Round three of the AFLW delivered some cracking games of footy. Friday night was a beauty in Moorabbin, the three games on Saturday delivered some beauties, including the fourth-ever draw in AFLW history and players that stood out from the rest. Here are the 10 things I liked out of round three.
Oh When the Saints!
They have been building on this since quarter time of their round one game against the Bulldogs, but it’s pleasing (unless you support Melbourne) to see St. Kilda notch up their first win in the AFLW. They were the better team for three quarters last week against Adelaide, but they were the better team on Friday night when it mattered. The Dees kicked a woeful 1.8 in Moorabbin, and some will say that the Dees lost this rather than the Saints won it, but if you watched the game, you’d know that they worked very damn hard for that win.
The G-Train
Anyone who was watching St. Kilda football in the early 2000s would remember the name of Fraser Gehrig. He was without question a cult hero during the day, well the Saints have another cult hero and has been thusly dubbed as the new G-Train. Cailtin Greiser has always been a talented youngster, last season she was in the top echelon of goal kickers in the VFLW as a 20-year old. On Friday night she won the game off her own boot - the last one being a beauty from 40-odd metres out. Suffice to say that I’m excited to see what she can do in five years time.
Vaomua Laloifi
A part of me is a bit disappointed that this woman isn’t in the red, white and blue - showing her talent in the Bulldogs’ VFLW team last year. The other part of me is happy she’s playing great football at a club that has given her a chance. Not only has she taken the chance with both hands, but she’s absolutely doing what she likes with it. Her first couple of weeks have been impressive, but her game against the old mob on Saturday was easily her best game. She reads the play so beautifully, and has the speed and agility to play the lock-down role to perfection. A perfect two-way defender in the making.
How The Blues Bounced Back
It was a tough week for the Blues, being pushed around by their old-time rivals Collingwood. They then faced scrutiny during the week, Tayla Harris was at the centre of it due to comments made by Stacey Livingstone. They needed to make a statement and unfortunately, it came at the expense of the Bulldogs, who showed plenty of fight. But this was Carlton’s to lose and they were tougher and better for longer on Saturday in the third Pride Game encounter. Tayla Harris was lethal in the air and at ground level, and several of her team mates also rose to the occasion. Don’t count them out just yet.
The Q-Clash In Its Entirety
I think in just one game, the AFLW produced a better game than any Q-Clash the me have had over the years. It was a game that had fire, a come-from-behind surge from the Gold Coast Suns, who were 19-0 down early in the last quarter. It might not sound like much, but given the nature of the game, it was still a tough battle for the Gold Coast Suns to get back into the match. Kalinda Howarth not just gave them a chance, but she literally dragged her side back to the game, kicking three of the club’s four goals - including the go ahead goal with four minutes to go to level the scores. The Suns continue to amaze me.
The Q-Clash In Its Entirety Pt. 2
We talked about the Suns, but let’s walk to the other side and discuss Brisbane. They deserve a mention because when they had their backs to the wall in the second half, they should be proud of themselves that they didn’t let the Suns run away with it when they had plenty of opportunities. There’s no doubt Kate Lutkins is back to her best footy, but she proved to be the irresistible force in the final term. The Suns had 11 inside 50s to one and Lutkins was the one that stopped them from giving away what premiership points they had. This was just a belter of a contest and neither side deserved to walk away a loser.
Fremantle’s Legitmacy
I had my doubts about the Dockers at the start of the year - having a bulk of your players pillaged by your local rivals will do that. But after Saturday night’s thriller against Collingwood, they’ve joined North Melbourne as the leading contenders for the 2020 flag. Perhaps they were lucky to get away with it, given the final minutes were controlled by the Pies, but this team showed the poise and defensive know-how to get the job done. How many non-Freo fans can honestly say they know who Phillipa Seth, Ange Stannett and Janelle Cuthbertson were before Saturday? These women were so critical in defence when the game was hanging in the balance.
Jaimee Lambert
Forget about whatever game you saw Jaimee Lambert play in the past, this was the best we saw out of her on Saturday night. With honourable mentions to Bri Davey and Brit Bonnici in the middle, Lambert had the ball on a string, gathering 32 disposals - falling just a couple of touches short to equaling the record Anne Hatchard set in round one. For years, I was convinced that her best football was as a forward - she is one silky skilled individual, but Saturday night showed that, despite her size she is just as effective as a bullocking midfielder and if her eight tackles on Saturday doesn’t show you that, you shouldn’t be talking about footy.
Rebecca Privitelli
She’s been an enjoyable story so far in 2020. Rebecca Privitelli played six games in two seasons for Carlton and GWS before being delisted at the end of 2018. She found her way back into the Giants’ team at the end of 2019 and has thrived in a new role up forward. From the opening minute of 2020, she has proven to have the sticky mitts and has been such an imposing threat up forward. I dare to say that she has been more important than the likes of Cora Staunton and Yvonne Bonner, that’s how good I think she’s been. I know they played a West Coast team that looked lost at stages on Sunday, but she still kicked three goals from 13 touches and four marks.
Danielle Ponter
Danielle Ponter hadn’t kicked a goal in her first two games this season, but she showed enough to suggest that she wasn’t far away from kicking a bag, she got her hands on it enough. Against Geelong on Sunday evening away from home, she proved to be the difference in the end, kicking a personal-best four goals. People will talk about how the last one was tainted because of such a rubbish free kick, but take that decision away and it was still a very critical bag of three she kicked in the opening three quarters of that game. She kicked 13 goals in eight games last year, there’s going to be a bit of pressure for her to keep this kind of form up, but I think she’s the kind of woman that will get it done.