Source :- THE AGE NEWS
The Cats have leapt to the top of the AFLW ladder (even if only temporarily) with a 53-point domination of the Eagles on their home Perth deck, 8.18 (66) to 1.7 (13).
Only wastefulness in front of goal prevented an even more commanding win for Geelong, who staggeringly kept the Eagles goalless until the game’s final minutes.
Most telling was Geelong’s ability to punish West Coast on turnover – dominating that statistic 49 points to just two.
Newly re-signed Eagles coach Daisy Pearce would surely have been left scratching her head at just how emphatically her side was wiped off the park.
Georgie Prespakis continued her run of dominance with 39 disposals, six clearances and six tackles, while her teammates Nina Morrison, Amy McDonald and Mikayla Bowen finished with 27 touches apiece.
The Western Bulldogs’ resurgence continued on Saturday as they moved into the top four with a 30-point win over Carlton at Ikon Park.
The daughters of the west made it five wins on the trot, leading at every change to beat a Blues side that is also on track for a finals appearance in 2026 but was left disappointed with their display on the day.
Mikala Cann had 27 disposals, seven tackles and four clearances for the Dogs while Isabelle Pritchard continued her outstanding campaign with 24 disposals and five clearances.
Carlton defender Harriet Cordner prevented the Bulldogs from an even bigger win as she repeatedly repelled their attacks, finishing with 30 disposals and a whopping 16 marks.
Melbourne secured a spot in the AFLW finals series after dismantling Richmond with ease in Pride Round on Friday night.
The 14.10 (94) to 5.2 (32) triumph was a return to form after the Demons’ surprise first-ever AFLW loss to Gold Coast the previous week.
The reverse to the Suns was front-of-mind for Demons coach Tom Wilson ahead of the Tigers clash at Melbourne’s Ikon Park.
“We understood last week was far from our best performance,” Wilson said before the first bounce.
“We thought around the ball, we probably got a bit of a lesson in that space.
West Coast have re-signed coach Daisy Pearce for a further two seasons, tying the AFLW trailblazer to the club until at least the end of 2028.
Pearce has worked wonders in her nearly three seasons as coach, guiding the Eagles to their maiden AFLW finals appearance last year.
This year’s 0-4 start put the Eagles on the back foot, but four wins from the past five games has kept West Coast in the finals mix with just three rounds remaining.
The Eagles (4-5) will need to win their last three games – against the high-flying Cats, powerful Swans and finals aspirants Hawthorn – in order to make the top eight.
FRIDAY
Melbourne v Richmond, Ikon Park, 7.15pm (AEDT)
SATURDAY
Adelaide v Gold Coast, Unley Oval, 1.05pm (AEDT)
Carlton v Western Bulldogs, Ikon Park, 3.05pm (AEDT)
Brisbane Lions v Port Adelaide, Brighton Homes Arena (Ipswich), 5.05pm (AEDT)
West Coast v Geelong, Sullivan Logistics Stadium (Perth), 7.15pm (AEDT)
SUNDAY
Collingwood v Sydney, Windy Hill, 12.30pm (AEDT)
GWS v Hawthorn, Henson Park (Sydney), 2.35pm (AEDT)
Essendon v North Melbourne, Windy Hill, 3.05pm (AEDT)
Fremantle v St Kilda, Cockburn Oval (Perth), 5.05pm (AEDT)
Hello everyone, and welcome to our coverage of round 10 of the AFLW season.
Keep checking back in here as we keep you across all the latest news as the finals draw ever near.
Thanks for joining us.
