Collingwood has survived a third-quarter comeback from Carlton to open the AFLW season with a one-goal victory in front of a sell-out crowd at Princes Park.
Key points:
- The Magpies scored the opening four goals of the match and kept the Blues scoreless in the first half
- The Blues’ three-goal passage in the third term saw them trail by just eight points, before the Magpies responded
- The AFL announced the match was a sell-out with a socially-distanced crowd
In the first AFLW premiership match since the 2020 season was brought to an abrupt end because of coronavirus last March, the Magpies appeared headed for a convincing win when they scored 26 points in the first half while keeping the Blues scoreless.
But the Blues fought back in the third term of what was at times a fiery clash, and at one stage closed the gap on the scoreboard to eight points.
But the Magpies were able to regroup to eventually register a 5.3 (33) to 4.3 (27) win.
Not surprisingly, there were signs of rustiness from both the Magpies and Blues in the opening quarter.
The Magpies recorded a behind for the only score of the term, but the visitors took command of proceedings with a remarkable four-goal passage in the space of seven minutes in the second quarter.
Aishling Sheridan kicked the first major, quickly followed by a double to the livewire Chloe Molloy.
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Brianna Davey kicked the fourth unanswered goal as the Magpies established a 4.2 (26) to 0.0 (0) advantage at the long break.
The Blues finally got on the scoreboard in the third quarter when Nicola Stevens nailed a set-shot goal.
Stevens’s effort was soon after backed up by Darcy Vescio, who was on target for the Blues’ second goal, before Jess Hosking scored the home side’s third straight major to cut the Magpies’ lead to eight points.
The Blues’ scoring spree was halted, however, when Sheridan outsprinted the home side’s defence to kick the Magpies’ fifth goal of the evening.
The Magpies led by 13 points at the final change, 5.2 (32) to 3.1 (19).
Neither side was able to kick a goal in the fourth quarter until Blues captain Kerryn Harrington added a six-pointer on the siren, but it was not enough to prevent the Magpies from claiming victory.
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Both sides observed a moment of silence before the match to remember the Giants’ Jacinda Barclay, who died aged 29 last October.
Barclay represented Australia at five baseball World Cups and also played American football before turning her attentions to AFLW.
Earlier on Thursday, the AFL announced the match was officially sold out, with a socially-distanced crowd of 6,712 attending Princes Park.
