St Kilda has beaten Essendon by eight points in blustery conditions to continue its undefeated start to the AFLW season.
The 3.5 (23) to 2.3 (15) win at Windy Hill on Sunday leaves the Saints on top of the ladder via a superior percentage to the Adelaide Crows, who are the only other team to win their first three matches.
Serene Watson had a match-high 22 disposals for the Saints and Darcy Guttridge kicked two goals.
Ashleigh Richards added the third goal for the Saints.
Essendon’s Maddison Gay looks certain to be suspended for a hit on Alice Clarke in the last term.
While the scrappy contest was tight, the Saints looked the better side for much of the match.
They out-tackled Essendon 91-69 and their defence was outstanding.
Brooke Walker and Lily-Rose Williamson kicked the Bombers’ goals.
The Sainta host Hawthorn at Moorabbin Oval next Saturday, while the Bombers face the Crows in Adelaide.
Ponter kicks five as Crows dominate Hawks
Danielle Ponter kicked a club-record five goals as the Crows brought Hawthorn back to earth with a thud.
The Crows smashed the Hawks in the second term with four unanswered goals, before completing a 26-point win in Unley, 9.4 (58) to 4.8 (32).
Adelaide and Hawthorn came into the match with 2-0 win-loss starts, but the Crows were too good as Ponter and co-captain Ebony Marinoff dominated.
Marinoff continued her outstanding form with a match-high 33 disposals.
The only setback for Adelaide was a leg injury to Eloise Jones in the third term.
Jones had to be carried off the ground and was on crutches at the end of the match, with ice on the back of her right ankle.
Kangaroos hammer Demons
The Kangaroos underlined their premiership credentials, with Ash Riddell and Kate Shierlaw starring in a statement 50-point blitzing of the Demons.
After slipping to a draw against Geelong at Arden Street, North Melbourne headed to Casey Fields with a point to prove, and a run of four unanswered second-term goals proved the difference.
Riddell was extraordinary, racking up 21 disposals and two goals in the first half alone, while Shierlaw kicked five goals and took six marks to lead the Kangaroos to a 11.5 (71) to 3.3 (21) victory.
It was the most points Melbourne has conceded in an AFLW match.
Midfielder Riddell finished with 32 disposals, two goals and 10 tackles, while Jasmine Garner (27 disposals), Jenna Bruton (15 disposals, two goals), Mia King (23 disposals) and Emma Kearney were all influential.
It was another statement from the Kangaroos (2-1-0 win-draw-loss record), who beat premiers Brisbane in round one and will sit comfortably in the top four at the round’s end.
They next face Port Adelaide at Whitten Oval on Friday.
Melbourne travels to play Fremantle on Saturday.
Giants draw with Suns
Gold Coast snatched a dramatic draw with an injury-ravaged GWS after Jamie Stanton kicked a clutch goal after the siren to secure the Suns’ first points of the season.
The match finished deadlocked at 5.6 (36) to 5.6 (36) at Canberra’s Manuka Oval.
The Giants appeared destined to claim a six-point win, despite being down to one player on the bench after Zarlie Goldsworthy’s free kick at the top of the square late in the final quarter.
But with 30 seconds to go, Pepa Randall received a free kick, however her poor attempted pass to Tarni Evans hung in the air, allowing Daisy D’Arcy to spoil.
In the subsequent chaos, Giants defender Katherine Smith was penalised for tackling Stanton without the ball.
Stanton kicked truly to snare two competition points for the Suns.
Darcie Davies was the Suns’ only multiple goal kicker with two majors.
The Giants’ goals were shared by Goldsworthy, Rebecca Beeson, Alicia Eva, Tarni Evans and Haneen Zreika.
The Suns (0-1-2) host Geelong next Saturday, while GWS (1-1-1) play rivals Sydney away at Henson Park.
AAP