RAINING GOALS by Bewitched

March 19, 20179 yr

It's no secret that the Women of Melbourne don't like rain. They opened the season scoring four consecutive points in muggy wet conditions before the rain got really heavy and thunder and lightning forced their game at Casey Fields to be temporarily abandoned just before half time. After a short break, they lost their ascendency and their first ever game to the Brisbane Lions. A couple of weeks ago, they did even worse on a wet track in Sydney despite having more than double the inside 50 count. You don't normally win games when you kick one goal from 12 scoring shots.

And so, in the final game of the inaugural AFLW season and in perfect weather conditions against Fremantle at Casey Fields, it rained again but this time, it rained goals.

In a must win game, the Demons kicked their first ten goals on the trot without missing once.

It started in the first minute of the game with a mark dead in front by Alyssa Mifsud and although the Dockers quickly replied, their defences were quickly penetrated once again when Shelley Scott marked for another and the floodgates opened. Cat Phillips added two more before the 10 minute mark of the game and Deanna Berry added the team's fifth. It was hard to comprehend how this was happening with a team that only a fortnight ago conceded the wooden spooners their only victory for the season.

The Docker resistance was minimal. They did goal again just before the siren sounded to signal the first break and raised a few yelps in the early stages of the second, but the Demons were now on the march for a percentage boosting game which would hopefully allow them match that of their rivals. At half time, it was eight goals straight. Only once before has a team kicked that many in a game and that was Carlton's 8.6.54 in Round 5. The scoring record was 7.13.55 by Collingwood in Round 6.

By the end of the game those records had been surpassed as the Demons coasted to a record AFLW win (9 goals) to match the record score (11.4.70).

The competition's premier footballer is Melbourne skipper Daisy Pearce who once again stood out with her creativity all over the ground. Her performance was matched by the strength of Elise O'Dea (25 disposals) and the youthful exuberance Lily Mithen but there were so many more who made a contribution over the game - Melissa Hickey, Karen Paxman, Richelle and Scott were among the others. It was also great to see so many multiple goalkickers in a game of women's footy.

And so it came down to 21 hours of nail biting and waiting for the result of the game from Olympic Park where the Magpies and Crows were battling it out in the penultimate game before the finals. Sadly, we got the wrong result but that's what happens when you have given away the control over your destiny.

Never before would I have been so glad to welcome a Collingwood victory and never before have I been so disappointed by a Collingwood defeat.

Well done Women of Melbourne. Let's win it next year come rain, hail or shine.