AFLW Round-Up: Geelong Underlines Premiership Credentials, Crows Boost Finals Hopes

Geelong has underlined its AFLW premiership credentials with a 53-point rout of West Coast in Perth.

Midfielder Georgie Prespakis (39 disposals, six tackles, five clearances) was at her dominant best as teammate Mikayla Bowen (27 disposals) also impressed in the 8.18 (66) to 1.7 (13) victory.

Geelong Dominates West Coast

The Eagles challenged early at Leederville Oval but had to wait until late into the fourth quarter to kick their first major of the afternoon, with Isabella Lewis slotting from a forward-half stoppage.

The Cats boasted eight different goalkickers and Prespakis registered a career-high 13 score involvements as Geelong finished the day in first.

Former leader North Melbourne can reclaim top spot with victory over Essendon on Sunday.

Crows Boost Finals Hopes

Earlier, Adelaide moved back into the finals frame after ending Gold Coast's six-game winning run.

Led throughout by Irish sisters Grace (three goals, 12 disposals) and Niamh Kelly (two goals, 20 disposals), and 18-year-old Chloe Bown (one goal, 25 disposals) in the final quarter, the Crows scored back-to-back wins for just the second time this season in a 10.3 (63) to 7.11 (53) win.

The bad news for the Crows was the loss of influential midfielder Maddi Newman who went down twice with a knee injury.

She stayed down after a non-contact incident midway through the third quarter and got subbed off to have her left knee strapped before coming back onto the field.

Later in the term, she was hit hard by Gold Coast's Charlie Rowbottom and was carried off again, later appearing on the sidelines on crutches with ice on the back of her knee.

Other Results

The win left the Crows eighth on the ladder with five wins and five losses, equal on points with Hawthorn, and four points ahead of Fremantle, West Coast, Port Adelaide and Richmond, although the Dockers have a game in hand.

And the Suns fell out of the league's top four just hours later, with the Western Bulldogs notching a convincing 30-point win over Carlton at Princes Park.

Midfielder Mikala Cann was among the Bulldogs' best with 27 disposals and a goal, while key forward Emma McDonald kicked two majors in her side's 8.8 (56) to 3.8 (26) victory.

The victory saw the Bulldogs leapfrog both the Blues and the Suns into fourth, as Carlton fell to a first defeat in four games.

The Bulldogs are now tied on competition points with North Melbourne and Melbourne in second and third, respectively — although the Kangaroos are yet to play in Round 10.

In Ipswich, Port Adelaide's hopes of pushing into finals contention took a hit with a 16-point loss to Brisbane.

The victory ended a five-game losing streak for the Lions, who were led by midfielders Isabel Dawes (16 disposals, one goal), Sophie Conway (19 disposals, one goal) and Alexandra Anderson (24 disposals).

Conway was especially electric in the opening quarter, reaching the first break with 15 disposals and a goal, as her side made its way to a 5.4 (34) to 2.6 (18) victory, just its third of the season.

The defeat means the Power remains four competition points and percentage from the finals places.