IT is only round two in the new-look Victorian Football League (VFL) Women’s competition, but we already have our first draw! Carlton and Hawthorn also headlined the round, with both teams taking their win tally to two from two early on in the season. 

Essendon 4.4 (28) defeated by Melbourne Uni 5.6 (36) 

Melbourne Uni’s straight kicking was a huge factor in the game, with five straight majors at three-quarter-time giving them the lead, which Essendon held at half-time. A goalless fourth quarter made for a nerve-wracking contest for both sides but it was ultimately the Mugars who prevailed. 

Diamond Creek recruit, Ashleigh Riddell was the star of the day for Melbourne Uni, kicking three of her side’s five goals and racking up 22 disposals. AFLW best and fairest, Emma Kearney was the leading disposal-getter on the ground, recording 25 disposals which included 15 kicks. Bendigo Pioneers graduate, Aisling Tupper also had another successful outing for the Mugars, racking up 13 disposals and laying seven tackles. 

Danielle Ponter once again got on the scoreboard for the Bombers and was joined by Canadian teammate, Valerie Moreau. Jessica Anwyl also got on the board, which complemented her 11 disposals and three tackles. Captain, Lisa Williams was the Bombers’ leading disposal-getter, racking up 19 of them to go along with her 10 tackles. Canadian, Kendra Heil, who has recovered from two ACL injuries, recorded five disposals and five tackles. 

Richmond 0.4 (4) defeated by Darebin 6.7 (43) 

By: James Halley 

Darebin was able to bounce back after its big round one loss to NT Thunder with an emphatic victory over Richmond, who were red-hot after their impressive maiden club victory last week. But on Saturday, Richmond could not back their performance up, although they fought gallantly against the experienced Darebin side in drizzly conditions.

Darebin blazed away early in the match and kicked four unanswered goals in the first 10 minutes. But the Tigers kept them at bay for the remainder of the game, which proved to be an armwrestle. After the first quarter, Richmond boosted their intensity around the ball and drove harder into contests. Darebin scored just one goal in the second term, three points in the third, and one goal in the fourth. It was a much fiercer battle than what the scoreboard suggested.

Hannah Mouncey was a level above in this match. Whether it was in a one-on-one contest or on the ground, she was hard to stop. She was huge for Darebin as she kicked three goals with two coming from outside 50. Stephanie Simpson was also quite prolific for the Falcons as she kicked two goals to go along with her 13 disposals in a tantalising display. Meghan McDonald was another important contributor for Darebin in the middle of the ground as she collected 23 disposals, which was the most on the ground.

Among the best for the Tigers was Jenna Colwell with 25 disposals, as the midfielder showed her all-round game. She even had a stint in the ruck! Tiger, Alana Woodward was really effective in putting pressure around the ball, gathering 11 tackles, the highest on the ground. Kate Dempsey was prolific for the Tigers with 18 touches and 14 kicks.

Casey Demons 3.6 (24) defeated by Hawthorn 4.7 (31) 

At three-quarter time, the Casey Demons were on the verge of making history. But the Hawks flexed their muscles and kicked two goals to the Demons’ three behinds in the fourth quarter, which kept their winning momentum going.

Chantella Perera led the way for Hawthorn, and complemented captain, Emma Mackie, who was able to back up her solid round one performance at Casey Fields. Adelaide AFLW forward, Sarah Perkins also played a convincing game despite not hitting the scoreboard on Sunday. Jayde Van Dyk, Ebony Nixon and Louise Wotton were the other standout performers on the day. 

For Casey, it was Melbourne AFLW defender, Katherine Smith who was the shining light. Smith found some consistent form at the end of the AFLW season and continued to deliver in the Demons’ first match in the VFLW competition. She was complemented by fellow AFLW defender, Darcy Guttridge, who also had a solid outing at Casey Fields. Rebecca Guglielmino was the history-maker for the Demons, kicking their first goal of the competition early on in the first quarter. 

Carlton 9.7 (61) defeated Western Bulldogs 2.3 (15)

The Blues made it two from two in their inaugural VFLW season. But the Bulldogs managed to also make history on the day, with Hayley Wildes kicking the team’s first ever goal.

Carlton had three multiple goalkickers at RAMS Arena, with Jess Hosking, Kimberley Cunico and Kate Shierlaw each kicking two goals. Hosking in particular was a star, as she was at the bottom of every pack and generated great run throughout the day. AFLW ruck, Breann Moody was sensational, as she worked around the ground to make her impact felt. Midfielder, Sophie Li also did some nice things on the day, running hard and using the ball really well to get the Blues going forward. Jorja Borg was another standout, particularly making her presence known with some aggressive tackles.

Hayley Wildes was unstoppable for the Bulldogs, as she accumulated plenty of the ball and made history in front of goals. She was joined by Rachel Ashley on the scoreboard, who scored the Dogs’ second goal of the day, and in their VFLW history, in the last quarter. Kimberley Rennie also played a fantastic game for the Bulldogs, racking up the disposals all over the ground. Tayla Dinuccio and Emma Mackay also contributed with some nice moments in the 46-point loss.

Collingwood 3.9 (27) drew Geelong 4.3 (27) 

By: Taylah Melki

It was a tight tussle throughout the game but neither side could be separated with 27 points each. In difficult windy conditions the first major was not scored until the ninth minute of the second quarter. Both teams fought hard but the Pies were plagued with inaccuracy in front of goal, slotting nine behinds for the match. For most of the game the play seemed to take part in the midfield with both teams struggling to keep it in their forward 50, making scoring opportunities few and far between.

For the Pies, the likes of Jaimee Lambert stood tall in tricky conditions, slotting a goal and using her run and carry to help propel the Magpies forward. Lambert impressed with her ability to impact the contest and use her quick hands at stoppages to help open space for Collingwood. Sarah D’Arcy was another key player for the black and white, making her presence felt across the field and using her long clearing kick to help relieve the pressure. Mua Laloifi was named amongst Collingwood’s best with her strong performance against the Cats, winning plenty of the footy and imposing herself on the contest.

Hannah Burchell helped to kick start the scoring for Geelong, kicking an important major and sparking a forward flurry for Geelong. The likes of new Geelong AFLW recruit Richelle Cranston also dominated for the Cats in the first quarter, imposing herself on the contest and laying plenty of bone-crunching tackles. Renee Garing was also a standout  for the Cats while Evelyn Dhamarrandji provided a good option up forward and impressed with her follow-up work across the ground