Essendon have secured an AFLW finals berth and ended Melbourne’s season in the process after posting a 36-point victory over Carlton.
The Bombers overcame the early loss of star forward Bonnie Toogood to an ankle injury to post the 9.6 (60) to 3.6 (24) win at Ikon Park on Saturday.
Melbourne’s 47-point win over Collingwood earlier in the day had bumped Essendon down to ninth spot.
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It meant the Bombers entered their match against Carlton with a simple equation: win and they finish in the top eight, lose and they wave goodbye to finals.
The loss of Toogood in the first term made Essendon’s task tougher, and the Blues led by two points at quarter-time.
But powered by Maddison Gay (33 disposals, 741m gained), Georgia Nanscawen (25 disposals, nine clearances, one goal) and Madison Prespakis (25 disposals, four clearances), Essendon saw off Carlton’s challenge to secure the win.
Essendon will now be sweating on the extent of Toogood’s injury ahead of the club’s second straight finals campaign.
“I’m super proud of the girls. We lost Bonnie early, but the girls didn’t shy away,” Prespakis told the Seven Network.
“Making finals is one thing, but you want to win finals. That’s what we’re going to work towards.
“I’m really bullish about what this group can do. Finals footy is an exciting time, and I’m grateful we get to be a part of it.”
In the absence of injured ruck star Steph Wales (ACL), Essendon lost the hit-out count 51-9.
Carlton ruck Jessica Good dominated with 40 hit-outs, with fringe Essendon ruck Matilda Dyke limited to six hit-outs.
But Essendon only lost the clearances 26-24, and they actually won the centre clearances 7-4.
Carlton suffered two big blows before the match when vice-captains Mimi Hill (groin) and Abbie McKay (adductor) were ruled out.
It was one goal apiece after a hard-fought first quarter, but Essendon broke the game open with the first three goals of the second term.
Amy Gaylor was mobbed by Essendon teammates after kicking her maiden AFLW goal, and Nanscawen sent the crowd wild when she stole the ball off an opponent in the pocket before running into an open goal.
Gay racked up an incredible 22 disposals in the first half, but a late goal to Carlton’s Darcy Vescio reduced the margin to nine points at the long break.
The third quarter was where the game was truly won as Essendon kicked three goals to nil.
Bombers speedster Amber Clarke had a moment to forget when she sprayed her shot on the run from 20m out when she could have kept sprinting forward to kick from point-blank range.
But she made amends just minutes later, going on another bursting run that involved two bounces before handing off to Georgia Gee for a goal that gave Essendon a match-winning 27-point lead by three-quarter-time.
