West Coast women claim win in first female derby

The West Coast Eagles women’s team claimed a thumping victory against the Fremantle Dockers in the first women’s football derby at Domain Stadium on Saturday April 9.

Captain and hard-working midfielder Kara Donnellan led by example in the Eagles’ 65-point win with a total 22 possessions in a game that featured the state’s most talented female footballers.

The Eagles strong marking ability up forward and efficient system of play enabled them to stay on top of the game that was played as a curtain-raiser to the AFL Carlton Draught Derby.

Thunderbirds sharpshooter Kira Phillips capped a superb return from an injury-interrupted pre-season by booting five goals and is almost a certainty in the selection for the WA state representative team scheduled to play the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium on June 5 as part of this year’s AFL Female Exhibition Match Series.

The Eagles half-back Hayley Miller was a star performer in her own right having played the Derby with a broken leg which she sustained shortly after the opening bounce.

Coach Martine Pearman and medical staff mistook the break for a corked leg, with Miller playing out the remainder of the game in the forward-line and kicking two goals for the side in the final quarter.

West Coast made a strong impact in the second quarter and opened up the contest with four unanswered goals.

Eagles midfielder Chelsea Randall provided a great highlight with her four-bounce dash down the outer wing in the third quarter, a similar play to West Coast midfielder Daniel Kerr’s stirring run-and-bounce effort in a Derby several years ago.

WEST COAST EAGLES
1.4 5.7 7.9 13.10 (88)

Goals: Phillips 5, Schmidt 2, Randall 2, Miller 2, Angel 1, Sprylan 1

Best: Donnellan, Phillips, Angel, Edwards, Randall

FREMANTLE DOCKERS
1.4 2.4 2.5 3.5 (23)

Goals: Lewis 1, Dilello 1, Wuetschner 1

Best: Antonio, Forth, Mascall, Frederick-Traub