BREATHE EASY by Meggs

aflw

Posted Monday at 04:325 days

Expectations of a comfortable win for Narrm at Victoria Park quickly evaporated as the match turned into a tense nail-biter. After a confident start by the Demons, the Pies piled on pressure and forced red and blue supporters to hold their collective breath until after the final siren.

In a frenetic, physical contest, it was Captain Kate’s clutch last quarter goal and a missed shot from Collingwood’s Grace Campbell after the siren which sealed a thrilling 4-point win. Finally, Narrm supporters could breathe easy.

Pre-match, the Indigenous dance group Djirri Djirridelivered an enchanting cultural performance, followed by a warm Welcome to Country from Uncle Colin Hunter Jnr. The @deearmy banner—"3 Premiership Demons, 75 Supreme Games, Hanks, Pearce, Zanker"—was a beauty. The Pies’ torn banner? Not quite as grand.

The match

Bannan got things moving early with a strong mark and goal. But the Dees midfield took a blow when Shelley Heath was subbed out at quarter time with an elevated heart rate. Thankfully, her condition later normalised.

Collingwood’s midfield was outstanding. Bonnici (27 disposals), Rowe (26), Runnalls (24), and Remmos (24, 1 goal) gained ascendency in the middle quarters and helped the Pies take the lead.

Then came some Hore heroics. Out of heavy traffic, Kate snapped a brilliant post-high goal to reclaim the lead. Moments later, she dished off to Gall in the square for another. Two goals in two minutes. All class.

Despite six scoring shots to one in the final quarter, Collingwood couldn’t convert. One goal was all it took, and that was Kate Hore again.

Narrm takes 4 points for the win but drops over 200 points in percentage to be second on the ladder.

Match moment

Debutant Jemma Rigoni was presented her #43 guernsey by her father Guy, who played 107 games for the Red and Blue. Jemma impressed with 11 possessions, 6 contested, 1 mark, and 3 tackles. Guy would’ve been proud.

Meggs’ musings

At last, a win against the Pies by less than a kick? You bewdy !

Congratulations to our 75-game milestoners Hanksy, Loz and Edo. You are champions.

Slippery conditions meant a lack of clean ball and dropped marks. Of course, it didn’t stop Tayla Harris from flying and clunking a few rippers.

It was great to see all the injured players out at the ground supporting their teammates while Max and Judd were spotted amongst the throng.

Our forwards struggled to retain the ball in the front half, putting pressure on a backline missing Gillard, Lampard, Goldrick, and Mackin. Maeve Chaplin has magnificently stepped up as the defensive captain with deputy Taylor, in leading a young brigade of O’Hehir, Ebert, and Wotherspoon with energy and grit.

Tyla Hanks was immense again —25 disposals, 9 tackles, 334 metres gained. Paxy Paxman (21 disposals), Eliza McNamara (25 disposals, 7 tackles), and Shelley Heath (before her exit) were other strong contributors. Kate Hore added 21 disposals, 4 clearances, and 2 goals.

Coaches and Next Week

Mick Stinear admitted Collingwood outplayed and outworked Naarm for much of the match. He highlighted some costly lapses in discipline. Happy to take the four points but lots of learnings this week.

Sam Webster praised his team’s contested footy and ball movement — the best he’s seen from the Pies.

Next week: Richmond at Casey Fields, Saturday 12:35pm.

Meggs’ reckons if we can manage to take our chances over the next four weeks against the Tiges, Freo, Eagles and Suns it will set up our season.

C’mon Dees!

NARRM 2.2.14 2.4.16 4.7.31 5.7.37

COLLINGWOOD 1.0.6 2.3.15 4.3.27 4.9.33

GOALS

NARRM Hore 2 Bannan Zanker Gall

COLLINGWOOD Hyde Campbell Remmos Cann

BEST

NARRM Harris Paxman Hanks Chaplin Hore McNamara

COLLINGWOOD Barnett Rowe Bonnici Remmos White Runnalls

INJURIES

NARRM Heath (elevated heart rate)

COLLINGWOOD Nil

LATE CHANGES

NARRM Nil

COLLINGWOOD Muireann Atkinson (illness) replaced in selected side by Georgia Clark

CROWD 2,794 at Victoria Park

Quote

Monday at 08:175 days

No image preview — Better Kate than never | Skipper the hero as Dees defy Pies
Kate Hore kicked the match-winner as Collingwood missed two late chances.

Edited Monday at 08:185 days by Demon Head

Quote

Yesterday at 06:011 day

Thanks so much @Meggs. I really enjoy your posts, writing style, positivity and all you do for the Demon women.

Bet you were tempted to write about the 5 straight frees against the Dees in the last 90 seconds 😂. Very noble not to

Quote

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.

Reply to this topic...

https://demonland.com/forums/topic/64775-breathe-easy-by-meggs/

Followers

Go to topic listing

AFLW PREVIEW: Richmond
AFLW PREVIEW: Richmond

Round four kicks off early Saturday afternoon at Casey Fields, as the mighty Narrm host the winless Richmond Tigers in the second week of Indigenous Round celebrations. With ideal footy conditions forecast—20 degrees, overcast skies, and a gentle breeze — expect a fast-paced contest. Narrm enters with momentum and a dangerous forward line, while Richmond is still searching for its first win. With key injuries on both sides and pride on the line, this clash promises plenty.
- 5 replies
Demonland

Thursday at 23:361 day
AFLW REPORT: Collingwood
AFLW REPORT: Collingwood

Expectations of a comfortable win for Narrm at Victoria Park quickly evaporated as the match turned into a tense nail-biter. After a confident start by the Demons, the Pies piled on pressure and forced red and blue supporters to hold their collective breath until after the final siren. In a frenetic, physical contest, it was Captain Kate’s clutch last quarter goal and a missed shot from Collingwood’s Grace Campbell after the siren which sealed a thrilling 4-point win. Finally, Narrm supporters could breathe easy.
- 2 replies
Demonland

Monday at 11:365 days
CASEY: Williamstown
CASEY: Williamstown

The Casey Demons issued a strong statement to the remaining teams in the VFL race with a thumping 76-point victory in their Elimination Final against Williamstown. This was the sixth consecutive win for the Demons, who stormed into the finals from a long way back with scalps including two of the teams still in flag contention. Senior Coach Taylor Whitford would have been delighted with the manner in which his team opened its finals campaign with high impact after securing the lead early in the game when Jai Culley delivered a precise pass to a lead from Noah Yze, who scored his first of seven straight goals for the day. Yze kicked his second on the quarter time siren, by which time the Demons were already in control. The youngster repeated the dose in the second term as the Seagulls were reduced to mere
- 0 replies
Demonland

Monday at 00:245 days
AFLW PREVIEW: Collingwood
AFLW PREVIEW: Collingwood

Narrm time isn’t a standard concept—it’s the time within the traditional lands of Narrm, the Woiwurrung name for Melbourne. Indigenous Round runs for rounds 3 and 4 and is a powerful platform to recognise the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in sport, community, and Australian culture. This week, suburban footy returns to the infamous Victoria Park as the mighty Narrm take on the Collingwood Magpies at 1:05pm Narrm time, Sunday 31 August. Come along if you can.
- 9 replies
Demonland

August 29Aug 29
AFLW REPORT: St. Kilda
AFLW REPORT: St. Kilda

The Dees demolished the Saints in a comprehensive 74-pointshellacking. We filled our boots with percentage — now a whopping 520.7% — and sit atop the AFLW ladder. Melbourne’s game plan is on fire, and the competition is officially on notice.
- 4 replies
Demonland

August 25Aug 25
REPORT: Collingwood
REPORT: Collingwood

It was yet another disappointing outcome in a disappointing year, with Melbourne missing the finals for the second consecutive season. Indeed, it wasn’t even close, as the Demons' tally of seven wins was less than half the number required to rank among the top eight teams in the competition. When the dust of the game settled and supporters reflected on Melbourne's six-point defeat at the hands of close game specialists Collingwood, Max Gawn's words about his team’s unfulfilled potential rang true … well, almost.
- 1 reply
Demonland

August 24Aug 24