AFLW Round 6 – Fremantle v Carlton: Captain’s play brings Freo a win
3.05pm, Friday 10 March Subiaco Oval, Perth
This afternoon Fremantle have a bit to prove following a one point loss and with no match wins in the competition, while Carlton are playing to keep a chance to play in the final alive. This should make for a good match.
A minute or so in, Freo’s Stacey Barr gets a goal. Within minutes Freo’s Lara Filocamo, the emergency nurse by day and night, grabs a mark and kicks her first competition goal with accuracy to get Fremantle’s second major. Captain Kara Donellan finishes off a trifecta of goals for the Dockers before Carlton has scored.
I’m hopeful the ladies can sustain the effort. Fremantle are tireless in defense. Former netballer Alicia Janz and Hayley Miller show great effort and two points is all Carlton can manage for the quarter.
Atmosphere is lacking only a smattering of humans can be seen behind the boundary fence. It’s a small crowd (well gathering of a fanatics, family and friends) but completely understandable given its before school sirens have sounded for the weekend. Not sure who the timing of this match was planned for. 6pm Eastern Standard isn’t really convenient either. It is little children’s dinner time at our place. The lack of a crowd means the nets have been left up behind goal.
Freo have a nice 18 point lead at the end of the first quarter.
It is 30 degrees in the shade, as the second quarter starts. This has become a summer sport not really a winter one. Finally, Carlton scores a goal finally through competition leading goal kicker, Darcy Vescio, 2 minutes in. Then Jordan Ivey, in her first game, gets the second goal for Carlton. Four points in it. All goals interestingly have been kick to the to the Subiaco end.
The tackle count at this point is Freo 29 to Carlton 11. Freo is playing with great intensity. Amy Lavell attempts a goal for Freo, after a 50 metre penalty, without making the distance.
Moments later the ball is over boundary and a Dockers trainer jumps fence to claim back ball. No crowd to throw it in! Ebony Antonio goals for Freo, after a push in back penalty against Carlton. A quick response follows from Carlton, with Vescio goaling thanks to a Freo penalty. It’s a slightly strange bit of play after Tayla Bresland gives away a free kick, Vescio takes the ‘advantage paid’ to keep in a good position to shoot and it works. She is a quick thinker by the looks.
Still a four point ball game. At the half time break Carlton blokes are on the ground for some familiarisation kicks! I wonder if the ladies would be able to do this in the long break of a men’s match?
Early in the third quarter, Antonio takes an uncontested mark in Freo’s forward line and then kicks to centre the ball in front of goals. Gemma Houghton flies to take a high mark, the quality worthy of mark of the round, but misses a shot on goal for a mark. Freo still has had a lot of inside 50 entries without score but attempts on goal seem up compared on last week.
Carlton player Danielle Hardiman is carried from field with an ankle injury.
Kira Phillips has a snap at goal resulting in a behind for the Dockers. Fremantle 27 to Carlton 21 with five minutes left in the third quarter. Filocamo also has a shot on goal and misses. Gemma Houghton intercepts Carlton’s kick in and then is centered perfectly to kick a goal. Gemma does. She is more normally in the ruck but is playing further forward and the result is good for Fremantle.
Vescio gets possession after a centre bounce and doesn’t get paid advantage so frustratingly, for her, is pulled called back to the place of the infringement. She still kicks the goal, keeping Carlton in reach of Fremantle near the end of the quarter. Fremantle are eight points up at the end of the third quarter. This feels definitely winnable. Freo have been ahead at every change.
A lot of play is in Carlton’s forward line to start the final quarter. Lots of stoppages are preventing either side from scoring. Carlton’s Alison Downie is working hard in defence stopping Freo getting into goal scoring range multiple times. Donellan gets a free kick and a run forward but again things tighten up. She is leading by example pushing forward to hopefully force a win. Suddenly the ball moves fast to Barr, Lavell and then Donellan who kicks a Captain’s goal with just under seven minutes to go.
The look of determination on Donellan’s face is worth bottling, she has made sure her team is in a position to take the match. A good centre clearance gets the ball through to Barr who shoots and misses to right. Carlton needs three goals in less than six minutes to win. I start counting points on my fingers.
I feel a win for Freo is within reach baring accident or too many 50 metre penalties!
Freo get another point keeping it locked in their forward line. A defensive strategy appears to be in place with Antonio at centre half back to prevent Carlton scoring in final three minutes.
A tough tackle by Lavell on Katies Loynes, which is judged as a bit rough, gives Carlton the ball but they don’t manage to take advantage of the free kick and remain scoreless for the quarter.
The siren sounds for Fremantle’s first win. It’s a clear 16 point victory. Captain Donellan has had 24 disposals and led Freo with style and strength.
Antonio tells Tania, the boundary rider, that she “bleeds purple”and the “effort’ from ‘all 22’ players is emphasised, a reasonable assessment.
The ladies finally get to sing the club song with gusto. My two year old, who already knows the lyrics, remarks it was “good singing”.
FREMANTLE 3.0 4.0 5.5 6.7 (43)
CARLTON 0.2 3.2 4.3 4.3 (27)
GOALS
Fremantle: Donnellan 2, Barr, Filocamo, Antonio, Houghton.
Carlton: Vescio 3, Ivey.
BEST
Fremantle: Donnellan, Houghton, Antonio, Janz, Hooker, Filocamo
Carlton: Vescio, Arnell, Davey, Jakobsson.
Umpires: Power, Paton, Kirk-Williams
CROWD: 1,000 by the end of the match.
OUR VOTES Donnellan (Fremantle) 3, Antonio (Fremantle) 2, Houghton (Fremantle) 1.
About Liz Roberts
Melbourne based Fremantle Dockers member. On Dockers bandwagon since day one. Former country newspaper reporter.
Thanks Liz, great report. I have already said in another Almanac post how I have been to all the other home games, and watched the live feed at work on Friday with equal parts delight in their first win and despair that I couldn’t be there to share it with them! Some unkind people at work have remarked that may be something in me not being there, but I know they are only pulling my leg..
I was inspired to ring and email the AFL to complain about the scheduling of this game, and got the following reply :
Hi Lorri,
Thanks for contacting the AFL and for your support of the AFLW competition.
I understand your frustration with the 3pm start to the Fremantle women’s match on Friday. This is similar to the 4.50pm start to the Gold Coast men’s match last Thursday and the 10am start to the Brisbane Lions women’s match on Saturday.
Fox Footy broadcast 13 matches in last weekend – a first for them and the AFL. In an effort to fit all the matches in, there were some matches scheduled at non-traditional times.
To have all the AFLW matches broadcast live has been one of the highlights of the season.
I hope you can appreciate how complicated some of the fixturing has been. On a positive note, the AFLW has allowed us to be more flexible and innovative; such as moving matches to bigger venues and the rethink of the player uniforms. It certainly has been a fabulous eight weeks on and off the field.
Please call if you would like to discuss your query further: 03 9643 1926.
Kind regards,
Michelle Clyne
I hope it doesn’t happen again next year!
Go Freo Girls and Boys