Kick on the siren gifts Suns win over RichmondMax Hatzoglou, Ronny Lerner, Ed Bourke and Jason Phelan
HeraldSun
October 8, 2023A kick on the final siren from Tara Bohanna has given Gold Coast a thrilling one-point win over Richmond to climb into fifth spot on the AFLW ladder.
Bohanna’s brave mark running back with the flight in the final 30 seconds of the game led the 28-year-old to securing the crucial point in the dying embers as her 40m set-shot squeezed through for a behind.
The thrilling finish on Sunday afternoon gave the Suns their fourth win of the season while the Tigers fall into ninth position with a 3-3 record.
The Suns were hit hard by a feisty opposition who had two former players kick goals against them including Shannon Danckert whose banana gave the Tigers a one-point lead with five minutes left.
But a rushed behind followed by Bohanna’s fourth behind of the game led the Suns to the thrilling 5.5 (35) to 5.6 (36) victory.
Bohanna produced a top performance as she impacted the match with six score involvements, 11 possessions and four marks alongside her match-winning moment.
Alana Gee’s first goal in AFLW midway through the third term proved to be the spark the Suns needed in their second ever win in Melbourne.
Key defender-turned forward Georgia Clayden followed Gee’s effort with a spectacular pick up and running goal moments later to give her side a five-point lead in the 12th minute of the third term.
It was also Clayden’s first goal in AFLW as players packed a first-time scorer for the second time in the space of two minutes, sparking plenty of excitement for the Suns.
In the end, it proved to be the final goal the Suns needed as they held on without a goal in the final term to claim the crucial win in a game that saw the margin remain within 13 points all day.
Suns midfielder Charlie Rowbottom was the leading possession getter on the ground with 31 disposals including 22 contested in a game which required plenty of hard-ball wins.
START OF A RIVALRY?The club’s AFL men’s team have seen Damien Hardwick move to the Suns after more than a decade at Tigerland where he won three premierships as a coach.
Now the women’s sides are seeing the movement of players in droves between clubs.
Maddy Brancatisano is playing for the Suns after three years at the Punt Road Oval while the Tigers have two former Suns in Shannon Danckert and Courtney Jones in their side.
Gold coast coach Cameron Joyce said that he was “under no allusion” that it would be a close game against the Tigers.
“(A feeling) of relief in the end,” he said post-game.
“Our last two games that we have played against Richmond since I have been coaching have been close so we were sort of under no allusion of what game we were going to get.
“And it sort of turned out that way.”
A big moment at the start of the second term saw both sides collide in a scuffle after ex-Sun Courtney Jones booted a goal from a set-shot which came following a free kick for a dangerous tackle.
GREISER’S BAD MISSTigers forward Caitlin Greiser missed a golden opportunity to level the score line towards the end of the third term after receiving a holding free kick 15m out from goal.
Unfortunately, her shot at goal on a slight angle saw her make bad contact with the ball as it hit the side of her boot and missed the goals completely to the right.
FAST FOOTY THRILLSThere was something in the coaching addresses at quarter-time as both sides came out on fire after the break producing some of the most entertaining footy the AFLW has ever seen.
After the first term saw a combined score of 1.1, the first eight minutes of the second quarter featured four goals and plenty of heat in the contest.
It started when Tigers forward Jones kicked a set-shot goal against her former side after receiving a free kick for a dangerous tackle.
Her goal just over a minute into the first term extended the Tigers margin to 11 points.
Tensions rose when Jones got in the face of her opposition after scoring the goal as players piled in for the scuffle.
The Suns pounced back with a goal a minute later however through Niamh McLaughlin and then Jamie Stanton scored another for the visitors who claimed back the lead.
But when crafty Tigers forward Stella Reid spectacularly dribbled a ball through from the pocket, the Tigers regained the lead again.
Reid’s stunning goal was the fourth of the term, coming in just seven minutes of play.
Former Tiger player and current Suns forward Maddy Brancatisano said the contest was “pretty hot” after the flurry of majors in an interview during the second quart
ScoreboardTIGERS 1.0 3.2 4.4 5.5 (35)
SUNS 0.1 2.1 5.3 5.6 (36)
HATZOGLOU’S BESTTigers: Dempsey, Conti, Egan, Brennan, Greiser
Suns: Rowbottom, Whitfort, Bohanna, Drennan, Single.
GOALS
Tigers: Greiser, Brennan, Jones, Reid
Suns: Bohanna, Stanton, Clayden, McLaughlin, Gee, Danckert.
INJURIES
Tigers: Nil
Suns: Nil
UMPIRES
Devenish, Howard, Pearson.
VENUE
IKON Park
https://www.codesports.com.au/afl/aflw/aflw-round-6-all-the-scores-news-from-aflw/news-story/08ee019c61c5bb6b0843fc351e6b84c2
