AFL report:
WE ARE no closer to knowing who the team to beat is for the rebel VFLW premiership after Hawthorn charged home in the last 10 minutes to pinch a pulsating draw with Essendon in their top-of-the-table showdown at Box Hill City Oval on Sunday.
The competition heavyweights entered the showdown with just one defeat between them for the season – Hawthorn’s loss to Geelong at Geelong way back in Round 2 – and they produced a fierce battle befitting their standing, with only one goal each coming in the first half.
The Bombers lifted in the third quarter with 2.3 to 0.0 as Mia-Rae Clifford and 50th gamer Courtney Ugle took the upper hand, and they looked like winners when Danielle Marshall stretched the margin to 20 points 3½ minutes into the last term.
But the Hawks slowly turned things around with a couple of behinds and Nadia von Bertouch gave them a fighting chance with only her team’s second goal with just 7½ minutes to play.
It was still a long shot, but the Hawks refused to be denied and Emma Humphries and Jessie Williams goalled within the last four minutes to grab a share of the points.
As well as the scoreboard, the Hawks and Bombers finished locked together in disposals 241-241 and marks 47-47, but Hawthorn will feel it should have done better with its 42-28 inside-50 advantage.
Georgia Nanscawen shook off some close attention in the first half to again finish as the equal leading possession winner with 29 to go with five marks, five rebound-50s and six tackles, Amelia Radford (24) and Joanne Doonan (18, five clearances, five inside-50s, seven tackles) were crucial early as the Essendon co-captain took time to break free, and Bella Ayre (19, five marks, six rebounds) was a key reason why the Hawks couldn’t score despite the extra entries.
Hawthorn midfielder Isabelle Porter produced her best performance in the biggest game of the season so far, putting together 29 disposals, nine marks, six inside-50s and six tackles to top her previous best of 17 against Port Melbourne last week,
She found support from Abbey Holmes, who had 23, six clearances, seven inside-50s and a goal playing up the ground, while Ainslie Kemp (19, six marks, seven rebounds) was terrific in keeping the pressure on star Bomber goalkicker Federica Frew (0.4), Tamara Luke clunked five marks and Nic Garner stuck eight tackles