireland (@aflw_ireland) October 8, 2022
Brisbane’s sparky forward Ruby Svarc claimed the goal of the game in the second half as the Lions saw out the win.
Wall had 10 disposals and four marks to her name, while team-mate and former Cork player Erika O’Shea finished with four tackles and four handballs to her name.
For the victors, Orlagh O’Dwyer registered 14 disposals and 10 kicks over the course of the game.
Hawthorn Hawks 29-16 Port Adelaide Power
Aine McDonagh was among the goals for Hawthorn as the Hawks continued their resurgence with a tense 13-point win over a sloppy Port Adelaide Power.
The Galway native was a third quarter goal scorer as the victors hit the final four goals of the game.
Also to the fore for the Hawks was Aileen Gilroy, as only Kaitlyn Ashmore (16) enjoyed more disposals than the Mayo woman (12).
Hawthorn will be looking to make it four on the trot when they travel north to take on Greater Western Sydney next week.
Adelaide Crows 49-31 Fremantle Dockers
Table-toppers Adelaide Crows continued their winning ways, but were made to work for the victory at Unley Oval by a plucky Fremantle.
Trailing by nine points at three-quarter time, the Crows finished with a flurry with four unanswered goals to claim a vital 18-point win over a Fremantle side that included Orlagh Lally (five disposals), Aine Tighe (eight handballs and two marks) and Armagh’s Amy Mulholland (seven disposals).
Skipper Chelsea Randall, Ash Woodland and Caitlin Gould kicked two goals each for the Crows, who move back to the top of the standings having extended their winning streak to six games.
Richmond Tigers 43-24 West Coast Eagles
Richmond Tigers made it five wins on the spin to edge closer to a maiden finals appearance against a West Coast side for whom Tipperary’s Aisling McCarthy was prominent.
After a run of close wins, the Tigers were again forced to fight to the end, putting West Coast away in the final five minutes.
Grace Egan sealed victory with the final two goals as the Tigers put themselves in the mix for a top four finish at the end of their fourth AFLW season.
The Eagles' only winning quarter was the third and it coincided with a dominant period at the coalface where they won the clearances 7-1.
McCarthy led the charge on the front line - she also finished with 16 disposals and two marks - but it wasn’t enough to get over the line.
Carlton Blues 44-17 St Kilda Saints
Down native Clara Fitzpatrick was on the end of a bruising defeat with St Kilda as the Saints were swept aside by Carlton.
Intermittent rain was no obstacle for the Blues, where Breann Moody stamped her class all over the 27-point win.
St Kilda toiled away but simply could not break through Carlton's defensive setup, with Fitzpatrick recording five hit-outs – knocking the ball out of a ruck contest following a stoppage with clear control – in defeat.
Gold Coast 49-15 Swans
Gold Coast kept touch with the top eight with a strong win over Sydney in wet, heavy conditions.
In the wet of Sydney's Henson Park, Gold Coast took charge right from the opening siren to claim a 34-point victory.
