3 days ago
Carlton make a statement in ‘enormous' Pies beat down as rivals kick-off new season
Carlton kicked off the AFLW's 10th season on a perfect note with a comfortable 24-point win over arch rivals Collingwood.
The Pies started the night strongly with the first two goals, but the Blues would kick six of the next seven to cruise to victory at Ikon Park, 6.9 (45) to 3.3 (21).
Mimi Hill starred for the Blues in the midfield with a game-high 32 disposals and Erone Fitzpatrick bagged two goals as Carlton opened its account with a win in a campaign captain Kerryn Peterson will miss due to the birth of her first child.
'They'll be really pleased with the electricity of their footy,' Herald Sun reporter Lauren Wood said on Fox Footy. 'Particularly without their captain.
'Naturally when you're without your skipper, you would have that sense of unknown. But led by Mimi Hill, they were pretty seamless without her.'
Former AFLW Carlton coach Daniel Harford said Hill was 'allowed to do whatever the hell she liked' and 'took full advantage of that'.
'Really set the game alight, she was enormous,' he said on Fox Footy.
Harford also praised Carlton's 'slick' ball movement, but noted Collingwood 'had no answers' in a disappointing start to the season for last year's wooden spooners, who have dropped 13 of their last 14 games.
'There's a few questions about the Magpies on the back of that and what they're trying to do and look like,' he added.
'They didn't show too much tonight, sadly for Magpies fans.'
Collingwood fans had one moment in particular to cheer about, with No. 1 pick Ash Centra kicking her first goal with her first disposal in the second term.
But further souring the loss for the Pies was Irish rookie Kellyann Hogan's night ending prematurely due to a shoulder issue.
