W-Round 2 W-Wrap By Grandpa Gawny (The Roaming Gnome) Well, that really was worth the trip over the Ditch!! Watching the match live to air, coldie in hand, in the comfort of the lounge room at Coffs Harbour with Merlin and Sugar, what more could a chap ask for?? Well, something less than 40 degrees C would have helped! The W-Dees were proudly led out by “Drives Herself” (Daisy Pearce) and didn’t the girls look up and about!! With “Aunty Reg” (Mel Hickey) sporting a nice little shiner, the girls looked like right little warriors. But Pies Captain Steph Chiocci had other ideas - she was on fire. Our Girls struggled to get the ball past the centreline in the first half. “Jaws” Mia-Rae Clifford had her hands full against the much bigger bodied Mo Hope. Hate to say it, but It was great to see Mo Hope get the Monkey off her back with a handy little goal, and she looked like she might be up for a bag full. The Pies didn’t factor in “Schoolie” Katherine Smith stepping up to the plate and helping to keep Mo quiet for the rest of the match. “The Big Bad Bean Counter” Elise O’Dea was in everything, muscling the Pies out the way and giving the half forwards a chance to launch an attack. “Up Early” (Shelley Scott) was a real find at Half Back, and with “Paddy” (Laura Duryea) giving no quarter, “Drives Herself” was able to get about the ground and create some mayhem of her own. But it was hard work for the backs in the first half. Well, the Pies might have Mo, but we have “Moggy” (Cat Phillips) who went OFF in the third quarter – nothing to lose here girls!! Frizbee to Footy – who’d a thunk? “Moggy” and “Blinky” (Karen Paxman) went mental and in five minutes flat we had not only matched the Pies on the scoreboard – we were six points in front! The nail in the coffin was a sneaky little snap from “Up Early” Shelley Scott who looked ready to take a set shot at but showed some real footy smarts and played on. Her kick saw the ball bounce over an unguarded goal line. Pretty sharp considering it was way past her bed-time! (Ha Ha - Pies were “Sh—Faced). Worrying to see Spicey Sport -“Nut” Meg Downie hit the deck when she tripped and collided copped a late hit from Sophie Casey. “Nut” had a trip to hospital while Sophie booked a trip to the MRP. Great to see Meg 1 W-Round 2 W-Wrap surrounded by players and medical staff who made sure all care was taken in getting her safely on the stretcher and off the ground. The girls regrouped and went on with the job. “Beans” (Emma Humphries) was in everything – grinding out the game like the great little barrista she is. “Monocot” Lily Mithen earned her stripes with some in-and-under footy that would have made Nathan Jones proud. “E.T” (Sarah Jolly) might be from another Galaxy, but she sure knows where the goals are, as does the mercurial Jessica Anderson. “The Professor” comes to us from MU, as does “Swot” Alyssa Mifsud, strong, fearless and a little goal as well. Deanna Berry has been a little find too - not a step backwards from the “The Maid of Mernda”. Thanks Janet and Steve for the “air fare” and all that bubble wrap – Australia Post can be a bit rough on a chap – but got there in time for the kick off! Aunty Jacqui really has been spoiled on her birthday – down to the best ever Sydney Swans Supporters!! It’s a Grand Old Flag – Go W-Dees!!!!! 2 W-Round 2 W-Wrap COLLINGWOOD v MELBOURNE Saturday February 11, 7:35pm, Ikon Park MAGPIES B: Tara Morgan, Stacey Livingstone, Meg Hutchins HB: Stephanie Chiocci, Nic Stevens, Cecilia McIntosh C/FOL: Emma King, Brittany Bonnici, Bree White, Amelia Barden HF: Jess Cameron, Jasmine Garner, Alicia Eva F: Sarah D’Arcy, Moana Hope, Emma Grant I/C: Christina Bernardi, Lou Wotton, Penny Cula-Reid, Melissa Kuys, Sophie Casey, Caitlyn Edwards EMG: Lauren Tesoriero, Ruby Schleicher IN: Melissa Kuys, Penny Cula-Reid, Lou Wotton OUT: Lauren Tesoriero (omitted), Ruby Schleicher (omitted), Helen Roden (omitted) DEMONS B: Meg Downie, Mia-Rae Clifford, Katherine Smith HB: Daisy Pearce, Laura Duryea, Shelley Scott C/FOL: Helen Cordner, Lauren Pearce, Mel Hickey, Elise O’Dea HF: Karen Paxman, Deanna Berry, Lily Mithen F: Sarah Lampard, Jessica Anderson, Cat Phillips I/C: Emma Humphries, Aliesha Newman, Sarah Jolly, Jasmine Grierson, Maddy Boyd, Alyssa Mifsud EMG: Ainslie Kemp, Brooke Patterson IN: Sarah Jolly OUT: Richelle Cranston (suspended) 3 W-Round 2 W-Wrap Demons keep season alive Sarah Black February 12, 2017 12:50 AM A FIVE-GOAL burst in just 17 minutes from Melbourne was enough to record a 19-point win against a disappointing Collingwood, consigning the Magpies to a second loss in two matches. With both teams needing a win to keep their slim Grand Final hopes alive in a short season, it was Collingwood that hit the ground running. The Magpies were led by their captain Steph Chiocci, who provided pace and accurate kicking off half-back and set up several goals. The Magpies' ruck duo of Emma King and Lou Wotton gave first use to the midfield and they jumped to a 19- point lead by half-time. Melbourne struggled to get the ball past the centre line in the first half, but came to life in the third quarter, kicking four goals and holding the Magpies scoreless. Karen Paxman was superb, the 28-year-old priority player (signed before the draft) using her experience and bigger body to kick-start the Demons. She finished with 15 disposals and a goal for the match. Magpies forward Sophie Casey will come under scrutiny for a heavy, late hit to Demon Meg Downie's jaw, which knocked her out. Downie had tapped the ball forward before getting cleaned up by Casey, and play was stopped for several minutes as she was taken off the ground on a stretcher. Melbourne coach Mick Stinear said Downie had been cleared of any serious damage and had been taken to hospital for further checks after suffering a severe concussion. The monkey off the back Moana Hope had a very quiet game against Carlton, and the Collingwood marquee forward bounced back in style in the first quarter. Intent on proving her doubters wrong, Hope was in everything early, setting up a goal and kicking one of her own – the first for the marquee player in the AFL Women's competition. She outplayed Mia-Rae Clifford, and Melbourne was forced to move Melissa Hickey on her in the second quarter. Five minutes of madness After barely raising a whimper in the first half, Melbourne came out after half-time and kicked three goals in five minutes. Cat Phillips, a former Ultimate Frisbee player for Australia and signed to the Dees as a rookie, showed speed and skill in kicking two goals – one a snap over her shoulder, and the other burning off her opponent running into goal. Karen Paxman kicked a goal between Phillips' two, an opportunistic kick out of a pack from 35 metres. From being 19 points down at half-time, Melbourne had levelled the scores after five minutes. The moment Melbourne had an outstanding third quarter, and the question was whether they could maintain their quick run- and-carry style game in the fourth – and if Collingwood would let them. Halfway through the fourth quarter, Melbourne was only six points ahead. Demon Shelley Scott had marked in the forward pocket, and looked ready to take a set shot at goal before playing on and snapping the ball. It bounced over the unguarded goal line, without a Collingwood player in sight. The questions had been answered, and Melbourne was 12 points in front, on its way to a win and a 38-point turnaround. It could be a nervous wait for… Collingwood's Sophie Casey. The forward is known for being courageous in the air and hard at the footy, but landed a late, crude hit on Meg Downie. The Demon had tapped the ball forward, volleyball style, before Casey jumped off the ground, appeared to lift her elbow, and collected Downie in the jaw. She was knocked out, and play was stopped for several minutes as she was taken off the ground on a stretcher. Downie was later taken to hospital with concussion for further observation. Say what? "We have a certain style of footy we want to play, and get it into space and take the game on. I think when the 4 W-Round 2 W-Wrap chips were down at half-time, they had nothing to lose and went for it. That's when it started to click and they began to believe in each other." - Melbourne coach Mick Stinear "We didn't play the full 70 minutes, as per the Carlton match. Our last seven or eight minutes we gave away too many uncontested marks, and allowed them to have too many easy shots at goal, which is unacceptable at this level." - Collingwood coach Wayne Siekman What’s next? Collingwood hits the road for the first time and will be desperate for its first win, taking on the Brisbane Lions at South Pine Sports Complex on Saturday afternoon at 3.35pm AEDT. Melbourne heads to Whitten Oval to face the Western Bulldogs in a match of the AFLW pioneers.