The Fremantle Dockers have consolidated their spot in the AFLW top eight with a comprehensive 30-point win over GWS at Henson Park.
The Dockers’ Irish connection came through with a vengeance early on Saturday.
Former Meath Gaelic footballer Orlagh Lally snapped a great goal from deep in the left forward pocket while her Tipperary counterpart, Aisling McCarthy, booted two first-quarter goals to leave Fremantle in front by 15 points at the first change.
The Giants hit back in the second term, with Aliesha Newman kicking the team’s second major after 90 seconds.
Then, after a couple of misses by Fremantle, the Giants struck again, with Newman kicking her second to close in on the visitors. However, the Dockers had the answers, with goals to Lally and Megan Kaufman extending the margin.
Fremantle’s defence was holding, with a string of intercept marks chopping off GWS attacks.
The third quarter was more of a grind, with no scoring for the first eight minutes before the Dockers put it together in attack, kicking across the ground to find Ariana Hetherington who marked inside 50.
She went on to kick her first AFLW goal and was surrounded by celebrating teammates. GWS trailed by 25 points at the final change.
McCarthy made sure of things in the final term, getting the ball deep in the left forward pocket, dancing down the boundary line before stepping inside and snapping her third of the day.
Another Irish player, Sligo’s Eilish O’Dowd, snapped a consolation goal from the pocket for the Giants late on, but the result was already clear.
The win, Fremantle’s seventh of the season, keeps the Dockers firmly inside the top eight with a round left.
