FOOTBALL

AFLW EXPORTS

By TOM HAYES

 

THE home-and-away season of the 2024 AFLW season came to an end at the weekend, wiping out half the local exports from premiership contention.

Although two local footballers, and their respective teams were already out of the finals race heading into the weekend, two still remain in the hunt for glory.

 

AN injury-plagued year for Morwell’s Casey Sherriff will result in a finals run with Hawthorn.

The Hawks secured second spot on the ladder, and some, after their 6.10 (46) to 3.5 (23) win over Richmond last Sunday at the Swinburne Centre.

In what appeared to be Hawthorn’s game all along, wasn’t, as the Hawks only got the break on the Tigers in the final half of the last term.

Neither side scored a major in the opening quarter, with Hawthorn leading two behinds to one at the first break. Both sides got one through the big sticks before halftime, with the Hawks edging further ahead by three points with a late goal.

The third term was quite the same, this time Hawthorn stretched its lead, before the Tigers pegged one back to make it a two-point ball game in favour of the Hawks heading into the final change.

Richmond got the lead with the first goal of the final term, but Hawthorn followed suit to regain ascendancy, and following a stagnated period, it was all Hawthorn.

The Hawks proved why they were premiership contenders, kicking three late goals to put the game beyond doubt, coming home as 23-point winners.

Sherriff continued to get minutes, coming back form injury, and looks set to run a whole game out when the finals series begins.

She had five disposals and four tackles, kicking a behind at the start of the final term, while only spending 72 per cent of the game on the field.

The Hawks finished second on the ladder with 10 wins and one loss, only behind the undefeated North Melbourne (10 wins, one draw).

Hawthorn will play Brisbane this Sunday afternoon in a qualifying final at Ikon Park. The winner progresses straight through to a preliminary final, while the loser will face the winner of Port Adelaide and Richmond in a do-or-die semi final.

Despite finishing second in the AFLW, Hawthorn took out the McClelland Trophy – earning a $1 million prize – for the most combined home-and-away points between the men’s and women’s programs.

The Hawks finished six points above the Brisbane Lions, after tallying 56 points in the men’s competition and 80 in the women’s (AFLW points count as double due to less fixtures).

Of the $1 million prize money, $250,000 is distributed between the women’s playing group, while it is the same for the men’s, $250,000 goes toward club football department staff and the remaining $250,000 goes into the club.

Luckily for Sherriff, she has won the McClelland Trophy twice now, after doing so last season with Melbourne. The Hawks will be presented the award at the W Awards later this month.

 

ESSENDON too will be playing finals, following a 9.6 (60) to 3.6 (24) win over Carlton at Ikon Park at the weekend.

Traralgon’s Lily-Rose Williamson didn’t feature for the Bombers but will remain hopeful she can win back her spot ahead of finals.

Essendon will play Fremantle at Perth’s Fremantle Park this weekend in an elimination final. Lose and they’re out, win and they face the loser of North Melbourne versus Adelaide.

 

THE seasons for Traralgon’s Darcy Guttridge and Amber Schutte came to an end, as they knew heading into the weekend. Both ended on sour notes.

Guttridge and the Saints went down valiantly to the Lions, 10.8 (68) to 6.5 (41).

The Saints played well to prevent the game from blowing out of proportion, despite it getting as bad as a 47-point deficit at three quarter time.

Guttridge had eight disposals, two tackles, and kicked a behind in the loss, as the Saints finished the season in 11th position with four wins and seven losses.

Schutte and Collingwood weren’t able to collect themselves from the foot-end of the ladder, going down to Melbourne, 11.8 (74) to 4.3 (27).

The Demons won every quarter, going from strength to strength to collect the four points, which had them in the top eight momentarily.

Schutte had three disposals and two tackles in the loss, as Collingwood collected the wooden spoon with one win and 10 losses for the season.