AFLW Round 7 – Collingwood v Adelaide: Here to spoil the party

AFLW Round 7: Collingwood v Adelaide

2.35pm March 18

Olympic Park Oval

 

As Collingwood AFLW coach Wayne Siekman said of today’s game, his team are ‘here to spoil Adelaide’s party’. Adelaide are here today, playing for next week, while Collingwood are playing for next year.

 

If the Crows side wins today, they’ll jump to second position and play off for the premiership cup against the Bulldog’s next week, but it seems like the Pies aren’t going to budge.

 

It’s windy down at Olympic Park, but both teams have adapted their game plans to suit. The contest is tight and ball movement is slow, as Collingwood’s Jasmine Garner kicks her team’s first with the wind. Brittany Bonnici is on fire for Collingwood, collecting 5 hard disposals in the first few minutes. Ebony Marinoff, who is averaging 12 tackles a game, already laying a handful in the first 10 minutes of the first quarter.

 

The Crows’ first comes from Ruth Wallace, off Erin Phillip’s miss-kick. Barely a minute later, the Cows hit the front, off Anne Hatchard’s goal. As it stands right now, with Adelaide leading by 10 points, they’re in the Grand Final next week.

 

But there’s still three quarters to go…

 

Collingwood are still willing and eager to spoil Adelaide’s chance to go back to back in 2018.

 

Soccer play Jenna McCormick shows off her skills by dribbling the Crows’ fourth through. Adelaide seem to be using the wind to their advantage and are pushing harder in every contest. Collingwood are quiet until Moana Hope kicks a running snap from 35 metres out. That’s Hope’s eighth goal in 2018 and after the criticism she received early year, you can’t help but smile.

 

Suddenly, Garner kicks her second and reduces the margin to just five points. Collingwood are alive again and here to spoil the Crows’ party.

 

However, the Crows’ Stevie-Lee Thompson kicks one from the goal square from a Collingwood mistake with less than a minute to go in the second. Adelaide lead by 11 points going into halftime.

 

Intensity is high, with both sides applying pressure across all areas of the ground. Adelaide are struggling to break away from the Pies’ pressure, however, they still hold their 11-point lead. Mo Hope and Jaimee Lambert set up a Melissa Kuys goal with 4 minutes left in the third. The margin again shrinks and the Pies are enthusiastic once more.

 

Only minutes later The Pies suddenly hit the front, after Christina Bernardi kicks a snap in traffic. It’s a team goal and the Pies are hungry for more.

 

Collingwood now lead by one point at three-quarter time.

 

It now will come down to the last quarter to decide the Grand Final fate of 2018.

 

Adelaide’s intensity has lifted immensely in the final term, but the scoreboard isn’t reflecting it. Collingwood hurt Adelaide on the counter-attack, as Bernardi kicks her team’s sixth major and her second. The Pies are up by seven points with eight minutes to play.

 

A poor ruck decision gives Collingwood’s Lauren Tesoriero a set shot 10 metres out. Collingwood are now 13 points up. The Crows are yet to score a goal in the second half.

 

It’s Garner’s turn next, as she kicks her third from a metre out on the ground, setting the result in stone.

 

The Collingwood Magpies have won their third game of the AFLW season and crushed Adelaide’s Grand Final hopes. They come out 21 point winners to end their year. Jasmine Garner starred with 16 touches and three goals. Bernardi also kicked two. Ash Brazill had 13 disposals and seven tackles for the Pies.

 

Collingwood came out and played at their full capacity today. They surely spoilt the party for Adelaide, who leave dejected from Olympic Park for the final time of 2018.

 

The next competition for both teams? Who can do Mad Monday better.

 

Collingwood 1.1, 3.1, 5.3, 8.5 (53)

Adelaide 2.5, 4.6, 4.8, 4.8 (32)

GOALS:

Collingwood: Garner 3, Bernardi 2, Hope, Kuys, Tesoriero

Adelaide: Wallace, McCormick, Thompson, Hatchard

VOTES: Garner (Collingwood) 3, Phillips (Adelaide) 2, Brazill (Collingwood) 1

 

About Anna Pavlou

Anna 'Pav' Pavlou is a current student and a born and bred Melburnian who has a passion for sport and sharing people's stories. She is an intern journalist for AFL VICTORIA and writes for The Roar, the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA Media), the Mongrel Punt and is a Melbourne Cricket Club contributor. She also appears on North West FM 98.9 radio show. Most winter weekends you'll find her down at the Ross Gregory Oval in St Kilda, supporting Power House FC, who play in Division 2 in the VAFA. She works as the Division 2 writer for the VAFA. She completed work experience with 3AW Radio and has been published in The Age as well as with Carlton FC and Geelong Cats. Check out her website below for more sport pieces!

Comments

  1. Yvette Wroby says

    Fine report Anna. Collingwood fired alright. Mo Hope with her own goals but also with her assists. Brittany Bonnici was captain for the day and took her role seriously. In many contests and willing her mates on. Chloe Molloy again showed why she’s a NAB rising star.

    I also thought that Crows felt the loss of their captain Chelsea Randall from concussion. Their defense fell down in the last.

  2. Great write up, Anna. Collingwood were very good. Some of their ball movement in difficult conditions was excellent – I thought the used the limited shelter from the wind that the clubrooms provided very well.

    I’d echo Yvette’s thoughts above – the loss of Chelsea Randall was crucial. Between Randall and Sarah Allan, Adelaide’s half back line were marking everything early. The structure went haywire without Randall, and with Phillips lacking mobility and Perkins battling to get involved, the Crows rarely looked like scoring in the last 20 minutes.

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