West Coast’s remote hopes of back-to-back appearances in the AFLW finals have are now all but an impossibility after a 22-point loss to Sydney.
Although the plucky Eagles produced what was largely one of their best performances of the season, they were eventually worked over by the slicker Swans, who stormed to a 12.6 (78) to 8.8 (56) win at a warm and windy Henson Park by producing a six-goal to one second half.
While their comparatively-poor percentage compared to the rest of the competition’s finals-chasing sides meant finishing this season inside the top eight would have remained an improbable prospect even in victory, a seventh loss of the season and third in a row has made all but a certainty of Daisy Pearce’s side finishing their 2026 campaign outside of the finals places.
Despite star Ella Roberts (14 disposals) enduring some particularly close checking from Swans stopper Tanya Kennedy, the Eagles were largely able to stay afloat in the middle of the ground, with Lucia Painter (16 disposals, one goal) leading an even suite contributors.
After Pearce in midweek confirmed the club’s interest in luring Zippy Fish back to her home State, the homesick Swans star was not quite at her brilliant best, being one of several players to battle with a strong cross-breeze on a 12-disposal day.
The value of the returning Amy Franklin took no time to become apparent for the Eagles, with the full-forward setting up the day’s opening goal by springing Kayla Dalgleish into space with a clever tap-on.
West Coast’s spearhead missed some early sighters on goal but capitalised on a 50m penalty to slot her first only 90 seconds into the second term, which came after both Lucia Painter and Jaide Britton capitalised on horror Sydney turnovers to contribute majors of their own.
After the sides managed three goals apiece in the first term, a clear theme emerged as they traded another seven in the second — Sydney were dangerous when able to chain up slick attacking moves, while the Eagles’ threat came from the defensive intent they brought inside their attacking half.
Moments before the main break, Roxy Roux was marched to the goal square after another 50m penalty and kicked West Coast’s seventh goal, ticking them up to their highest score in any game for the season before the first half had even been completed.
Sydney laid down the gauntlet with a white-hot start to the third term, with stars Cynthia Hamilton and Chloe Molloy splitting three goals within its first eight minutes of game time.
Although West Coast surrendered their lead, they did manage to stay less than one straight kick in arrears at the final break through second-gamer Jovie Skewes-Clinton claiming a one-on-one mark and quickly playing on to slot her first goal at the level.
The taxing conditions eventually appeared to have well and truly sapped the Eagles’ energy in the final term as they struggled to cover the ground with any real verve.
And when the game was there to be won for the Swans, it was their superstar captain Chloe Molloy who stepped up with three final-term goals, which gave the competition’s most prolific forward five on the day.
SCOREBOARD
SYDNEY 3.1, 6.4, 9.4, 12.6 (78)
WEST COAST 3.4, 7.6, 8.8, 8.6 (56)
Goals - SYDNEY: C Molloy 5 C Hamilton 2 T Smith L McEvoy T Kennedy M Ham H Cooper.
WEST COAST: K Skepper 2 J Skewes-Clinton R Roux K Painter A Franklin K Dalgleish J Britton.
Best - SYDNEY: C Molloy L Gardiner M Ham T Smith C Hamilton.
WEST COAST: L Painter A Bushby K Skepper A Franklin E Roberts.
Umpires: S Tozier H O’Connor A Ramsay. Crowd: TBC at Henson Park.