Second comes right after first

It's thanks to the guest reporter rotation for saving my bacon again, and this time we're crossing time zones for a return report from Mae of Western Australia. It's been 12 years since she contributed the last post of the Neeld era, which is absolutely wild stuff. In the interim she was there for a M flag, I was there for a W flag, and we'll navigate the end of 2025 home and away football commitments together.

Big thanks to Sir Demonblog for letting me jump in this week. Fair warning that this might lean a little more 'vibes' than 'serious football analysis'. (As opposed to my other Champion Data level posts?). One of the joys of AFLW season is how perfectly it coincides with the annual Men’s Off-Season Meltdown. While the papers are full of trade demands and punch-ons, our girls are dishing out proper Demon ruthlessness.

On a personal note, as someone who was the lone girl in the kick-to-kick during school lunch breaks back in the day, I still can't believe I am lucky enough to have AFLW exist in my lifetime. Even though it arrived too late for me to play (not that my lack of talent, fitness, or ability to survive a Shelley Heath tackle would've helped), the W vibe still makes you feel part of it. The players' genuine warmth - from Kate Hore thanking you for holding the banner to their support of the Ruby Demons - makes every fan feel included. It's just a bloody good vibe.

Also, a quick plug for our amazing WA supporter group, the Western Demons. Their latest newsletter has an incredible feature on more than 100 years of women’s footy history, including wartime matches in 1915 where women played in full skirts in front of huge crowds in Perth while raising money for the troops. If that’s your jam, I’m sure they would be happy to send you a copy. Hit them up on Facebook or email westerndemons@gmail.com for a copy.

On another note, I'm loving the club's newfound social-media energy. Living so far from the action, I lap up every post as it makes me feel closer to the teams and fellow supporters. Dropping a joke about 186 (we were using '186' long before the cool kids started saying '6-7,' right?) felt like the start of a new era, and I am absolutely here for it. (Objection - I think it's like telling Pearl Harbour survivors gags about the Japanese airforce). 

Laughing at ourselves is actual Demon Spirit, and the timing — right as our girls were about to head back to the scene of the crime for a must-win (to dodge Norf until the Granny) — showed a cheeky, youthful arrogance that this old chook can absolutely get behind.

Admin’s not sleeping tonight 😔 #DemonSpirit pic.twitter.com/BMMYOfF6WM

— Melbourne Demons (@melbournefc) October 31, 2025

Right, so onto the game. We went in needing a win to cement second spot - aka a ladder position taht keeps us well clear of the Norf juggernaut in week one of finals. We knew the Lions would roll the Pie in their last home-and-away game, so it was pretty simple: win and finish second (hello, Brissie at our Casey stronghold) (or as it turns out, at Princes Park. Which is bad for home ground advantage, but good for not playing marquee games at glorified public parks), or lose, slip to fourth, and cop a humiliation from Norf in week one. Let’s save that for the last Saturday in… November, shall we?

At least we'd already earned the double chance. We've got to maintain recent MFC tradition and go 0–2 in every finals series we're in, right? (This is why the 186 jokes are funny to us.)

The chance to be the first W player to reach 100 career goals was snatched from Kate Hore, with Gemma Houghton hitting the milestone earlier in the day. It's a shame as I really wanted us to win something this year. Still, at least it wasn’t a Norf player taking this one too.

Changes were Georgia Gall returning from her ankle injury, Dingo coming in to cover the injured Molly in defence, and Rigoni making way. I turned on Foxtel to find the Swans–Bombers game still going after a weather delay and found us on the channel labelled 'Lawn Bowls PBL22' instead. Classic.

In the first quarter, Maggie Mahony got a bit greedy early, missing a snap at goal and ignoring Zanker in a paddock of space. Please, girls, don't annoy Zanks when we are up against Daisy to get her to sign a contract. It was a good contest early, with both sides looking dangerous when they found space to run but our tackling pressure - especially from Heath and Hanks - kept shutting down their flow. Add those long Gillard arms cutting off everything, and we were holding firm.

Geelong's pressure was solid too, and a tackle in their forward line gifted them the first goal. But enter Ryleigh Wotherspoon, who pickpockets a Cat with a ninja move and nailed our reply. Must be her cricket background… can we make 'cricket background' the W version of a 'basketball background'? (I feel like she'd have been an elite sledger in her day. Real off-colour stuff, possibly ending in Miandad vs Lillee wielding of willow)

The Cats started dominating uncontested ball, but Maeve Chaplin was reading the play beautifully and saved us repeatedly. They were peppering the goals, but were thankfully kicking with Demon-like inaccuracy. It was a very entertaining opening term, just one goal apiece but plenty of fun to watch. I warned you there'd be more vibes than analysis. (So far we've had a player called Dingo and somebody's alternative sports background raised so A+ from me)

Second quarter. Right, time to lift Dees as Operation Avoid Norf needed to step up a gear. Tyla Hanks, my goodness. What. A. Player. She nailed a strong tackle to win a free, then delivered a precision pass to Tayla Harris. Pure, glorious Hanksy vibes. Zanker slotted our second - please stay, Edo, we love you. She outmuscled her opponent to take a nice mark from a lovely Fitzy long bomb into the hot zone and converted from 20 metres out.

Both sides were tackling like madwomen. Mackin was a bit fumbly (understandable after so much time out), but you can already see how her line-breaking pace and dare will be crucial come finals. We’ve missed that spark all season, and I think having both her and Goldy in the team will make us a lot better. Geelong were moving it quicker, but we'd had more of the ball and repeat inside 50s this term. Their defender out-marking Gall then laughing in her face was outrageous behaviour, though to be fair, with Georgia’s cricket background she probably opened the sledging innings herself (Oops, I blew the cricket sledging storyline too early. Meanwhile, I hope the Cats player who had all the laughs enjoys sitting on the couch next week).

Nina Morrison, though... She's just better than everyone for a few minutes there. Spins out of a pack at their 50 and snaps truly to put the Cats back in front. They're coming hard now. Prespakis hits Morrison again soon after (the curl connection vibes I am here for), but why is she that free inside 50? Very uncharacteristically sloppy defending from us. Luckily she missed but the momentum was all theirs. 

Then, finally, a spark. Harris launches long, Gall takes a cracking pack mark, earns a 50, then dishes off to Fitzy - who handballs to Gillard rather than taking a shot herself, and Gillard bombs her first ever AFLW goal from 40. Scenes! Game 46, and the tall defender gets on the board. After Maeve's first last week, it’s becoming a defender goal fest (Thank god I was in the room for this one, because it was tremendous). Vibes immaculate.

Half-time: Dees 21, Cats 17. Fun, frantic, entertaining footy. I'd settle for boring footy if it meant we locked in second spot without heart palpitations.

Shoutout to a few Demon Army legends - Suze and Claire - spotted behind the half-time boundary chat. Elite banner skills and background acting? Love it.

The commentator described a Hanksy run, bounce, and precision pass to Zanker on the lead as "champagne football". Correct, and the really expensive kind of champers. But the Cats drew first blood in the second half to retake the lead. Come on Dees, don't make this hard for yourself. The connection between mids and forwards wasn't there tonight. Then some Zanker magic, a miracle goal over her shoulder from a ruck contest near the square. Please stay, Edo. Demonblog, surely that’s a Goal of the Year contender? (TBD)

Hanksy was finding more of it now, and Mackin's was shaking off the fumbles and starting to show her run. We were up by 10 halfway through the third and had definitely cranked up a gear, but my blood pressure would prefer a 10 goal lead, not 10 points. Geelong's tackling pressure remained top-notch, and Zanker going off with a bloody nose hurt as we need her up forward.

A random umpiring decision (never been better) gifted the Cats a chance, but an equally random one our way balanced it out. Karma vibes perfection. Hanksy then kicks a Nina Morrison-style goal - crashing the pack, scooping it up, spinning through traffic and snapping truly. God, I love her. Gillard followed with a brilliant smother to kill another Cats attack. But Morrison responded with her own Morrison/Hanks special to keep Geelong within ten. 

Then the skipper stepped up, as Hore channelled her inner-Petracca (oh...) with a clever bouncing goal from the boundary. So classy. That’s her 99th. Another Goal of the Year contender? (TBD!)

Zippy Eliza Mac gets a fingertip on a certain Cats goal, and bless the footy gods, the technology agrees with the ump that she did indeed touch it. (Not that they ever showed us any evidence of this, but I was happy to take their word for it). Then Hanksy capped off one of the best quarters you'll see, laying a fierce tackle, winning the free, and spotting Harris perfectly for a strong contested mark. Tayla nails it after the siren. Five goals to two that quarter. Dees by 23 at the final change.

Mick Stinear is probably one of the most underrated parts of our club. He’s always talking up the unsung players like Heath and Fitzsimon, but how about his own contribution? Premiership coach and still employed.

Now it was time for the girls to bring home second. Wotherspoon was terrific, and she's improving every week despite having barely any footy experience. Must be that cricket background. Harris was huge playing higher up the ground, giving us a strong linking target.

The Cats had plenty of chances early but couldn't kick straight. Our pressure was forcing them wide and keeping the damage down. Then there was some genuinely sexy team footy: slick ball movement by multiple Dees through the middle, ending with a perfect pass to Zanker, who clunks the mark and nails her fourth. Not flashy enough for Goal of the Year, but what a team goal. Pure Dees footy. We're finally starting to connect properly as a team. (And may I suggest we do whatever sort of Melbourne Storm style cash in a paper bag/amended invoices rorts are required to keep her? Thank you). 

The Cats got one back, leaving the margin 21 with five minutes to play. Then another to make it 14 points with a minute left. Typical Melbourne. Siren. Breathe. Dees win 9.5.59 to 6.9.45 and finish second on the ladder. Job done. 

2025 Daisy Pearce Medal votes
5 – Tyla Hanks – 5 votes, and a quiet moment of appreciation for a star midfielder wearing this number who just quietly goes about being awesome and humble
4 – Eden Zanker
3 – Megan Fitzsimon
2 – Kate Hore
1 – Shelley Heath

Apologies to Ryleigh Wotherspoon, Tayla Harris, Maeve Chaplin and Lauren Pearce.

Leaderboard
37 - Tyla Hanks
34 - Kate Hore
--- Needs three finals to win
22 - Maeve Chaplin (WINNER: Defender of the Year)
--- Needs four finals to win ---
17 - Eden Zanker
--- Not going to win ---
16 - Tayla Harris
12 - Eliza McNamara
11 - Megan Fitzsimon
8 - Shelley Heath
6 - Olivia Purcell
5 - Paxy Paxman
4 - Tahlia Gillard, Lauren Pearce (LEADER: Ruck of the Year)
3 - Sinead Goldrick
1 - Saraid Taylor (LEADER: Rising Star Award), Ryleigh Wotherspoon

Goal of the Week
The Eden Zanker special (grabbing the ball from the ruck and booting it literally over her head) is right up there. Maybe we should just give it to her, along with her 'official prize' of bags of cash to encourage her to sign that new contract (Scam endorsed, but she still wins for the one at Casey from the boundary line post-smother). When Edo's in Hulk mode, she's unstoppable.

The defender's first goal trope always hits, so Tahlia Gillard's long hoof from 40 (set up by that clever Fitzy handball) deserves a nod. And that team goal in the last quarter that ended with another for Zanker was peak Dees footy.

But it has to go to Kate Hore with The Petracca™ from the pocket. I'd call these goals 'The Hore,' but… yeah, also problematic. She’s just so skilled and classy, and every so often she pulls out something that reminds you she’s operating on a completely different level.

Final thoughts
A final note on vibes… Paxy helping carry former teammate and opponent Shelley Scott off the ground in her last game was big W energy.

Also, confirmation that the Official Kate Hore Non-Concussion Prayer Circle put into operation after the game worked, so I guess I'm religious now. "How did you find God, Mae?”, “Well, Kate Hore passed her concussion test so she could play in our first final”…

We’ll need to lift another level for finals, but at least it’s not Norf first up and we get to play at our Fortress of Wind (I'm afraid I've got some bad news for you). Finishing second is a fantastic achievement. We can only play who was in front of us, and we won enough to earn it. Even in the games we lost, we were right in them. A few bounces our way and we're unbeaten. The list is healthy, competition for spots is fierce, and that’s exactly how you want to roll into September  November.

After both our teams missed the eight last year, I'll never take this finals feeling for granted again, and honestly I've got far more faith in our girls than the other mob to actually win another one.

And the feeling is very much mutual there. Thank you very much again to Mae and Craig for filling in while I was having a little nervous breakdown. I'll be back next week for the first leg of our 0-8 finals run. Cheerio and Go Dees.