34 SPORT MONDAY FEBRUARY 1 2021 Insult to injury for Stack Giants’ Irish recruit reduced to tears after Crow cleared over collision LIZ WALSH had had her three-match sus- lief, because I suddenly felt like was suspended for three games their best, picking up 21 touch- have broken my arm. I never pension overturned and a scapegoat. – the harshest penalty ever es. Stack described Marinoff’s experienced pain like it,” GREATER Western Sydney’s quashed on appeal. “The emotional trauma of handed down in AFLW history “” as “much more than a Stack wrote. Irish recruit Brid Stack has de- “Within minutes, my team- dealing with such a serious in- – after being found guilty by footy collision”. “The first scan was very scribed breaking down in tears mate , Alicia jury was exacerbated when the the AFL tribunal of forceful “I wanted the tribunal’s de- scary, because the doctors in- upon learning that Crow (Eva), the team-captain, and blame for what had happened front-on contact. cision to at least reflect that she itially feared that more dam- Ebony Marinoff had been our head coach Alan McCon- suddenly seemed to be sitting The Crows appealed and didn’t show any duty of care to age may have been done. cleared of forceful front-on nell, were in the apartment, at my door.” had the charge quashed after me,” she wrote. “But thankfully as the night contact by the AFL Appeals trying to console me,” Stack, Stack, an 11-time All-Ire- arguing their star midfielder Stack was playing her first went on and the results came Board for the collision that left 34, wrote. land retired Gaelic footballer, had no other reasonable alter- game of AFLW after signing back, that chronic worry and Stack with a broken neck. “I was beside myself with and Marinoff, a two-time All- native in the contest. with the Giants for the 2021 fear gradually eased … at the Writing for the Irish Exam- anger. Disillusionment. Australian, collided in the final The two-time AFLW season, and she described the moment, the nerve damage in iner, Stack said: “My heart just “I felt so totally disheart- minute of their AFLW practice premiership player was free to surge of excruciating pain my right arm is more of a con- sank. I broke down in tears” ened by the outcome. game on January 17. play in her side’s Round 1 38- down her neck and right arm cern than my neck. Trying to when she heard the news on “My emotions almost felt Stack suffered a fracture of point thrashing of West Coast when the collision occurred. get my arm firing again is my Thursday night that Marinoff trapped in this vortex of disbe- her C7 vertebrae and Marinoff in , with Marinoff among “I actually thought I might biggest priority.” Deja vu for Cats in belting JOSH BARNES

AFTER so much had changed over the past 10 months, virtu- ally nothing had for the Cats following their 11.5 (71) to 1.3 (9) thrashing to North Mel- bourne at GMHBA Stadium yesterday. In March last year, Geelong hosted North Melbourne at GMHBA Stadium and while the young Cats were spirited, they were clearly outclassed. In the last two quarters of that match, they didn’t score. In the first two quarters yes- terday, in the same place, against the same opposition, the Cats didn’t put a score on the board. Again, the endeavour wasn’t to blame, but up against Isabel Dawes of the Lions escapes a streak of Richmond Tigers at Punt Road yesterday. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty an opposition that is expected to contend for the AFLW title, Geelong just didn’t have the skill or experience to keep up. A first-quarter blitz from LIONS MAUL TIGERS ON PUNT RD RETURN ruck put the JAMES MOTTERSHEAD wheels for the 62-point belting against at the there. Catherine Svarc was given the Tigers to claw back. No.1 draft pick in motion, with the Roo domi- Swinburne Centre. job on Richmond star midfielder Ellie McKenzie took no time to settle nant in stoppages early. RICHMOND’S return to Punt Road Courtney Wakefield kicked the first and blanketed her in into the top level, and finished with 12 She had nine hit-outs her- couldn’t change the AFLW side’s yellow-and-black goal at the club’s the first half. disposals. self – six more than Geelong’s fortunes as it suffered its seventh spiritual home halfway through the Later, a stellar third quarter from Isabel Dawes finished with a total at quarter-time – and defeat since entering the competition second term to cut the margin to six Lions ruck Tahlia Hickie put too much career-high 21 touches for Brisbane. floated forward to kick three last season, losing 5.11 (41) to 1.6 (12) points, but it was all Brisbane from space between the teams for the Her previous best was 12. goals in a commanding display. Houghton runs riot as Dockers cut rivals Giants down to size ELIZA REILLY petition that they had unfinished who evacuated Sydney in late slotting a goal in front of family The Giants did their best to business, downing fellow 2020 December due to the northern and friends. But that’s where the fight back in the final quarter, DUAL All-Australian Gemma finalists the Giants 8.10 (58) to beaches outbreak of COVID-19. highlights ended for the visitors. with former netball star Taylah Houghton looks set to take her 4.4 (28). Yet the visitors were within On the back of some excep- Davies giving them some hope game to another level after lead- Houghton (three goals and 19 five points of Fremantle at the tional midfield work by Kiara early with a goal to reduce the ing Fremantle to a convincing disposals) slammed home two main break, and looked willing Bowers and , Fre- margin to 16 points. 30-point win over Greater West- goals in the third term from nine to cause an upset before the mantle built a solid margin. This But two brilliant running ern Sydney at . touches to set up yet another vic- Dockers doused any murmurs in included a magical moment for goals from After struggling to hit the tory at their WA fortress. a simply clinical second half. debutant Mikayla Hyde who, (three goals) and a routine set contests for a mark scoreboard in the first half, After spending a month on Perth-raised Giant Aimee just 10 days after being awarded shot from captain against Eleanor spearhead Houghton and her the road, it was always going to Schmidt made it a happy home- the last spot on Fremantle’s list, slammed the door on any late Bennetts. teammates reminded the com- be an uphill battle for the Giants, coming in the second quarter, kicked her first AFLW goal. comeback.

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