WAFLW Round 14 Wrap Up

With only a couple of game remaining in the 2022 WAFLW season, Round 14 was crucial for our League side to stay in finals contention, our Reserves side to capitalise on their third place standing and the Rogers Cup girls to show what they can still accomplish out of this year.

Check out the rundown of each of our women’s games below…

WAFLW League

The Swan Districts WAFLW League side are facing unknown territory after a 45-point loss to Peel Thunder at Lane Group Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The black and whites now sit in fourth place on the 2022 ladder, just one game ahead of their next week’s opponents in South Fremantle. A loss next week would see them outside of the top four, with their final home and away game against reigning Premiers, Peel Thunder, for the second tie in three weeks, before a bye in the last round of the season.

Held scoreless in the first quarter for the third time this season, it was the home side that took advantage of the Swans slow start. The siren couldn’t come quick enough for the black and white defenders, finding themselves under the pump for the majority of the quarter, with 22-points the difference at the first break.

Although the visitors were able to stem the scoring onslaught of Peel in the second, they only managed to add a solitary point to the scoreboard, the lead extending to 30 at the half.

A strong Peel Thunder attack ran out after the main break, adding to the scoring pressure with three goals and three behinds, with the Swans only able to muster up another point, with 50 points separating the two sides going into the final break.

Outscoring their opponents in the last quarter, the black and whites held the home side goalless in the final term, adding their first and only goal for the game through Ashley Sharp, to go down PT 7.12 (54) to SD 1.3 (9).

The Swans went inside 50m, 22 times throughout the day, but skill errors and the pressure around the contests saw them struggle to get ball to boot in front of goals. Although they were beaten significantly on the scoreboard, there were a number of positives that came out of the day. Abbygail Bushby led all possession getters with 21 disposals and the black and whites finished ahead on the stat sheet in handballs, marks and tackles.

Goals: 1 – A Sharp

Best: J Henry, A Bushby, N Baker, A Ralph, T Pescud

WAFLW Reserves

The WAFLW Reserves side have guaranteed themselves a place in the 2022 finals series with a convincing 34-point win over Peel Thunder in Mandurah. With only three games remaining in the home and away season, the Reserves currently sit four games clear in third place. The fact that they will only lace up one more time before the finals, with two byes in the final three games, means that a higher placing is unlikely but mathematically not out of the equation, if certain results fall their way.

It was a strong start to the Swans on Saturday afternoon, keeping their opponents scoreless while adding eight scoring shots of their own. The lead heading into quarter time could have been much greater for the visitors, who kicked three goals and eight behinds to be up by 23-points at the first break.

The black and whites continued to pull away in the second, adding another two goals, while limiting Peel to three minor scores, with 32 points the difference heading into half time.

In a goalless third quarter for both sides, the Swans still managed to creep further ahead, taking a 34-point advantage into the final term.

With both sides kicking one goal one in the last quarter, the Swans held on to their three-quarter-time lead to take the PT 1.5 (11) to 6.9 (45) victory.

Goals: 3 – E Brown, 2 – C Spence, 1 – H Hill

Best: E Brown, C Ryder, K Kennedy, H Hill, A Ugle-Hayward

WAFLW Rogers Cup

Unable to reach the Rogers Cup finals series in 2022, this was a game of pride for the young Swans, coming up against a second placed Peel Thunder side in Mandurah on Saturday morning.

The home side came out of the blocks, looking like they had something to prove, with a four goal to one first term setting up a 17-point lead at quarter-time.

A relatively even second quarter from both sides saw the young black and whites narrow the gap to 15 heading into the half time break.

In an incredible showing from the young Swans in the third quarter, not only did they restrict their opponents to just one goal, they piled on five of their own, taking the lead for the first time in the game and setting up a 10-point lead heading into the final term.

The underdogs kept their own for much of the last quarter but could not hold off a strong finishing Peel Thunder side, eventually going down by a heartbreaking 3 points, PT 10.3 (63) to SD 9.6 (60).

Although the final score showed the Swans had six minors, the stat sheet reflected that they actually kicked nine goals straight for the game, with all points being counted as rushed behinds.

Goals: 3 – J Kean, 2 – M Rukuata, 1 – C Daddario, A Moore, J Sly, T Bailey

Best: C Daddario, J Kean, M Carron, R Hall, K Thomas

WAFLW Round 15, 2022

Both the League and Rogers Cup teams come up against South Fremantle at Steel Blue Oval in Round 15, while the Reserves have the bye. Although the League and Reserves will also play in front of a home crowd the week after, this Round is the last time the Rogers Cup girls will line up at home in 2022.

Sunday 29^th May

League vs South Fremantle                       2:00pm               Steel Blue Oval

Reserves – Bye

Rogers Cup vs South Fremantle                12noon               Steel Blue Oval