AFLW round 1: Melbourne v GWS Giants, Casey Fields, 5.05pm
Quarter-time: GWS Giants 2.0 (12) to Melbourne 1.2 (8)
Karen Paxman was on fire early, notching up four touches within the opening minute.
But it was GWS which got the first major, via Jacinda Barclay.
Kate Hore registered Melbourne’s first score of the season – a behind – but it was Shelley Scott, who kicked her side’s opening major for 2018 at the 13-minute mark.
Paxman continued to dominate, but she left the field a minute later, when she appeared to hurt her back. She had eight touches to her name in the first term.
But when Cora Staunton kicked the Giants’ second, the visitors look a four-point lead into the first break.
Half-time: GWS Giants 3.0 (18) to Melbourne 1.3 (9)
Just one goal was added in the second term, when Phoebe McWilliams, who played for Melbourne in the exhibition series before the AFLW started, and was a mad red and blue supporter, kicked truly.
Hore managed the only score for Melbourne during this period – her second behind for the match.
Meg Downie (who was playing her first game since her season-ending hamstring injury in round two last year), Lily Mithen, Elise O’Dea and Cat Phillips all had nine disposals at half-time, as did Giant Britt Tully.
Shelley Scott was her usual hard-at-it self laying five tackles.
Entering three quarter-time, the Giants led by nine points.
Third quarter: GWS Giants 5.2 (32) to Melbourne 4.3 (27)
After a goalless second quarter, Melbourne bounced back strongly early in the third term.
Tegan Cunningham, who kicked three goals in Melbourne’s practice match against Collingwood at Olympic Park Oval on January 19, kicked the first for the second half in her first AFLW match.
Richelle ‘Rocky’ Cranston followed up a couple of minutes later and when Kate Hore landed her first AFLW major in her first game, Melbourne had three in a row – and a nine-point lead.
But when Barclay and McWilliams answered for the Giants, with their second each, GWS was back in front.
Entering the final stanza, the Giants led by five points.
Final quarter: Melbourne 7.3 (45) d GWS Giants 6.3 (39)
The Demons regained the lead early in the last term, when Cranston became Melbourne’s first multiple goalscorer and Scott bobbed up with her second.
But when McWilliams nailed her third, the scores were level at the 11-minute mark.
But when Cranston threaded through her third goal at the 15-minute mark, the red and blue was back in front.
Daisy Pearce was outstanding in the second half, with 13 disposals and 19 for the match. O’Dea was next best with 16 touches and Mithen had 14 possessions. Courtney Gum had 17 for the Giants.
The match was played in front of a crowd of 5,100.
