Round 9 – Melbourne V Brisbane

Liam Chambers

When the final three AFLW Rounds were announced almost a month ago, most punters and even die hard Demon fans felt the task was almost insurmountable for Melbourne. Fast forwarded to Casey Fields last Saturday and even top of the table Brisbane suddenly seemed less daunting.

The Dees confidence was high and they now believe they can beat anyone. Even though the Lions kicked the first goal thanks to Jesse Wardlaw, Melbourne wasn’t phased and went on the attack, exerting major pressure to keep Brisbane in their defensive half. The Lions fought back, but the Dees kept forging ahead. When Alyssa Bannan outran her pursuers, she was able to get the sherrin inside 50 where Shelley Scott kicked a brilliant shot on goal, bending it towards the target and sealing her first of the evening.

When the rains came down, the wet conditions seemed to favour Melbourne even though they couldn’t add to the scoreboard. Their defence was in top form, especially Meg Downie who is playing great footy after her return from injury. Unfortunately the inspirational Daisy Pearce suffered an knee injury in the first quarter and may miss playing in the finals. We wish her a speedy recovery and know she will still play a pivotal coaching role for the Dees.

After an even sided first term, the Lions took hold of the reins early in the second. First Dakota Davidson, then Courtney Hodder kicked goals to push Brisbane’s lead out to eleven points. Hodder’s goal was particularly spectacular after a great run; even kicking the ball to herself before scoring. Just when things were looking grim for the Dees, Karen Paxman put on a spectacle of her own, scoring from 40m out (ably assisted by Tegan Cunningham).

Demon joy was short lived however as Dakota Davidson got her second from a set shot and the Lions were again in the ascendancy. That was until the in form Shelley Scott showed Brisbane how it’s done. First with a one handed pickup and then with a burst through the Brisbane defence to kick another superb bender that sailed through the uprights to double her tally. However jubilation turned to sorrow for the fans right on the siren when Taylor Smith landed another for the visitors.

Brisbane started the second half determined to put the Dees away . Nearly all the play was in Melbourne’s defensive half for the first five minutes. They defended well but the Lions kept up the barrage and finally Lauren Arnell broke through to score Brisbane’s sixth. The hill had just got a little higher for the Dees but they didn’t panic and continued to fight for the game. It was a hard battle. Even when Melbourne was able to spend some time inside their own goal area, Brisbane kept pushing them back.

Finally the Dees got their reward when Cunningham kicked the ball to inside 50 where Paxman collected it with a diving mark. Her set shot was knocked down before being collected by Scott who slipped behind the Lions’ defence to claim her hat trick. The Lions attempted to hit back straightaway but Melbourne’s defence frustrated all Brisbane efforts.

The Dees began the last quarter trailing by eleven points. They would need to pull out all the stops to topple the league leaders and secure a home final berth. Brisbane were equally determined to retain their top spot on the ladder. It was Brisbane who blinked first when Alyssa Bannan’s lob from forty metres out sailed through the uprights and reduced the margin to one goal. Within a minute, Tyla Hanks was chasing the sherrin through traffic, twisting and turning before snapping one off the outside of her boot and giving Melbourne the lead.

There was a brief period of confusion when Paxman marked the ball but the Umpire called play on, giving Brisbane the advantage. Then almost immediately there was a free awarded to Brisbane on the 50m line; another dubious call. I had to quickly check that the Ref hadn’t secretly donned a Lions’ guernsey. Brisbane tried to seize the momentum but the Dees defended valiantly.

Lauren Magee was having the game of her short AFLW career, tackling brilliantly and denying Brisbane several times. Then Dee after Dee tackled and fought to get the ball out of their defensive 50. The last ten minutes were frenetic with both sides fighting ferociously for the honours. Shelley Heath made some great tackles to keep the pressure on the Lions.

When Maddie Gay marked from forty five metres out, her kick didn’t quite make the distance but the Dees were able to scramble another point. Brisbane almost had a game winning chance but Melbourne again played clever defence to deny the favourites. The last fifty seconds was hard fought and there was still one more twist to come. Greta Bodey was awarded a free right on the siren and the crowd held it’s collective breath. Fortunately her kick didn’t make the distance and Melbourne secured a famous victory.

The win means the Dees have a home final. It won’t be easy though and Fremantle will want to avenge their loss from Round 8. On current form though I feel comfortable having a flutter on Melbourne.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 8 – Melbourne v Fremantle

Liam Chambers

The temperature was high at 30C but the stakes were higher. If Melbourne could win in Perth, they were in the finals without worrying about anyone leapfrogging them next week. Fremantle have gained a reputation as slow starters so the Dees needed to make the most of their early chances in front of goal.

The first opportunity came early when Maddi Gay kicked from the 50m line to Kate Hore who marked and converted to take the points. When Shelley Scott was held, Kate Hore had her second look at the uprights, substituting for Scott who ran off the pitch for treatment to a hand injury. Two in a row for the talented forward.

Since Daisy Pearce has taken up her new position up front, she has been even more influential and inspiring. Her mark and intelligent kick to Eliza McNamara set up the third Melbourne goal.

Up the other end Gabby O’Sullivan scored for the Dockers but the goal was disallowed due to free given for an off the ball push in the back incident. Kate Hore almost scored a fourth for the Dees in the last seconds but it drifted wide in a let off for Freo.

Melbourne started the second quarter tackling hard and limiting the Dockers’ chances. Karen Paxman and Jacqui Parry shots on goal only resulted in minor scores. Then Daisy again showed her footy smarts when she curled the ball brilliantly towards goal. The sherrin took a couple of lucky bounces before crossing the line to put the Dees 28 to 1 in front.

Of course Fremantle were always going to come charging back but their efficiency let them down. They peppered the goal with shot after shot but couldn’t land the crucial six pointer. Luck was definitely a lady to Melbourne and they finished the first half with a twenty three point margin. After the break the Dockers continued their fierce attack on the visitors but again failed to reduce the gap on the score board.

Finally Gabby O’Sullivan was awarded a free and scored from the set shot with two minutes to go in the quarter. Melbourne just needed to hold on and not do anything silly. Unfortunately a lapse of concentration in defence allowed Roxy Rous to scoop up the ball and run it through to score for Freo with ten seconds left on the clock. To add insult to injury, Rous got all up in the faces of the Melbourne players and there was quite a bit of pushing and pulling as tempers flared.

The Dees, who seconds earlier looked to be going into the final quarter with a nineteen point lead, now had a more precarious two goal margin. The Dockers were now brimming with confidence and the home crowd were cheering them on with a partisan passion unique to the west. Even in a small footy ground that crowd can be quite intimidating.

Melbourne just needed to forget the mishaps and focus on winning the game. Their victory against the Crows last week would strengthened their believe that they could withstand the immense pressure from a side used to finishing strongly. That belief was seriously shaken when Roxy Rous got her second and the pressure was all on the Dees.

Fremantle had the momentum and there was only one goal in it. When Gemma Houghton scored from a set shot and put the home side one point in front, the Demon fans were hiding behind the couch, occasionally poking their head up to see what was happening on the field. There was eight minutes to go but it felt more like eighty to the nervous faithful watching in Perth and across the country.

Daisy Pearce didn’t seem worried though as she took a contested mark in the middle of the ground. While she was looking for a Dee to kick to, she was awarded a 50m penalty for a Freo infringement. You can’t teach instinct and when Daisy spotted Maddison Gay in a great position 30m to the left of goal, she didn’t wait to run the full fifty metres, instead kicking the ball to Gay who obliged by taking the mark. The set shot needed to be perfect and it was.

Suddenly Melbourne were five points ahead and the pressure was back on Fremantle who lost some of their confidence. The Dees pushed forwarded and the Dockers made mistakes in their attempt to win back the lead. Melbourne remained composed and calmly got the ball out of danger again and again.

Fremantle threw everything at their opponents in the last minute but the Dees were equal to the task. When the final siren sounded, they knew they’d scored an historic win.

Next week it’s back to Casey to take on the Lions. I wouldn’t bet against Melbourne.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 7 – Melbourne v Adelaide Crows

Dees Play Like Demons

Liam Chambers

With such a limited competition, every game is a must win. However, if Melbourne were to be considered serious contenders, then a victory over the two time Premiers was essential. After their performance against Adelaide I think the Dees have removed all doubt.

In a no holds barred game, it looked like Melbourne had secured the opening goal when Maddi Gay’s shot slid through; only to be denied as it was deemed to have clipped the post. Eventually Chelsea Randall gave the Crows the upper hand when she soccered one in amid high traffic. For awhile Adelaide had the ascendancy while the Dees scrambled to defend.

Then for an insane few minutes, the running and tackling went to another level. Lily Mithen was thrown around like a rag doll. Ultimately Melbourne make a break for it and headed towards their 50. A brilliant intercept mark from Karen Paxman and follow on kick to Eden Zanker saw the tall forward strike her first after a few disappointing weeks in front of goal. At 8-7, the scoreboard was a fair reflection of the first term overall.

The Dees continued just as ferociously in the second quarter. Their tackling and chasing down every loose ball was impressive. No one looked like even thinking about slacking off. The only question was could they maintain the same level of energy for the four quarters? For the moment though, the Dees were launching themselves at Adelaide with frightening intensity.

They were rewarded when Tyla Hanks intercepted a pass and running on, booted a high kick straight through the uprights. The Dees continued to lock the ball in their forward 50 until Adelaide broke free and applied some pressure of their own. Melbourne defended well and held off the attack until they again made some headway up the field before the Crows turned them around. The hand to hand combat meant neither side made any notable gains. The Dees didn’t let anything go though. Each incursion was aggressively put down.

I’ve never seen Melbourne play so well. Not only in their aggression but how they maintained their composure under pressure; their efficient, accurate kicking and hand balling was stellar. Zanker in particular has shown enormous improvement in her power and efficiency. Her brilliant kick to Alyssa Bannan near the goal square showed great vision.

When Lily Mithen was awarded a free for her tackling pressure, the subsequent kick to Lauren Pearce was impressive as was Pearce’s stumbling mark. Pearce’s goal gave the Dees a thirteen point half time buffer. After a hugely energetic half, could Melbourne maintain the rage?

That question was answered quickly when any Adelaide momentum was forcefully reeled in.The Crows came close to scoring when Anne Hatchard hit the post, then the Dees were off and running again. Hanks looked to have secured her second but it was ruled a behind. I’ve watched the replay several times and the only conclusion I can reach is that the goal umpire should have gone to Spec Savers.

Melbourne continued to throw everything at the Crows but just couldn’t land the knockout blow.Finally though, battered and bruised, the amazing Kate Hore  kicked one in off the deck. With four goals under their belt, the Dees didn’t relax. Instead, they dialled it up to eleven. Any Adelaide foray outside their defensive 50 was ruthlessly crushed by Melbourne.

Lily Mithen was incredible. Wearing quite a bit of the Casey pitch on her face and arms, she picked out Kate Hore in front of goal. In the struggle for possession, Hore was awarded a free kick for a push in the back. Her goal gave the Dees a twenty seven point advantage.

Melbourne had dominated in all stats so far and showed no signs of slowing down. They were in the drivers seat and were in no mood to hand over the reins. Their persistence paid off when Kate Hore got another chance in front of goal. Kate’s aim was true and she slotted her hat trick for the game.

Even with a thirty three point advantage, Melbourne knew they couldn’t afford to relax against such a quality opposition. A belief that was clearly illustrated when Rachelle Martin collected and was able to turn and snap from twenty metres out. As the Dees went straight back on the attack, their composure was so impressive. They continued to tackle hard but their kicking was calm and measured to the end.

Melbourne have certainly answered their detractors. Their game has moved up another level. Will they be able to reproduce it in Perth on Sunday? Fremantle will have dissected their opponents tactics and will be prepared to take us on. They’re a team who can take control even when trailing by a few goals so the Dees can’t be complacent.

Melbourne will be grateful for the extra day to recover but the notoriously partisan crowd out west will be unforgiving in their loathing of our players.

For now though, all Demon fans can be justifiably proud of their team and their superhuman performance.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 6 – Melbourne V St Kilda

Liam Chambers

Whereas the Pies kept Melbourne in their defensive half for most of Round 5, this week we had St Kilda on the back foot from the opening siren. The Saints were hemmed in and couldn’t a path out of their defensive 50. When Maddi Gay saw Daisy in the perfect goal kicking spot, Pearce was able to notch up her first major of the season.

Then as a flurry of Saints raced up the pitch, the Dees took back possession almost immediately, starting a handball chain from Paxman to Cunningham to Gay who kicked again to Pearce on the 50m line. When Daisy floated another handball to Alyssa Bannan, the forward was in a perfect position to launch a kick through the uprights.

Melbourne was tackling well and going hard, especially Tyla Hanks who has amazing equilibrium. She has a natural ability to run, turn, scoop up the ball and kick accurately, all while her opponents are turning around wondering where she’s gone. The Dees showed none of the indecisiveness that plagued their performance last week. With Eden Zanker playing so well, you could feel her frustration at not being able to score with a last minute kick hitting the post.

Only 14-0 to the good at quarter time, Melbourne could justifiably feel disappointed not to be further ahead. With thirteen inside 50s to nil, the Dees had completely dominated St Kilda but it was only a matter of time before they came under some pressure themselves.

However, Melbourne remained calm, playing their way out of trouble and up the field. Daisy’s kick from the 50m line was blocked and St Kilda ran back towards their goal. The Dees found themselves defending again. It was short lived though as Melbourne headed goalward with Pearce hand-balling to Hanks who ran, bounced and passed to Paxman who returned the favour. As Hanks launched a running kick towards the goal square she was pushed and a free was awarded. With Shelley Scott taking the set shot, the ball sailed through for the Dees’ third of the night.

Finally St Kilda got a break when some stumbling play inside 50 ended with Nat Exon somehow getting a look at goal. She went for it and claimed the Saints first of the night. Energised, St Kilda started to pile on the pressure and Melbourne started to lose some of their composure; turning the ball over and allowing the Saints to maintain possession.

Eventually the Dees managed to play their way out and made it up to the other end of the ground. With Tegan Cunningham awarded a lucky free kick from thirty metres out, she didn’t waste the opportunity. As Melbourne increased their lead in the second quarter, they would have felt confident heading into the latter half of the match.

That confidence was personified by Zanker when spun out of a tackle, effectively passed the ball to herself and delivered a beautifully targeted kick to Daisy Pearce who was waiting patiently in the goal square. Having only scored three goals during her entire career in AFLW, Pearce now had two in a single game. Kudos to the decision makers for placing her in her new role. A minute later Bannan also got her second when a running kick from Eliza McNamara dropped the ball into her path, allowing the forward to soccer kick straight through the uprights.

With a thirty one point lead the future was looking bright for the Dees. Then they had to wear shades as a thumping kick from Jacqui Parry, forty metres out, stretched the margin still further. Maddi Gay had a few chances late in the quarter but was unable to add to the tally.

Melbourne were painfully aware before the game that Round 6 was a must win contest. With a horror run home, their percentage on the table would also be pivotal. A thirty nine point advantage was a good start and they needed to keep the pressure on the Saints to make sure that lead didn’t slip.

Melbourne held St Kilda in their 50 and peppered the goal square without landing the knockout blow. Then after some rampaging play towards goal, Eliza McNamara managed to collect the ball and score her first AFLW six pointer. Eden Zanker was having a terrific game but her twentieth disposal didn’t result in a goal. It was certainly a bitter sweet moment.

The next goal was at the other end though as Claudia Whitfort got one back. It was only a fleeting turnaround for the Saints however, as Melbourne resume their dominance. When McNamara handballed to Cunningham, it looked like Tegan might get caught holding but she managed to get it away to Hore who slotted it through for the Dees’ ninth.

As the term was wrapping up, Tamara Luke was able to salvage some St Kilda pride when she grabbed the sherrin thirty five metres out and then kicked her first AFLW goal. The fourth debut goal of the night.

Next week we face the fancied Crows. It’s a home game so we have that advantage. The tipping competition has us as an 18% chance to win. Not great odds for a home game. What chance will it give us next week when we face Freo in Perth?

Anyway we can take heart from the win against St Kilda and all you can do is give each game your best. If Melbourne is good enough, they’ll make the final. There are no more more easy games so…

Go the Mighty Dees!!!!!

Liam Chambers

I’m not sure what the players had for breakfast but both sides began at a frenetic pace that barely slowed for the entire game.

Kate Hore had an early chance but only managed a minor score. Karen Paxman was typically on form apart from a miskick back across goal which was collected by North Melbourne, allowing Grace Campbell a set shot in front of goal. Then Melbourne were penalised for not returning the footy and Emma Kearney slotted the Roos’ second.

The Dees would have been frustrated to give the opposition two easy goals so early in the game but they fought on, tackling hard. They were rewarded when Shelley Scott marked the ball thirty five metres out but disappointedly converted for a minor score. Then Kate Hore’s banana kick from the sideline was marked by Jacqui Parry from the pack in front of goal. Her easy miss from Round 2 would have been in the back of her mind, however she didn’t miss this time and Melbourne went in at quarter time only trailing by four points.

The second term started at 100mph. Jacqui Parry continued to mark well and her passing play was impressive. You could see the Dees upping their game as Kate Hore kicked their second. When Tegan Cunningham marked and scored from thirty metres, the margin stretched to eight points. Melbourne’s tackling was ferocious and effective; especially Lily Mithen who seemed to be everywhere. Niamh McEvoy’s kick to Scott was marked and kicked for one of the goals of the match.

The Dees onslaught was interrupted briefly when Daisy Bateman got one back. North Melbourne were good in defence but the Dees were making the most of their opportunities. Parry didn’t waste her chance when she was awarded a free kick twenty metres in front of goal. Melbourne was pouncing on everything and everything was going their way. Tegan Cunningham got her second from another free to increase the lead to twenty points. However the icing on the quarter came when Parry launched a superb running kick in the last minute of the term to score her hat trick.

After an incredible second term, the Dees needed to be careful not to let their guard against such a quality opposition. However, nothing was going to stop the Roos’ attempt to redress the balance. Jasmine Garner’s opening goal of the second half was an important strike for North Melbourne and put the Dees on notice as the margin was reduced back to twenty points.

The Roos were going in hard and Melbourne struggled to hold them off despite the valiant effort in defence. Daria Bannister was channeling Alyssa Bannan from last week when she scored back to back goals for North Melbourne in less than a minute. With Dees nerve’s fluttering, Karen Paxman provided the perfect antidote with her kick from thirty five metres in front of goal.

The Roos continued to push hard but Melbourne’s defence fought equally hard. Unfortunately Sinead Goldrick gave away a free kick in front of goal and Sophie Abbatangelo didn’t miss from point blank range. With the difference only seven points North Melbourne threw everything at their goal. The Dees were equally motivated to prevent a last minute tragedy. Then Goldrick redeemed herself brilliantly by marking the ball in front of goal with only seconds to go.

Melbourne knew they couldn’t afford to sit back trying to protect their lead for the full final term so they went in hard to try and sew up the result. Now it was North Melbourne’s turn to scramble in defence as the Dees tackled hard, hoping to get the upper hand. With the Roos getting a break against the run of play, Captain Daisy Pearce, stellar in defence all night, made an important smother and chased the attack to the sideline. The Dees defence was in overdrive.

Suddenly back up the other end, Casey Sherriff tried a soccer kick at goal but only just missed, slipping wide for a minor. Just as suddenly, the Roos were on the of Melbourne’s defensive inside 50 and Isabella Eddey received a good pass before kicking directly into goal and reducing the Dees’ lead to two points.

Melbourne went on the offensive, desperate not to lose, having been twenty seven points ahead at half time. Alyssa Bannan has a chance from 35 metres out but only managed a minor score. The Dees kept pushing forward and the Roos, under extreme pressure, got a lucky break when a high tackle on Goldrick was overlooked by the Umpire. Instead a free was awarded to North Melbourne. The Roos made it all the way to their inside 50 with ninety seconds left but a free kick was given Melbourne’s way.

It was back and forth for the next minute until Bannan snared a free kick on the sideline half way down the pitch. As the ball made it’s way towards the uprights, Bannan reappeared but her kick to goal is touched. However Shelley Scott was taken high as she scrambled for possession. As the siren sounded, it was all academic but Scott took two steps and kicked beautifully to give Melbourne a nine point win.

The victory put the Dees on top of the table for the second Saturday night in a row. This time though, their position was less precarious as they claimed three wins from three games. Last week I felt we were being sorely underestimated when the tipping competition had us a 17% chance to win. Fast forward a week and we’re currently an 82% chance to defeat the Bulldogs on Sunday.

The Dogs have two wins under their belt and a close loss against the Saints, so they won’t be a pushover. If we can play sustain the fighting spirit and skill that’s got us this far, then we’re in a good position to make it an unprecedented four wins in a row.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

AFLW – Heaven 17 – Melbourne v North