Melbourne Demolish Adelaide to Secure Preliminary Final Berth
Carlton,VIC – Melbourne stormed into the AFLW preliminary final with a dominant victory over adelaide at Ikon park on Sunday,winning 10.9 (69) to 6.6 (42). The Demons‘ win signals the end of Adelaide coach Matthew clark’s eight-season tenure with the club, as he announced his departure earlier this year.
The semi-final clash saw a fluctuating contest, with Adelaide initially responding to Melbourne’s early pressure through Caitlin gould’s goal. Though, Melbourne’s momentum proved unstoppable, particularly in the second half, led by captain Lily hore’s three goals and a strong performance from Blaithin Mackin. The Demons will now face undefeated North Melbourne in a highly anticipated preliminary final – their first meeting of the season.
Adelaide started strongly, but controversial 50-meter penalties and free kicks awarded to the Crows drew boos from the Ikon Park crowd. Zoe Prowse booted her second goal of the season following one such penalty, while Danielle Ponter added another just before half-time to keep Adelaide ahead, 5.3 (33) to 4.3 (27) at the main break.
The third quarter saw a shift in dominance as Hore’s brilliant dribble goal and Georgia Campbell’s late major propelled Melbourne into the lead. hore continued her impact in the fourth, adding another goal to her tally, ultimately sealing the victory for the Demons.
“We feel like we’re in a really good spot, and we’ve been building towards this,” Melbourne coach Michelle Stinear said. ”If you want to be the best, you’ve got to take it away from the best. [We’ve got] nothing but respect for North and what thay’ve done, and we’ll have a group that’s ready to challenge them and make the most out of our opportunities.”
Scoreboard:
* Melbourne: 10.9 (69)
* Adelaide: 6.6 (42)
Goal Kickers:
* Melbourne: lily Hore (3), Georgia Campbell (2), Blaithin Mackin (2), Alyssa Bannan (1), Sarah Perkins (1), Tyla Hanks (1)
* Adelaide: Zoe Prowse (2), Caitlin Gould (1), Maggie Mahony (1), danielle Ponter (1), Ashleigh Saint (1)
