What happens when two friends who support two different teams sit down to watch the footy together?
Fanter, that’s what happens.
Read on for Kirby Fenwick and Gemma Bastiani’s thoughtful insights, compelling stats and stories and, honestly mostly, general chat around the Western Bulldogs and Melbourne Demons round two clash.
First quarter
Kirby: Slippery out there
Gemma: Blackburn’s unbelievable holy cow
Kirby: Yes, thank you
Gemma: Goldrick tho
Kirby: Can I just say, loving Aisling McCarthy, so tough
Gemma: she’s gone to another level this year for sure
Kirby: Absolutely!
Plus I love an Irish gal
Great pressure by us there
Deanna Berry
Gemma: goddang
ex Dee
Kirby: Also, long sleeves!
Gemma: ahahaha yes gotta love the long sleeves
Libby Birch 😍
Kirby: I miss Birch but no grudge
Ooh that rain
Gemma: DAISY off HALF BACK
you love to see it
AND
GOAL
CHANTAL EMONSON
Kirby: Great goal
Gemma: those clean hands from Newman
Kirby: In wet weather too
Super impressive
Gemma: truly
ex-cricketer, knows what’s up
Kirby: So much pressure
Gemma: Take the mark Eden
Kirby: The reliable Ferres!
Big fan
Gemma: Naomi Ferres – 22 years old. Not the ‘old player’ like I tried to suggest 😂
Kirby: Haha in fact one of the youngsters
Gemma: Our kicks I50 haven’t quite been as smart as they need
Kirby: Tough in the rain though, just gotta move it forward any way you can
Gemma: yeah but when you’re not pressured kicking I50, you’ve gotta try to pick an option in the navy hahahaha
it’s all dogs!
Shelley Scott with the intercept though
she’s so underrated
Kirby: Agree!
Gemma: How’s that from Hore though
Kirby: Lovely, very lovely
But, accuracy?
Gemma: I don’t trust it
second least accurate Dee
Gemma: PAXY THOUGH
Kirby: I do love Paxy
Ex-Bulldog I might add
Gemma: one of only three AFLW players to be All Australian three times
I like my fact better
Kirby: She’ll go again this year too I reckon
Gemma: yeah 100%!!
Kirby: Clever goal, opportunistic, which are my fave
Melbourne’s pressure is everything early on
Gemma: Shelley Heath in the middle. You love to see it.
Kirby: so slippery
Gemma: smart from Toogood off the ground.
Kirby: Berry!
Lots of feeling in that
Ouch
Gemma: Oooooh Goldrick
Irish gals need to know the rules hahaha
Kirby: Gotta feel for Goldrick there
Yeah!!!!! 🐶🐶🐶🐶
Gemma: Goldrick’s been so good elsewhere though, so I ain’t too mad.
She won’t make that mistake again
Kirby: Lesson learnt
Gemma: y’all need a 50 to get a goal 😉
Kirby: Ooooooohhhhhh
I’ll take it 🤷♀️
Gemma: how’s that verticle leap on Zanker
Kirby: She’s super impressive
She’s the reason my uncle likes AFLW now
He met her in the pub in Ouyen, got a pic with her 😂
Gemma: PERFECTION
Gemma: Oooh they’re going after Birch
Kirby: Yeah, there’s some feeling there
Gemma: incredible
good netballer too apparently
y’all have picked up your pressure
Kirby: Daisy Pearce’s ability to stay calm is pretty remarkable
Gemma: and the quick hands!
Kirby: ‘It’s Paxman again’
Gemma: Emonson free in the corridor is danger signs for the Dogs though.
Kirby: Paxman and Pearce behind the ball is too
Gemma: Toogood stealing the ball mid air. Wow.
Kirby: So good. Too good you might say
Come on! I had too
Melbourne defense is very good
Gemma: and that’s with Cordner up in the ruck!
Kirby: Free kick for Scotty!
Gemma: Awh that shoulda been called a mark
Kirby: Nice to Blackburn but yeah shoulda
Gemma: Ellie Blackburn on the lead is a scary prospect.
Kirby: McLeod doing the jump tackle there!
So much smothering tonight
Which I love
Gemma: Tyla Hanks was UNBELIEVABLE there
recovers the miskick from McEvoy, passes off, gets it back under pressure, side step and beautiful kick to Emonson on the wing.
Just quietly shoulda been a Rising Star last year.
Pretty dirty she wasn’t
Cordner to Hanks at the ball up. Wowsers that was smooth.
Kirby: Nicky Callinan is incredible. 37? Wouldn’t know it
Gemma: SHE IS THE ONE I GOT CONFUSED WITH FERRES
Kirby: Ferres is underrated
Great player
Gemma: Yeeeeah siren with the Dees up by 9 😎
Kirby: That was a fierce quarter
So much pressure
Second quarter
Kirby: Daisy tucks her jumper in
Gemma: yeah, Shelley Scott and Tegan Cunningham do too!
Kirby: Look at that rain!
Gemma: not really Cunningham’s kinda weather, though
Kirby: Super fast i50 there
This is better dogs
Ooh not that
Gemma: it’s always better when Spark & Blackburn are involved
Kirby: Melbourne playing with a dry footy
Spark is so good
Love those intercept marks
Gemma: This is one of the best games I’ve seen Shelley Scott play
Kirby: She is from Colac way, lotta rain down there
Gemma: ahahaha yes!
How’s that speed from Goldrick!!
Cunningham just distracting a defender tonight
Kirby: Blackburn’s strength is something else
Gemma: it really is, but that’s why it’s so impressive what Hanks has been doing tonight.
Kirby: Kate Hore, gotta practice that goal kicking! Unlucky there
Gemma: (Kate Hore, inaccurate. Kills me)
Leave Libby alone!
Kirby: Birch’s growth as a defender has been beautiful to watch. Real plus for the Dees this season
But I support the Bulldogs ribbing here tonight
Gemma: Cordner taking it out of the ruck is one of my favourite things.
Goldrick is so fast holy cow.
Kirby: Bad decision there, straight to the contest
Gemma: Dogs are starting to get some space across the back half, but the Dees just shut them down after that. The Dees are so well set up behind play.
Cordner, I forgive you for giving away frees in the ruck.
Kirby: Gotta cut her some slack, she is a defender
Gemma: YES CASEY SHERRIFF
Kirby: Why are we kicking it to daisy?!?!
Gemma: Now why would you kick it to Daisy
hahahaha
great minds
nearly took O’Dea’s head off
Kirby: Hyperbole!
Gemma: ahahahahaha coming back to bite me
Kirby: I hate these boundary side interviews
Gemma: Agree, so unnecessary
Kirby: We’re playing catch up footy here, Dees seem to have control
Gemma: And I love it
Kirby: Me? Not so much
Gemma: I like the tenacity of McEvoy here. On debut.
She’s not been able to be clean with possession but her pressure is fantastic
The Dees have just always had that outlet to relieve pressure but they’re not letting the Dogs have the same
Kirby: Few have been clean with possession
That footy is slippery as heck
Gemma: Shelley Scott the only one hahaha
Kirby: Must have heaps of that sticky hands stuff on
That from Scott was so good
Gemma: how was that pick up!!
so deserved a goal
Kirby: Deserved a goal there
Gemma: but INACCURACY
Kirby: Nice one Gamble!
Really looking forward to her having a good season for us
Gemma: dangit messy there
Kirby: High
Gemma: don’t know why we got a free there
Kirby: Can’t wrap ya hands around the neck
Gemma: McCarthy
unbelievable
Kirby: Good work from McCarthy there, love her
So tough
Gemma: just not the kick to follow it up
that tackle from Cunningham what in the heck
it was like a full on gridiron tackle
wanted to destroy
Kirby: Those fumbles
Makes it so hard
And Melbourne are leaping on any mistake
Gemma: Melbourne got out of jail there
yeaaaaah my fav Shelley Heath
Kirby: McEvoy there again
Gemma: oooh and McEvoy nearly got her first goal
Gemma: 2.6 though
Kirby: Melbourne defence is like a brick wall
Gemma: doing my head in considering we missed finals on % for often
Kirby: Cheap free
Gemma: McCarthy so good and a bit stiff to be called for sliding
but I guess that’s the rule
frustrating though
Colvin just hasn’t been able to get a clean possession all night
Kirby: Dees defence very good there
Half time
Handy lead for the Dees
They will all be wrecked
Gemma: but 2.6
Kirby: Look, I ain’t complaining
Gemma: I AM
% dangit!
Third quarter
Kirby: That rain
Gemma: Glad the Dees got the jump before the rain really set it
how’s that rebound out of defence for Lampard
running like a gazelle
Ferres is SO CLEAN below the knees though
Kirby: Blackburn can’t take a trick tonight
Ahhhhhhhhhh
Gemma: Tyla Hanks giving her no space!
and I am very much enjoying it
Goldrick v McLeod
Goldrick 1 McLeod 0
Kirby: Bailey Hunt has been working so hard all night
Nice pick up
Gemma: Smart play by Eden, kicking into space
ahahaha Emonson misses and it’s brought back
You’re really missing Lochland tonight I think
her ability below the knees would be invaluable tonight
Kirby: Absolutely
Very much looking forward to getting her back
Gemma: very basketball-like from Cunningham
Kirby: That was out twice
Gemma: ahahaha yes you are right
ooooh putting Blackburn down
takes a lot to get her down
Kirby: Gogos is a workhorse, so good
Gemma: she’s second in the AFLW for tackles
but at the start of the season she was 98 behind Marinoff
that’s how far ahead Marinoff is
Kirby: Always in it, always applying pressure, I love her
Gemma: dang it Melbourne, kick straight.
Zanker
Kirby: She’s so young and she’s going to be so good
Gemma: 2.8 I’m tearing my hair out
Kirby: Points win games
Kinda
Gemma: That was brilliant from Goldrick
And rebound by the Dees
but even better from Scott with the mark I50
Kirby: Such a fast transition
Gemma: the fact that we’ve been able to get outlets in the corridor on the rebound has been massive
Kirby: Melbourne are controlling everything
Gemma: Dogs need to be more aware of that corridor kick
Kirby: We look out to sea
Gemma: SHELLEY SCOTT
Kirby: So important to the Dees
Flies under the radar
Gemma: who’d had’ve thought she’d be our main forward target tonight
great defensive pressure from y’all
ahahaha ya tried to be smart but it didn’t work
(sorry)
Kirby: No, totally fair
Need better communication
To be doing things like that
Gemma: Aisling McCarthy has been your best for sure tonight
Kirby: She has been very good
Gemma: Zanker into the ruck again with that giant vertical leap
so many frees being paid tonight
Kirby: Ellie Blackburn is working so hard
Headfirst into everything
Gemma: HOW WAS THE SPOIL FROM DAISY
Kirby: So good
Gemma: YES CASEY SHERRIFF
smart from Scott to kick into the open 50
Kirby: Yep, great work by Scott
Really set that up
Gemma: but the speed from Sherriff to get there first
and then SOCCER OFF THE GROUND
from 25 out
Kirby: We love to see it!
Gemma: that’s her first goal in footy!!!!!
heck yeah Casey
Kirby: No way!
That’s how I kicked my first, little soccer off the ground
Gemma: hahaha heck yeah
(was that your only?)
Kirby: Yep! I was a defender!
Gemma: I ain’t judging!
Gemma: Spark has been good under a lot of pressure tonight
big fan of her
Kirby: She’s very good. Takes those intercept marks, works hard. Big fan
Dees so much cleaner tonight
We seem to have lost any structure
Gemma: Zanker in the ruck when it gets wetter is clever. She has the higher leap and spikes it forward for territory, but with less rain they put Cordner in to try and get a clearance
ahahaha Hannah Scott hands right in the back
Maddie Gay – Melbourne’s least accurate in front of goal
so let’s see what happens now
SHE KICKED IT
YES MADDIE GAY
Kirby: And you with your talk of accuracy!
Nicely done by Gay though
Gemma: it’s been on my mind this preseason hahahaha
considering we’ve missed finals multiple times on %
AND we’re in the worse conference
Kirby: Yeah, no doubt on the minds of the players too
Especially with the change to top three going through
This could be the Dees year
Gemma: Just not Cunningham’s night
Kirby: Saved by the bell
Or the siren
Fourth quarter
Kirby: Ok, fourth quarter
Just need like five goals
Gemma: big final quarter here dees
don’t let em score
Kirby: Weather check. Still wet
Gemma: Heath tackling. I love it
Kirsty Lamb is so good. Far out.
Kirby: Hugely underrated
In everything
Also, a cricketer
Gemma: haha I didn’t know that!
Kirby: And there she is again
Gemma: Paxyyyyy
Yeah Lampard. That’s a strong tackle.
Goldrick. I’ve really loved her game tonight
Kirby: Truly good
So impressive
All the Irish recruits have been really
Gemma: seems like she’s starting to read the play a lot better
HANKS TO GAY
the future
Kirby: Sure is bright (for the aflw)
Gemma: McCarthy’s been your best by far tonight.
she runs so hard
haha yes Cordner out of the ruck I LOVE IT
Super from Gogos
Kirby: Loving Newman’s helmet!
McCarthy again
Gemma: Emonson. Also a cricketer.
DAISY WITH A HUGE TACKLE
Kirby: Oof that looked painful
Legs back like that
Gemma: that’s how Parker broke his leg in 2015
but yeah, Goldrick, heck yeah, she’s amazing
bang from the side
that hurts
Kirby: That is a great tackle
Nearly stolen by Toogood!
Gemma: giving y’all NO SPACE
Kirby: So. Much. Pressure.
Gemma: eep
probably high on McCarthy there
Kirby: There’s been a couple tonight
Gemma: but no-one goes through Tyla Hanks
Kirby: And holding
Pay it when it’s there imo
Gemma: oh wow
Kirby: Tooooooogoooood!
Gemma: Toogood. That is a really good goal.
(I wouldn’t be saying that if Melbourne weren’t up by 20)
Kirby: Hahah
Gemma: because booooo Dogs
Kirby: Needed that
And need like four more
Gemma: but also, that was a great snap out of the mess of that contest
Kirby: Loving Bonnie In the forward line
Gemma: hahahaha Paxy
she’s a freak goddang
Kirby: Straight out the middle
Gemma: honestly, that clearance
Kirby: I love that story about her in season one where she said she didn’t watch the AFLM
Very cool woman
Dragged it in, come on!
Gemma: nah mate
it’s all good there
hahaha
and my gal Shelley Scott with another shot on goal.
Kirby: Pfft, rubbish call
Gemma: she’s been a beast all night and y’all are worried about her so holding
Kirby: How we feel about accuracy here?
Gemma: haha she hasn’t been kicking well tonight.
awh Maddie Gay. Not the smartest thing to do.
Kirby: Whoa, bit in that!
Gemma: was an incredible tackle though
Gay shouldn’t have done it as much as Newman deserved reward for effort
Kirby: Some interesting decisions tonight
I mean, visibility might be a problem
It’s why I never liked playing night footy
One handed!
But Sparky says nah
Gemma: Lauren Spark.. bleargh
she’s too good
it’s annoying haha
Kirby: Annoyingly good?
Gemma: yeah annoyingly good
Kirby: A bit too much on that
Gemma: haha Hannah Scott’s want to destroy Birch results in a Birch free
Kirby: Bodies everywhere!
Gemma: Ellie!
cramp?
Kirby: Oh no
Hope so
Bloody hell
Gemma: biggest quads in the AFLW
Kirby: Stays on, so tough
Haha
Yes
Gemma: y’all are gonna score your lowest ever in AFLW
unfortunate for you
Kirby: I know. What a bummer
Gemma: (I’m cocky now that I know we’ve got the win)
Kirby: I know the weather ain’t great, but we look nothing like the team of last week
Obviously, tougher opponents but still
Kirby: Nice one by Ferres
Gemma: no Huntington no Dogs
Kirby: Hmm nah, disagree
Gemma: hahahaha
okay what about.. the Dees are great
Kirby: I mean, I’ll say good and hold on the great. At least for another few weeks
Thirty seconds to go
Is the impossible possible?
Ever the optimist
Gemma: awh was that Kemp
went down
she’s already playing without an ACL
IT’S A GRAND OLD FLAG
Kirby: It’s definitely an old one!
Gemma: Birch looks overwhelmed after the siren.
Kirby: Relieved it’s over!
Gemma: yeah, Kemp looks shattered
far out that’s so sad
Kirby: Hope it’s not the worst
Gemma: KEEP AN EYE ON THE RED AND THE BLUE
but also.. Kemp
Kirby: So devastating but more so in such a short season
We’ll done to your Dees
Top start to the season
Gemma: we’re 2-0 and haven’t played any expansions yet!
Kirby: No guarantees with expansion teams!
Gemma: and still have Lauren Pearce and Lily Mithen to return!
HUGE
Kirby: Both big ins
Looking forward to getting Izzy back and hopefully Brooke too
Gemma: Yeah, Huntington is a massive inclusion – hopefully back for you next week!
but more importantly..
Kirby: Hahahah
Go footy!
“Kirby: Points win games
Kinda”
Saying this to a Dees fan is absolutely brutal, I love it