Bodey stars as Hawks hand Saints first loss of season
Hawthorn have handed St Kilda their first defeat of the AFLW season with a gamebreaking six-goal haul from Greta Bodey the difference in a 57-point victory.
The Hawks were seeking a response to their humiliation at Adelaide’s hands last week and were speedy and intense throughout Saturday’s 11.8 (74) to 2.5 (17) win at RSEA Park.
As a result, Hawthorn leapfrogged the now fifth-placed Saints into fourth on the ladder.
It was a massive reality check for St Kilda, who failed to kick a goal in the second half and copped six unanswered majors in the last term as Hawthorn ran away with it.
Bodey (six goals, eight marks, 18 disposals) was simply superb when it counted to set up the win.
She is just the third player after Brooke Lochland and Jamie Stanton to kick six or more goals in a game.
With Lucy Wales (23 touches, 22 hitouts) dominating the ruck, Eliza West (21 disposals, 10 clearances, nine tackles) and Jas Fleming (20) got to work around the ball.
Tilly Lucas-Rodd (23 disposals) was superb off half-back with support from Tamara Smith and Mattea Breed.
Jesse Wardlaw (two goals) stood up for St Kilda along with midfield stalwart Jaimee Lambert (22 disposals)
Wardlaw marked and goaled late for the only goal of the opening term, giving the Saints a six-point lead at the first change.
The second quarter was a see-sawing affair until Bodey stepped up.
The former Lion kicked back-to-back goals, with her second an impressive set-shot after the siren to nudge the lead out to 16 at halftime.
Both teams huffed and puffed until Bodey marked a good Lucas-Rodd kick and quickly played on to snap the Hawks out to a 21-point advantage.
St Kilda’s Darcy Guttridge went into the rooms for treatment after a heavy collision midway through the third term and was ruled out for the remainder of the game after a head injury assessment.
The Saints wouldn’t officially put Guttridge, 24, into concussion protocols immediately.
Hawthorn led by 20 at three-quarter time and early in the final term, Irish pair Aine McDonagh (two goals) and Aileen Gilroy combined for a wonderful goal to effectively shut down any hope of a St Kilda comeback.
Bodey kicked the final three goals of the match, including one in the closing seconds, to complete her haul and St Kilda’s humiliation.
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