Collingwood climbed off the bottom of the AFLW ladder and put a dent in Brisbane’s bid for back-to-back grand final appearances with an upset 14-point win on Saturday.
The Magpies set up their stunning victory at Moreton Bay Sports Complex near Brisbane with a barnstorming start, shocking the home side with four of the match’s first five goals.
The final margin didn’t truly reflect Collingwood’s dominance of the third-placed Lions who fell to their second straight defeat, leaving their premiership dreams teetering.
Christina Bernardi (16 possessions, three goals) was best-on-ground while gun full-forward Mo Hope matched her teammate with three majors of her own.
“The girls had a really good week on the track and we were all up and about,” Bernardi said.
“It (three-goal haul) came from the girls, handballs over the top … it was good fun.
“The goals I scored today were from the team’s efforts.”
With two first-term goals apiece to Bernardi and Hope, the Pies held sway by 14 points at quarter-time.
The Lions’ prospects of a revival looked shot when the heavens opened, with the second term a goalless affair played in torrential rain.
Bernardi set up centre half-forward Jasmine Gardner in the opening moments of the third to break the stalemate while Brisbane squandered several opportunities at the other end.
On the cusp of three-quarter-time, experienced Meg Hutchins nailed one of the goals of the season, a stunning set shot conversion while hugging the boundary line before Hope’s sensational torpedo early in the fourth blew the margin out to 34 points.
Three consolation goals bumped the Lions’ percentage back to 107.0 – after it had slumped under 100 – which may prove crucial when the home-and-away campaign wraps up next weekend.
Midfielders Emily Bates and Jamie Stanton were valiant for Brisbane who need to defeat Greater Western Sydney on Friday while hoping Carlton beats Melbourne on Saturday night and the Pies down second-ranked Adelaide on Sunday.