Demonland

Progressive voting after 6 rounds 82. Tyla Hanks 73. Kate Hore 41. Maeve Chaplin 40. Elizabeth McNamara 36. Tayla Harris 24. Eden Zanker 20. Megan Fitzsimon 15. Shelley Heath Olivia Purcell 14. Paxy Paxman 4. Lauren Pearce Saraid Taylor 2. Maggie Mahony Ryleigh Wotherspoon 1. Alyssa Bannan Gabrielle Colvin Laela Ebert Molly O’Hehir

Melbourne’s response to last week’s heartbreak was emphatic, as the Demons delivered a statement win over West Coast at a windswept Casey Fields. All of the pre-match hype surrounded the coach’s box matchup of Mick Stinear up against his apprentice, Daisy Pearce along with the gloomy weather forecast. In the end, it was less about tactical chess and more about Melbourne’s relentless execution. With rain looming, the DeeArmy and early birds snapped up the best undercover viewing spots. Daisy was warmly welcomed back onto the oval, a familiar figure now in unfamiliar colours. Last week’s narrow 2-point loss by Melbourne at Alberton Oval had motivated the Dees’ senior players to redeem themselves and put on a show for their former captain, Daisy. From the first bounce, Melbourne looked locked in, hungry, and united. West Coast simply couldn’t stem the Demon onslaught which, in the end, was a 50-point drubbing with our early midfield clearance dominance leading to deep inside fifties (47, 25) and piling on goals. Eden Zanker (9 marks) was unstoppable kicking five goals by half time, and the Demons had scored ten unanswered goals by 3/4 time. Surely, ten coach’s votes are heading her way? Tayla Harris continued her stellar 2025 season, kicking two goals and being dynamic around the ground and at ball ups. Lauren Pearce bounced back from her quiet game against Matilda Scholz to dominate Lakay and remind the competition how good she is. Fortress Casey Fields once again proved a happy hunting ground for the red and blue. Although the weather was typically blowy in the first half it was gentle thereafter. Happily, the rain stayed away until the match had concluded but it certainly caused plenty of havoc on the Monash on the trip home. The match The dangerous forward group was on song for three quarters. WCE co-captain Charlie Thomas defended well (26 disposals, 406 metres gained) but was unable to stem the scoring flow. Ella Roberts and Abbygail Bushby were excellent for the Eagles.The Dees midfield dominated clearances early with Pearce (20 hitouts, 6 clearances), Tyla Hanks (18 disposals, 3 clearances), Kate Hore, Megan Fitzsimon, Maeve Chaplin, Shelley Heath, and milestoner Eliza McNamara all shining. The Eagles won the last quarter three goals to nil to salvage some pride for next week. The big win sees Melbourne second on the ladder with 5 wins 1 loss and a percentage of 243.2% and some more winnable games ahead. Match moment Young small forward and high draft pick Alyssia Pisano appeared to gain early confidence with clean hands in several fast passages of play. Her moment came in the third quarter when she positioned herself well to receive and then expertly kick a post-high goal in heavy traffic. More of this please, Alyssia! Milestone Midfield dynamo Eliza McNamara, celebrating 50 games of AFLW, was in everything all day to be amongst the best players on the ground (24 disposals, 4 marks, 4 tackles). Our number 22 is so courageous, competitive and consistent. When Lize smiles we smile with her. Congrats. Nice post-game interview too. Meggs’ musings Fresh out of rehab, Goldie and Gillard slotted seamlessly back into defence, true pros both. Sinead’s energy and pressure a real feature. So great to have them both back. And with a full complement of defensive troops in situ, Mick Stinear allowed Maeve Chaplin to join the mids for some action and she certainly impressed. All the first and second year players, Wotherspoon, Pisano, Ebert, O’Hehir and Mahony contributed well and are building confidence. Melbourne’s skip, Kate Hore, added two more goals and sits atop the all-time AFLW goalkicking tally with 93 goals. The upcoming four matches, Suns (at Casey), the injury-ravaged Bombers (Ikon), Dockers (Perth) and Swans (Casey) are all winnable games. Coaches and Next Week Meggs could not find a Mick Stinear post-match interview. Daisy Pearce said their start was really disappointing coming up against an experienced side like Melbourne and were given a lesson (particularly in the first half). We certainly did Dais’ 😊😊. Next week: Gold Coast at Casey Fields, Friday 1:05pm. A five-day break and then back at the Ede Field of Dreams. Let’s stay focussed, Dees. MELBOURNE 4.3.27 7.7.49 10.11.71 10.13.73 WEST COAST EAGLES 0.2.2 0.3.3 0.4.4 3.5.23 GOALS MELBOURNE Zanker 5, Harris 2, Hore 2, Pisano WEST COAST is rEAGLES Gibson, Lakay, Wakfer BEST MELBOURNE Zanker, McNamara, Hanks, Fitzsimon, Pearce WEST COAST EAGLES Bushby, Roberts, Thomas, Wakfer, Britton INJURIES MELBOURNE Nil WEST COAST EAGLES Lewis (hip) CROWD 1,557 at Casey Field

Master and the Apprentice Epic battle alert. This Sunday, Casey Fields hosts a coach’s showdown pitting the wits of the master Mick Stinear (92 games, 71.7% win rate) against his protégé Daisy Pearce (16 games, 43.8%). Still early in her coaching journey, Daisy’s record doesn’t yet reflect her impact — but she’s already the best-performed coach at West Coast. Dais’ is mythic. Like Katniss Everdeen, everyone either wants to kiss her, kill her (sporting metaphor) or be her. To others Daisy Pearce is a role model, someone admired for their heart, humility and humour. After taking maternity leave during the 2019 AFLW season to care for her twins Sylvie and Roy, she returned to conquer the football world captaining the Demons 2022 Season 7 premiership team. Casey Fields will be as familiar to Daisy as her old footy boots. She will instruct her charges as to its nuances and have her team primed, ready for action. Mick on the other hand will be shedding any negative juju from last week’s shock loss to the Power and will fully expect a bounce back aided by the welcome return of defensive divas Goldie and Gillard. Forecast: 14 degrees, overcast, showers likely, and a Casey wind to boot. A true leveller. The Match-up It’s 2nd versus 7th. The Demons have four wins and a percentage of 228.8%, while the Eagles have three wins and 124.5%. On paper, we hold the edge, but footy isn’t played on spreadsheets — it’s at Casey. West Coast and Melbourne have met 3 times, with the Demons victorious on each occasion. The Eagles have a developing group of young stars. Watch out for Ella Roberts, Bella Lewis, Courtney Rowley, Charlie Thomas and the speedster Mikayla Western. For the Dees, we will be hoping our key forwards Alyssa Bannan, Georgia Gall, and Eden Zanker bring their kicking boots this week as Meggs expects our midfield to provide lots of forward-fifty opportunities. Leaders, Kate Hore and Tyla Hanks are having stellar seasons, as is Maeve Chaplin, and with this week’s defensive line inclusions, expect the fly-in Eagles to find it hard to kick a winning score. Selection this week Fantastic news. Sinead Goldrick and Tahlia Gillard return to add defensive steel. Their presence will not only shore up our backline but inject confidence across the field. If, as predicted, the weather is inclement there may be talls substituted for smalls as we appeared top-heavy in the wind last week. Did anyone catch former Eagles skipper Emma Swanson’s ill-advised strike on Freo’s Gaby O’Sullivan? A one-week penalty. It’s footy, not boxing, Emma. Milestone - Eliza Congratulations to our number 22, fan-favourite Eliza McNamara, on playing 50 games. Lize continues to amaze us with her energy, courage, footy nous and her smile. She’s the heartbeat of our midfield — relentless, reliable, and radiant. In the last 12 games she has averaged 23 disposals (10 contested), 5.4 tackles and nearly 400 metres gained. A Dee-star and a joy to watch week in, week out. Meggs’ musings Weathering the Storm With Casey’s notorious wind and wet forecast, this won’t be a pretty game. Expect a bruising midfield battle, and don’t be surprised if the scoreboard reflects the conditions more than the talent on display. Watch the Wings With Daisy’s inside knowledge of the Field of Dreams, expect West Coast to exploit the wide spaces and test our outside run. Players like Ella Roberts and Bella Lewis could be key in breaking lines but it cuts both ways. Meggs is backing in Paxy, Heater and Lize to excel on Sunday. With both teams coming off losses last week, there’s no room for complacency. Bring the hunger, Dees — and feast on the opportunity. Melbourne starts favourites ($1.20). May the odds be ever in our favour. C’mon Dees! Tip: Melbourne by 11. PS: Don’t forget to pack your poncho. THE GAME Round 6: Melbourne v West Coast Eagles Sunday 21 September 2025 at 1:05pm (AEST) at Casey Fields, Melbourne – Wurundjeri/Boon Wurrung HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Melbourne 3 wins | West Coast Eagles 0 wins At Casey Fields: Melbourne 2 wins | West Coast Eagles 0 wins Coaches: Stinear 0 wins | Pearce 0 wins MEDIA COVERAGE 7, 7Plus, Foxtel, Kayo AFL Live Official App THE LAST TIME THEY MET Season 8, Round 7 – 15 October 2023 at Lathlain Park Narrm 11.16 (82) defeated West Coast 2.0 (12) by 70 points. The Narrm offensive was in full swing for this crushing away win against the Weagles. Fan-favourite Alyssa Bannan starred with 10 score involvements, a career-best 5 goals plus she earned the maximum 10 Coaches Votes. Mick Stinear praised the high-performance team for their work in building the sides fitness and strength, and who embraced the hot stifling conditions much better than West Coast. By contrast, Eagles coach Michael Prior unwisely slammed the AFL about its scheduling. Although he later backpedalled the comments, the damage was done and he lost his job. Every cloud has a silver lining, with Prior replaced by Demon legend, Daisy Pearce. NARRM 4.1.25 4.3.27 8.10.58 11.16.82 WEST COAST EAGLES 1.0.6 2.0.12 2.0.12 2.0.12 GOALS NARRM Bannan 5, Hore 2, Zanker 2, A Mackin, Sherriff WEST COAST EAGLES Gibson, Rowley BEST NARRM Bannan, Purcell, West, B Mackin, Hore, Hanks WEST COAST EAGLES Thomas, Roberts, Smith, Gooch CROWD 1,232 at Mineral Resources Park THIS WEEK’S TEAMS MELBOURNE FB [28] Saraid Taylor [17] Tahlia Gillard HB [23] Sinead Goldrick [13] Maeve Chaplin [19] Laela Ebert C [22] Eliza McNamara [5] Tyla Hanks [4] Paxy Paxman HF [24] Megan Fitzsimon [6] Alyssa Bannan [29] Eden Zanker FF [7] Tayla Harris [9] Georgia Gall FOL [15] Lauren Pearce [10] Kate Hore [30] Shelley Heath I/C (from) [1] Georgia Campbell [12] Ryleigh Wotherspoon [20] Maggie Mahony [33] Lily Johnson [32] Gabrielle Colvin [3] Alyssia Pisano [11] Molly O'Hehir [43] Jemma Rigoni IN [17] Tahlia Gillard [23] Sinead Goldrick [3] Alyssia Pisano WEST COAST EAGLES FB [22] Georgia Cleaver [16] Zoe Wakfer HB [7] Jessica Rentsch [24] Annabel Johnson [3] Charlotte Thomas C [18] Jaide Britton [4] Ella Roberts [21] Mikayla Western HF [32] Kayla Dalgleish [1] Lauren Wakfer [15] Abbygail Bushby FF [2] Kellie Gibson [6] Isabella Lewis FOL [23] Sarah Lakay [5] Courtney Rowley [10] Alison Drennan I/C (from) [26] Lucy Boyd [12] Charlotte Riggs [27] Liz McGrath[9] Roxanne Roux [19] Amy Franklin [20] Sanne Bakker [25] Kayley Kavanagh [14] Belinda Smith IN Annabel Johnson, Lucy Boyd, Sanne Bakker, Kayley Kavanagh, Belinda Smith OUT Emma Swanson (suspended) Lucia Painter (injured) Injury List: Round 6 Melbourne Tahlia Gillard — knee / Test Sinéad Goldrick — shoulder / Test Denby Taylor foot — foot / 1 week Sarah Lampard — calf / 3 - 4 weeks Grace Beasley — knee / 4 - 6 weeks Blaithin Mackin — knee / 5 - 7 weeks Olivia Purcell — knee / Season Jacinta Hose — knee / Inactive Aimee Mackin — knee / Inactive West Coast Eagles Lucy Boyd — ankle / Test Belinda Smith — quad / Test Annabel Johnson — knee / 1 week Sanne Bakker — illness : 2 - 3 weeks Beth Schilling — foot / Season

Off the market …

Enough of the personal attacks guys.

Steven King’s first piece of business as Melbourne’s new coach could be securing Max Gawn’s potential successor as the club prepares for a busy trade period, with new leaders appointed to key positions. The 2007 Geelong premiership ruckman had his official introduction as coach at the MCG on Monday, and spent the afternoon with Demons football boss Alan Richardson, list manager Tim Lamb and national recruiting manager Jason Taylor. Big list decisions are expected at Melbourne under new coach Steven King, but the moves might be less dramatic than in previous years. Premiership midfielders and club greats Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver were undoubtedly on the agenda, along with Saint Marcus Windhager, Magpie Brody Mihocek, and Suns Sam Flanders and Malcolm Rosas jnr. Collingwood veteran Mihocek received a three-year offer from the Demons – potentially two seasons with a trigger attached – to end his career at Melbourne. He has been holding off on any decision relating to his future until the Magpies’ premiership tilt is over. Another was promising St Kilda ruckman Max Heath, who is out of contract and keen to play for Melbourne. Nothing is locked in yet, but the Demons presented to Heath and discussed a three-year deal, according to a source familiar with negotiations who wished to remain anonymous. However, King, as the incoming coach and a fellow big man, will have input in Heath’s recruitment. Max Heath wants to get to Melbourne in the trade period, with the Demons also targeting Brody Mihocek. Melbourne were the first of several rival clubs to express interest in Heath – the No.7 pick in the 2021 mid-season draft, who played his first four AFL games this season – and he hopes to play for them from next year. A trade will need to be brokered, but the reason for Heath wanting to leave is the path to eventually being the Dees’ No.1 big man, on top of Tom De Koning’s free agency arrival at Moorabbin. Contracted Saints ruckman Rowan Marshall is also weighing up the possibility of joining Geelong. The 22-year-old demonstrated at AFL and VFL level that he can make an impact up forward as well, so there is a possibility he could play alongside Gawn in the senior side while learning from the eight-time All-Australian. The Saint has a long-term friendship with Windhager, another Demons trade target, from their time playing junior football together at Beaumaris. Windhager is due to return from his New Zealand holiday in the coming days and is expected to make a call on his future no later than early next week. However, Windhager’s preference is to remain at St Kilda, despite the Demons and North Melbourne making compelling rival offers. Melbourne have re-signed Tom Campbell as ruck insurance, but have struggled to unearth other big man options, with none of Will Verrall, Tom Fullarton, Josh Schache or Kyah Farris-White still on the list. The one-season experiment trying to partner Brodie Grundy with Gawn, who turns 34 in December, also did not work, with Grundy traded to Sydney. On Monday, King’s public stance on Petracca and Oliver was that they were “both superstars of the competition” and that he would take pride in helping them return to the peak of their powers. However, Oliver’s attempt to cross to Geelong in last year’s trade period was still a talking point at the Demons’ club champion function last week, where Gawn won his third best-and-fairest award. Petracca is contracted until 2029, while Oliver is tied to the red and blue until 2030. Judd McVee, Taj Woewodin and Jack Henderson are Melbourne’s remaining out-of-contract players. Woewodin will have to wait until after the trade period to discover his fate, but Henderson will be on the Demons’ list next season. McVee, who has opposition interest, including from his home state of Western Australia, will speak to King about his role before making a call on his future.

Melbourne legend Garry Lyon has ruled out any possibility of Christian Petracca leaving the Demons for the Adelaide Crows. Recent reports revealed that both Petracca and the Melbourne Demons were open to shifting the 29-year-old, communicating peacefully following a tumultuous off-season in 2024. And as recently as Tuesday morning, it was further reported that the Adelaide Crows were preparing to make a play for the superstar midfielder, who would be open to a move interstate. With Petracca opting against a demand against the club, Lyon believes that the superstar won’t be going anywhere and is certain that the Crows’ potential trade package wouldn’t satisfy the Dees’ asking price. “My answer to that is the same as for Carlton with Charlie (Curnow), and even Zach (Merrett) with Essendon,” Lyon told SEN Breakfast. “No, he isn’t going to Adelaide, unless you turn around and say here’s Riley Thilthorpe and a draft pick, or here is two first rounders… “It’s all good and well to say it, but the next thing is to get it done. Last year I was a thousand percent no, keep Christian and I think they can turn it around. “If he still has issues after 12 months, and I don’t know if he has, let him sit down with Steven King first. Let those two have time together first and then maybe issues will be resolved. “If Adelaide wants Christian Petracca, then tell me how it’s going to get done? Because Pick 14 isn’t anywhere close to getting it done.” Referencing the nature of high-profile trades, Lyon believes that it is up to the clubs seeking top-end talent to put a commanding case forward to invite a deal, rather than the other way around. “I was only just throwing out Riley Thilthorpe - of course I know they’re not going to trade Riley Thilthorpe,” Lyon admitted. “But this is what I’m saying – you can’t just say, ‘I want Zak Butters to come and play at Melbourne’. Well, so does everyone. How are you going to get him? What have you got? “We’ve got two draft picks and this player – now it’s a serious conversation. I think any team that comes after Petracca or Curnow or anyone like that – you have got to command! “This is the interesting thing with Merrett and Hawthorn – I think it’s incumbent upon Hawthorn now, having exposed the gap between Hawthorn and Essendon, picked at the seam and now it’s unravelled, it’s incumbent for them to get the deal done. “Not to play hardball, because then if I’m Essendon, I get my back up even more and go, ‘guess what, we are going to trade Zach, you’ve been part of unravelling it and that’s okay, but he isn’t going to you.”

A good mate of Clarrys ...

Geelong legend Matthew Scarlett remains an assistant coach of interest at Melbourne. The Demons have Scarlett among a number of options to help support newly-appointed senior coach Steven King. But as premiership teammates at the Cats, Melbourne is quietly hopeful the connection between the pair can tempt Scarlett to make regular trips up the highway for a coaching role. Scarlett hasn’t been involved in AFL clubland since leaving Geelong at the end of the 2021 season. An AFL Hall of Fame defender, he played in three premierships with Geelong and is a six-time All Australian. Yesterday, Melbourne CEO Paul Guerra shed light on why the club hired King as the new senior coach. He was announced last week after 30 prospective coaches were interviewed. “A number of reasons. He’s a standout person for starters, a great family man,” Guerra said on SEN’s Fireball. “We loved his articulation of the game plan, particularly the contemporary side of it. We love how he’s using technology to inform that as well. “We just love his ability to communicate. We think he’s the right choice for our team with where we’re at right now.”

Melbourne has come for Collingwood’s Brody Mihocek “in a big way”. Channel 7’s Mitch Cleary is reporting that the Demons are intent on luring the 32-year-old who is out of contract at the end of this season. North Melbourne and Sydney have been loosely linked with Mihocek in recent times, but it appears as though the Dees - with new coach Steven King in the hot seat - are eager to recruit some experience. Mihocek has an offer on the table from the Magpies but it remains to be seen if he’ll put pen to paper. “We heard Steven King earlier talking about experience and wanting to keep experience on the list,” Cleary said on The Agenda Setters. “The Demons have come for Brody Mihocek in a big way. The Pies feel they’ve had a really strong offer to Mihocek on the table for some time. “He’s parked that until the end of the season. He turns 33 in February. I believe he’s weighing up a really strong proposal to join the Melbourne Footy Club. “They had a go at (Joe) Daniher at the start of the year, clearly that won’t be happening. “Melbourne is in the market for an experienced key forward and they’ve identified this man, Brody Mihocek.” Agenda Setters host Craig Hutchison believes Mihocek, who has kicked 267 goals in 158 games for the Pies, has put in the hard yards and now deserves a deal that suits him. “He’s never been paid, really,” he said. “He’s always been justifying his next contract. If there’s a good deal there you couldn’t begrudge him taking it.” Mihocek is in a race to prove his fitness ahead of Saturday night’s Preliminary Final clash with Brisbane at the MCG. He’s been nursing a sore toe which forced him off the training track last Friday night. The 2023 premiership player has booted 36 goals in 2025 to sit second behind Jamie Elliott (56) on the Maggies’ goal kicking list.

The talks around Christian Petracca leaving Melbourne have accelerated with the Norm Smith medallist willing to consider more clubs as a future home. The latest on Petracca and fellow Dees star Clayton Oliver. Melbourne star Christian Petracca has opened up his options and would consider a trade interstate to continue his AFL career, as talks heat up over the four-time All-Australian’s exit. Meanwhile Clayton Oliver is committed to staying at the Demons and playing an integral role under new coach Steven King. Petracca, 29, was keen on an exit last year but Melbourne could not and would not trade him to his desired home of a big Victorian club. That was especially hard given his lucrative contract which runs until the end of 2029, a deal peaking at $1.7 million a year and not falling below $1.2 million. A year later and things have changed, according to Nine’s Tom Morris, with Petracca now willing to join a contending club like Adelaide, Gold Coast or Sydney. “Christian Petracca had his eyes last year firmly fixed on big Victorian clubs - Carlton, Collingwood and the like. This year it’s different,” Morris said on Nine News. “Though Hawthorn was his preference before the Zach Merrett situation unfolded, he is open to non-Victorian clubs. I’m talking about Adelaide, Gold Coast and Sydney. “And Melbourne unlike last year is open to the right deal, even though they won’t declare that publicly. “Petracca doesn’t want to be seen as banging the table (for an exit) and the Demons at every opportunity have stopped short of guaranteeing their Norm Smith medallist will be at the club in 2026.” The Herald Sun’s Jon Ralph said Petracca wasn’t as desperate to leave as he was last year. “But he’s open to a fresh start. He’s open to a club that potentially could see him win another premiership,” Ralph said on Fox Footy’s On the Couch. “His teammates don’t believe he's checked out but they’re not sure he’s 100% invested. “It’s hard when you have that trade refused.” Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca will be a big watch during the trade period.Source: Getty Images King said on Monday both Petracca and Oliver were part of his plans, though he did not categorically say they would be kept to their contracts. “Absolutely, they are both superstars of the competition for what they’ve done,” King said. “To get the opportunity to work with those guys and get them back to playing their best footy is something I would provide myself on as a coach.” Former Demon Jordan Lewis questioned whether Petracca not being fully committed to the Demons could seep into the locker room. “You always wonder what happens in the locker room, especially after what happened last year,” Lewis said on On the Couch. “If a player shows a desire to leave, I think you try and entertain that deal if you possibly can. “Twelve months on, that conversation is still around. It must be that he must have a desire to be somewhere else. “You just wonder what that does internally to the players. Is he the same player he was 12 months ago? Not performance wise. “But around the locker room, is he still invested? Only the players and Christian would generally know that. “I think Steven King will have to make a decision relatively quickly.” Triple premiership Lion Jonathan Brown floated Adelaide as a potential suitor given the Crows’ need for “gun midfielders.” And Ralph suggested the Demons should be open to a deal for two first-round picks to help them add to their young nucleus. “Melbourne hasn’t got a first-round pick this year ... they’ve got a nucleus of young kids, but they haven’t got an enough young A-graders, they need to get into this draft,” he said. “If Adelaide would give them their first-round pick this year and next year, I think it’s something Steven King would have to think about.” Lewis also posed whether the coaching change could help reinvigorate the 2021 Norm Smith medallist. “The one thing that would be in my mind if I’m Christian Petracca: ‘I wonder how different next year will be with a new coach? And whether that does invigorate me and whether that means we’re a finals contender?’ That could potentially flip his mindset around,” Lewis added. Meanwhile Oliver remains committed to the Dees and the new direction under King, as reported by SEN’s Sam Edmund. The three-time All-Australian is keen to be a key part of the new Melbourne coach’s side next season after pursuing a trade to Geelong this time last year. “He’s very happy at Melbourne, loves the club and wants to have a great season in 2026,” Oliver’s manager, Nick Gieschen, said in a statement to SEN. “He’s a Melbourne person.”

Well, that was a shock. The Demons 4-game unbeaten run came to a grinding halt in a tense, scrappy affair at the sunny, windy Alberton Oval, with the Power holding on for a 2-point win. The Dees had their chances—plenty of them—but couldn't convert when it mattered most. Port’s tackling pressure rattled the Dees, triggering a fumble frenzy and surprising lack of composure from seasoned players. Lauren Arnell certainly challenged Mick Stinear in the coach’s box, winning matchups and nullifying Melbourne’s run-and-carry game plan. A solid win from her for sure. The match It was a low scoring arm-wrestle from the outset. Port's pressure was relentless, and the Dees looked switched off—fumbles, missed targets, and a lack of connection up forward. Port’s Gemma Houghton and Indy Tahau (3 goals) causes headaches, while Ella Boag opened proceedings with the game's first goal. Demon sharpshooters Zanker, Gall and Bannan all missed gettable first quarter opportunities while Paxy, Hore and Bannan (again) kicked points before finally Captain Kate steadied the ship before half-time with a centre clearance which evolved into a brilliant running goal. The Dees dominated the possessions stats but were outplayed in tackles (Port 85, Melbourne 69) and clearances. Port ruck Matilda Scholz was excellent all day and forced Mick Stinear to move Tayla Harris into the ruck as both Lauren Pearce and milestoner GC were well beaten on the day. Port mids Ash Woodland (20 disposals, 420 metres gained) and Abby Dowrick (19 disposals, 13 tackles, 496 metres gained) set the tone while young gun Shineah Goody was, well, very good. Melbourne’s midfield struggled to break free with only Hore (27 disposals, 10 tackles, 7 clearances, 3 goals) and Tyla Hanks (27 disposals) getting any clean disposals. Defensive leader Maeve Chaplin (23 disposals, 635 metres gained) continued her fine season. Eliza McNamara, Paxy Paxman, Shelley Heath, Eden Zanker and Megan Fitzsimon got their hands on the footy but Port’s contested game kept the Dees on the back foot. Rising above the caterwauling was our number 10 who scored timely goals and almost single-handedly won us the match. Kate Hore. Clutch. Class. Captain. A solid fightback from a game-high 23 points but no team song was sung this week. Match moments Down 3 points with 1 minute to go, Fitzy had the chance in heavy traffic to snap a winner on her right foot from twenty metres out but missed. Maybe the left was the go? And with the clock ticking in the last quarter, we’ll never get back the lost precious seconds when Alberton locals sent a search party to find the footy. Milestones Plenty celebrated this week. Kate Hore now leads the all-time games played for the mighty Demons (83 games) and is the AFLW competition’s all-time leading goal scorer with 91 (adding 3 more goals this week). Hopefully, no nervous nineties. Tayla Harris played her 75th AFLW match, while Megan Fitzsimon played her 50th game and Georgia Campbell her 25th. Meggs’ musings One loss doesn’t define us—but it reminds us how hard this comp is. Goody was good but Katey was insanely good. She can’t do it all, others will need to step up. We looked top heavy in the windy conditions. The rehab bad juju might be breaking — Goldie and Gillard are nearly good to go, and selection pressure is about to get real. Coaches and Next Week Mick Stinear said, ‘we weren’t good enough and we left it too late’. A good crack in the last quarter but couldn’t find our rhythm. Composure and skill execution was down on the day. All credit to Port Adelaide. Lauren Arnell felt the pressure was the best her team has shown all season. A statement win. Bold in the contest and learned valuable lessons from being overrun last week against the Eagles. Next week: West Coast Eagles at Casey Fields, Saturday 1:05pm. Let’s switch back on, Dees. The Field of Dreams awaits. See you there! MELBOURNE 0.4.4 1.8.14 2.8.20 5.11.41 PORT ADELAIDE 1.3.9 3.5.23 5.7.37 6.7.43 GOALS MELBOURNE Hore 3 Harris Wotherspoon PORT ADELAIDE Tahau 3 Boag Gaunt Houghton BEST MELBOURNE Hore Hanks Chaplin Harris McNamara Fitzsimon PORT ADELAIDE Dowrick Tahau Woodland Scholz Goody Heads INJURIES MELBOURNE Nil PORT ADELAIDE Nil REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil PORT ADELAIDE Nil CROWD 2,736 at Alberton Oval