Carlton 0.0 0 0.0 0 1.3 9 3.6 24 Essendon 2.5 17 4.6 30 7.7 49 8.8 56
Venue:	Windy Hill, Essendon.
Date:	Saturday 28th October, 2023 (3.05 pm).
Result:	Lost by 32 points.
Crowd:	3,812
Goalkickers:	H. Cordner 2.0, E. Fitzpatrick 1.0, K. Sherar 0.2, M. Hill 0.2, J. Good 0.1, Rushed 0.1.
Reports:	Dayna Finn was charged with rough conduct, the incident was graded as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact, Finn was suspended for one match.
Umpires:	Matthew Baigent, Thomas Chrystie, Samuel Nippress.
Injuries:	Nil.
Ladder:	11th

Game Review

Blues overrun by Bombers

It was a 32-point defeat for Carlton as Essendon proved too strong in Round 9. - By Owen Jones, Carlton Media.

Carlton have suffered a 32 point defeat, after a fast-starting Essendon showed their class from the opening bounce at Windy Hill. The Blues were scoreless in the first quarter, with the Bombers pressure and contest proving difficult to overcome for the visitors. Carlton’s strong clearance and midfield movement was nullified early, having only just two inside 50 entries in the opening quarter and little opportunity to capitalise on those. The Blues’ struggles to hit the scoreboard continued in the second quarter, closing out the half scoreless, despite the side’s best efforts to offset the Bomber’s fast ball movement through the middle of the ground. Abbie McKay continued her consistent season, as the Blues’ major contributor across the ground, collecting 27 disposals, five clearances and laying seven tackles throughout the day. Amelia Velardo did her best to support McKay, with 17 disposals and six tackles of her own, accompanied by 351 metres gained.

Essendon dominated in the forward half for majority of the afternoon, making use of their forward entires with 52% inside 50 efficiency, whilst Carlton scored nine times from their 27 entires into the attacking area. With Essendon’s constant surge forward being the story of the day, Carlton’s strong tackling game was under contract attack, laying 78 tackles and staying slightly above their season average of 76 tackles per game. Key defender Harriet Cordner was moved up forward in the later stages of the game, and made the most of her time in attack, slotting two goals in the fourth quarter. Despite a more promising showing by Carlton in the final quarter, the damage was done in the first half, leaving it too-little too-late for the Blues. With the season nearing its end, the Blues with return to IKON Park On Sunday afternoon to take on St Kilda in the annual AFLW Pride Round.

Bombers look to finals after thumping Blues

Post-season action almost a certainty for Essendon in just its second season. - By Sarah Black

Essendon is all but assured of its first AFLW finals series after thumping a disappointing Carlton by 32 points at Windy Hill on Saturday afternoon. The Bombers held the Blues scoreless for the first half, maintaining their lead through the remainder of the game to coast to the 8.8 (56) to 3.6 (24) victory. It's a third consecutive loss for a rebuilding Carlton side that had started the year strongly and was in a position for a surprise finals appearance midway through the season. Given their strong percentage, the Bombers are now highly unlikely to slip out of the top eight and should play their first AFLW finals series next month, in just their second year in the competition. Essendon captain Bonnie Toogood wasted no time in bringing up her 50th career goal after several attempts late last week, shaking off Harriet Cordner to snap truly.

Unlike in last week's loss to West Coast, the Bombers took advantage of the breeze the first time they had use of it, locking the ball in their attacking half and adding 2.5 on the scoreboard from their 10 inside 50s to just two. The Blues managed to stem the flow marginally with their turn with the wind, but just could not get a scoring shot away, struggling to maintain structure around the ground and simply not getting their hands on the footy. Such was Essendon’s dominance, Toogood alone had taken six forward-half marks to Carlton's two by the opening minutes of the third quarter.

The Blues were without skipper Kerryn Peterson (managed), Jess Dal Pos (fibula) and Phoebe McWilliams (Achilles), who would have all provided a steadying hand to the young side as the game careened out of control in the first half. The margin blew out to a game-high 42 points before Carlton got its first score on the board four minutes into the third, with Erone Fitzpatrick converting the side's maiden goal minutes later. Carlton swung Cordner into attack in the final term, the key defender booting her second and third goals in two weeks, having last kicked a major back in 2017. Maddy Prespakis (28, seven clearances) starred against her former side, and was ably assisted by Georgia Nanscawen (18 and six) in the stoppages, while Georgia Clarke provided a steady head in defence. It was tough to find too many winners for the Blues, but Abbie McKay (25, five clearances) and Keeley Sherar (15, four and eight tackles) battled hard, while Breann Moody (30 hitouts, 11 disposals) had the better of the ruck battle.

Starved of the footy
Essendon's monster first half was built on the back of winning and retaining the football, it was as simple as that. The Bombers were 22 ahead in the contested ball at half-time, with the Blues only closing that gap to 19 at the last break. Where Carlton made the most inroads to help them finally get on the scoreboard was the uncontested ball, dragging that in from minus-30 to 20 in the third term.

Up next
Essendon will be playing off for elimination final hosting rights next week when it meets Gold Coast in Mackay. Carlton's finals hopes are now in mathematical chance territory, facing St Kilda at Ikon Park in a must-win affair.

Best: A. McKay, B. Moody, K. Sherar, G. Pound.

Team

B:	21 Harriet Cordner	8 Vaomua Laloifi
HB:	27 Genevieve Lawson-Tavan	26 Paige Trudgeon	6 Gabriella Pound
C:	20 Lily Goss	5 Abbie McKay	19 Erone Fitzpatrick
HF:	22 Mia Austin	3 Darcy Vescio	4 Keeley Skepper
F:	28 Imogen Milford	36 Ciara Fitzgerald
Ruck:	16 Breann Moody	10 Mimi Hill	25 Keeley Sherar
Interchange:	24 Brooke Vickers	1 Amelia Velardo	12 Jess Good
	14 Mariana Anthony	17 Dayna Finn
Coach:	Mathew Buck
Emg:	34 Taylor Ortlepp	14 Daisy Walker	49 Madeline Hendrie

In: Jess Good, Mariana Anthony.
Out: Kerryn Peterson (managed), Daisy Walker (omitted).

Milestones

Last Game: Paige Trudgeon

AFLW Coaches Votes

10 - Bonnie Toogood (ESS)
7 - Sophie Alexander (ESS)
7 - Madison Prespakis (ESS)
4 - Abbie McKay (CARL)
1 - Breann Moody (CARL)
1 - Georgia Clarke (ESS)

AFLW Best and Fairest Votes

3 - Georgia Nanscawen (ESS)
2 - Bonnie Toogood (ESS)
1 - Madison Prespakis (ESS)

Club Best and Fairest Votes

Match Highlights

Links

AFLW Season 2023 | Round 8 | Round 10