Daisy D’Arcy has produced a dazzling display as Gold Coast’s band of youngsters posted a three-point AFLW victory over Port Adelaide in a three-goal thriller.
D’Arcy racked up 34 disposals and 694m gained as the Suns, featuring nine first-year players, posted their second win of the season with a 2.5 (17) to 1.8 (14) victory.
Gemma Houghton scored Port Adelaide’s only goal of the match at the 9-minute mark of the opening quarter, with the Power held to just six behinds for the rest of the match.
Sunny Lapin scored Gold Coast’s first goal in the opening term with a nice effort on the run, but the Suns trailed until Havana Harris kicked truly at the 11-minute mark of the third quarter.
It would prove to be the match-winning goal, with neither side able to score a major in the final term as the blustery conditions took their toll.
Port had one final chance to win the match with 30 seconds remaining, but Gold Coast was able to spoil what looked set to be a certain mark.
D’Arcy was the standout player, but she received plenty of help from Niamh McLaughlin (24 disposals) and Charlie Rowbottom (22 disposals, 11 tackles).
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Suns coach Rhyce Shaw gave a rare blast at quarter-time, and his side responded by scraping out the gritty win.
“We copped a spray, but that’s what we need sometimes,” D’Arcy told Fox Footy.
“The message was to go out and play our game of footy. Obviously the weather conditions meant it was going to be scrappy.
“The spray was to put our head down and get to it. I thought we did that well. I’m super proud of the girls to get the win and put the head down.”
Abbey Dowrick racked up seven clearances from 15 disposals for Port, while Maria Moloney finished with 17 disposals, four clearances and 10 tackles.
The Power’s Matilda Scholz was a force in the ruck with 15 disposals and 20 hitouts.
The result left both Gold Coast and Port with 2-2 records.
McDonald fires late as Bulldogs surge to stun Swans
Three final-quarter goals from young forward Emma McDonald inspired the Western Bulldogs to a soaring 27-point win over Sydney.
Emma McDonald kicked three goals in the final quarter to guide the Bulldogs to victory. (Getty Images: AFL Photos/Jonathan DiMaggio)
Down by four points at three-quarter time, the Bulldogs surged home with the breeze by kicking five unanswered goals at the Whitten Oval to win 9.6 (60) to 5.3 (33).
After two behinds in the first three quarters, McDonald starred with three goals in the final term in a coming-of-age performance.
Rylie Wilcox also added a major in the last quarter to finish with three goals in a best-on-ground performance.
Runner-up in the last two Bulldogs’ best-and-fairest counts, Wilcox had a game-high 26 disposals to go with her game-changing day in front of goal.
Coming off a thrashing by relentless back-to-back premiers North Melbourne, the Bulldogs had to overcome a burst from Swans superstar Chloe Molloy.
Down at half-time, the Swans hit the lead in the third term thanks to two goals from Molloy.
It was Sydney’s first defeat of the season after it opened its campaign with big wins over Adelaide, Essendon and St Kilda.
But injuries have started to catch up with the Swans, who are missing high-profile recruit Taylor Smith for at least another two games.
Champion Kangaroos belt St Kilda
The all-conquering North Melbourne destroyed struggling St Kilda by 92 points for a record-extending 31st-consecutive victory.
The winless Saints registered the first behind of the match, but North predictably stepped up after that to win 14.15 (99) to 1.1 (7)
Having not lost since the 2023 grand final, the Kangaroos predictably condemned St Kilda to a fourth-straight defeat to open their season that will heap further pressure on coach Nick Dal Santo.
North spearhead Tahlia Randall starred with five goals, three coming in a second-half onslaught.
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Veteran forward Kate Shierlaw finished with four goals, firing early with three in the first half.
Midfield maestros Ash Riddell (39 possessions, one goal) and Jasmine Garner (38, 11 clearances) were typically prolific, helping the Kangaroos dominate the clearances.
Ash Richards was St Kilda’s sole goal-kicker, coming in the second quarter.
Lions beat GWS
In the final game of the day, the Brisbane Lions had a 31-point win over GWS at Ipswich.
Shanae Davidson kicked two for the Lions, as they ran out winners by 7.13 (55) to 3.6 (24).
The win keeps the Lions on the fringe of the top eight, behind eighth-placed Richmond on percentage.
AAP
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