AFLW CEO Nicole Livingstone has said the AFLW has no budget for lighting “for the rest of the season”, as Brisbane Lions coach Craig Starcevich slammed the quality of lighting at Princes Park, suggesting it could be a safety hazard for players.

The Lions returned to the winners’ circle on Saturday night after their impressive 22-point win over Carlton 6.4 (40) to 2.6 (18). However, Starcevich admitted he had a hard time seeing how well his team was performing in patches throughout the evening.

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“Nup. Nowhere near it,” Starcevich said when asked if he thought the lights were strong enough.

“Terrible really at ground level. We’re up in the box looking across the ground and we’re all a bit old so we’re trying to see what we’re looking for but not good enough, I don’t think. It was just very dark. I’m just thinking, ‘God, is this OK safety-wise for the players?’ But, anyway, we played and we got through.”

Women's Footy (@WomensFootyAFL) Livingstone on IKON Park lighting: "It's certainly something we haven't budgeted for, for the rest of the season."

Interim Carlton coach Nick Rutley admitted he too had some difficulty watching the action from his vantage point as well.

“It’s a funny one, at training I noticed it a little bit – that was on Thursday – and I thought, ‘Oh well, that’s going to improve because we’re having a game.’

“I think the floodlighting did improve a little bit but it’s hard to see from behind glass in a box as well and when you’re running down to the huddles, you’re not taking a hell of a lot of notice of it but there could be something in that.”

Carlton played most of the game with one or two players behind the ball but Rutley denied he was ignoring the AFL’s controversial memo which asked all AFLW coaches to play a more free-flowing game style.

“We’re definitely not ignoring the memo and it [having extra numbers behind the ball] is not habit either,” he said.

“That comes down to the opposition and how they interpret the rules and how they play the game. We don’t have to go up to the stoppages just because the opposition do. If we stay and hold our ground that’s OK – the directive from the AFL is that’s OK.”

The Blues’ defensive game style made it very hard for the Lions to score in the first half; in fact, there was only one goal kicked prior to half-time.

However, Starcevich didn’t have an issue with Carlton’s tactics, embracing them as just another challenge to overcome to secure victory.

“That’s footy at any level,” he said. “A lot’s been spoken about that particular topic but you’ve just got to find another way of getting through, so if it means being patient and skilful enough to chip the ball around the [50m] arc and find another avenue in – go for it.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Emily McGuire made a stunning debut for Fremantle. Photograph: Tony Mcdonough/AAP

On Sunday evening, a gallant Fremantle overcame a scoreless first quarter to stun AFLW flag fancies Melbourne in a thrilling finale to round three. The Dockers kicked the only two goals in the last quarter to notch a 6.0 (36) to 4.7 (31) victory at Fremantle Oval on Sunday.

With two wins apiece, the Dockers and Demons are part of five teams deadlocked on eight points on the ladder. The Dockers’ hero was debutant Emily McGuire, who kicked two goals including the match-winner late in the last quarter. She was supported by midfielder Kara Donnellan (18 possessions), while star Daisy Pearce (23 touches) led Melbourne and spearhead Tegan Cunningham bagged two majors.

The upset result looked unlikely after Fremantle endured a scoreless first quarter. Aided by a strong breeze, a relentless Melbourne dominated the opening quarter against the Dockers, with the game almost exclusively played in their forward half as the Demons had the first 15 entries inside 50.

The Demons could have almost sealed the result early but they let the Dockers off the hook with wayward kicking at goal punctuated by set shot misses from Katherine Smith and Jasmine Grierson.



Early in the second quarter, the Dockers finally got the ball inside 50 and McGuire pounced with a spectacular snapped goal to register her first AFLW major. The inspired Dockers served it up to their vaunted opponents and took the lead just before halftime through a long set shot from Ebony Antonio as the Demons were held scoreless in the second quarter.

Early second-half goals to Amy Lavell and Lisa Webb stretched the Dockers’ lead to 13 points. The match became an arm-wrestle until the Demons’ broke their goal drought when Aliesha Newman ran onto a bouncing ball to reduce the margin to six points. The surging Demons hit the lead after late goals from Tegan Cunningham and Karen Paxman gave them a six-point buffer at the last change.

Goals to Melissa Caulfield and McGuire restored Fremantle’s advantage, however, and their defence held firm in the dying stages to secure a second straight victory. Adding to the Demons’ woes, forward Catherine Phillips suffered a right ankle injury late in the third quarter.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Giants players celebrate their win over Collingwood with their fans at Olympic Park. Photograph: Michael Dodge/Getty Images

Earlier on Sunday, Greater Western Sydney kept their slim AFLW finals hopes alive with a thrilling 13-point win over Collingwood at Olympic Park. The Magpies led by five points early in the last quarter, but couldn’t withstand a late blitz by the Giants, who recorded a 7.6 (48) to 5.5 (35) victory in front of 3600 fans on Sunday.

Winless Collingwood have slumped to the bottom of the ladder and are all but out of contention for the grand final. Former Magpie Alicia Eva was outstanding against her old side with 23 possessions in the Giants’ first win of the season, while Aimee Schmidt, Courtney Gum and Phoebe McWilliams each booted two goals.

The Pies led by 14 points at the first break, thanks to goals from Brittany Bonnici and skipper Steph Chiocci, but the Giants found their rhythm in the second term. The visitors peppered the goals without capitalising until Schmidt bobbed up with two goals in as many minutes to give her side a two-point lead at halftime.

After a quiet start, recalled Collingwood forward Moana Hope imposed herself on the contest, setting up a goal to Jess Duffin then slotting a stunning effort of her own from deep in the pocket.



The home side led by five points as the final term got underway but GWS quickly put themselves in the driver’s seat after Gum opened with back-to-back goals. Hope added her second after a contentious 50m penalty but the Giants finished the stronger side, with McWilliams converting a free kick to seal the win.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Erin Phillips kicked four goals and had 14 disposals in her return to football against the Western Bulldogs at Norwood Oval. Photograph: Mark Brake/Getty Images

On Saturday, Adelaide Crows captain Erin Phillips proved the difference on her return to the AFLW, inspiring her team to their first win of the season. After trailing for most of the game against the Western Bulldogs, a point late in the fourth put the Crows ahead and a goal after the siren from Jenna McCormick secured their 6.5 (41) to 5.4 (34) victory.

Phillips starred for the Crows as she made up for lost time, after missing the first two games of the campaign with a quad strain. The reigning league best and fairest finished with four goals and, despite the tight tag of Libby Birch, looked dominant throughout in front of a crowd of 4,900 at Norwood Oval.

Crows coach Bec Goddard said Phillips put in a “mighty performance” but characteristically shifted focus to the efforts of the team. “Everybody came up around Erin. Once she starts playing well, everyone comes up around her,” she said.

“She contributed in a big way individually, but the team also had a really great performance”.



The hosts got off to a slow start against the ball-hungry Bulldogs, who finished the first and second quarters leading by six points. Adelaide’s Dayna Cox was reported late in the first quarter for high contact to Ellie Blackburn, and the momentum looked to be with the Bulldogs for most of the first half.

Captain Katie Brennan kicked two goals – one of four players to record majors for the visitors – before coming off late in the game with an ankle injury. She will undergo scans on Monday to determine the extent of damage.

Emma Kearney, Blackburn and Monique Conti were other strong contributors to the Bulldogs attack.

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Coach Paul Groves said he was proud of the performance of his players against their strong opponents. “[The Crows] are a quality team, so we were pretty happy we had the momentum early over them but then one Erin Phillips steps into the middle and does what she does,” he said. “If that’s her at 65-70 per cent on her quad then God help everyone.”

Adelaide will travel to Sydney to take on the Giants next week, while the Bulldogs will take on the unbeaten Carlton in Melbourne.

Goddard said Saturday’s win will have an effect on the team’s morale. “You can start talking a lot more positively around the football club,” she said. “We’ve been talking positively, that’s how we do our reviews... but when there’s been a mountain of areas for improvement, it’s hard to ignore sometimes. Today we did so many things right.”