AFLW Round 9 Recap: Saints finally break through; Suns stun the Demons and Pride Round gets underway
By AFLW reporter Aoife Cunningham
St Kilda has finally broken through for its first win of the 2026 AFLW season, and it came on the same weekend the club lost its coach.
The Saints defeated Collingwood by two points (39–37) at RSEA Park on Saturday in what was Nick Dal Santo’s final game in charge. The Saints Hall of Famer announced his resignation on Friday following a 0-8 start, and his players responded, laying 19 tackles in the first quarter and winning the clearances 10-3. St Kilda was the only side yet to win a game this season and trailed by 12 points at half-time before quick goals to Tyanna Smith and Jesse Tawhio-Wardlaw levelled the scores early in the third. Nicola Xenos, who returned from an ACL injury just a week prior, then marked inside 50 and scored to give St Kilda its first lead of the day. Collingwood kept coming in the last quarter, and Ash Centra cut the margin to two points with 30 seconds left, but the Saints won the final clearance to seal the result. Smith was the best on the ground with 25 disposals and 12 clearances, while Tawhio-Wardlaw—who also had a hand in designing the clubs Pride guernsey this year—finished with two goals.
A solid crowd stayed behind after the final siren to farewell Dal Santo, who coached the club for six seasons. It was a bittersweet day for Collingwood too, with captain Ruby Schleicher leaving the ground with a shoulder injury in the second quarter.
Round 9 marked the beginning of Pride Round, which runs across Rounds 9 and 10 and returned for its seventh year. The Western Bulldogs kicked off the celebrations with a 43-point win over Essendon, winning 65_22 at Mission Whitten Oval in front of a crowd of 4,327. The Bulldogs were too strong around the stoppages, with Isabelle Pritchard collecting 30 disposals and 10 clearances while Sarah Hartwig kicked a career-high four goals. Essendon twins Nalu and Mizuki Brothwell, who play for the Bombers and Bulldogs respectively, also faced off against each other for the first time in their lives, with both playing the best games of their careers. The win moved the Bulldogs into the top four, and next week they meet Carlton in a throwback to the first AFLW Pride game in 2018.
For Pride, the league went all out to mark the round. The ground markings featured rainbow-painted 50-metre arcs and a Pride themed star in the NAB logo, while field and boundary umpires wore rainbow sweatbands and goal umpires swapped their white flags for the Pride flag. Every Pride Round match also used a special Pride Sherrin ball, designed by proud Ningy Ningy woman and AFLW pioneer Aliesha Newman. Newman worked the words “Love”, “Authentic” and “Unapologetic” into the design, with the Pride colours moving across the ball to represent that self-discovery rarely follows a straight path.
Carlton also celebrated Pride Round with a 27-point win over Sydney (59–32) in front of 5,114 at Henson Park. Nell Morris-Dalton kicked a career-high four goals, including two in quick succession to open the game, while Darcy Vescio returned from injury with two goals of her own. Sydney’s Chloe Molloy kicked three goals for the Swans, including a second-quarter effort where she broke three tackles. The win was soured by an ankle injury to Blues captain Abbie McKay in the final quarter, although coach Mathew Buck played down the concerns after the match.
Gold Coast made a statement in the premiership race, defeating Melbourne for the first time in its history. The Suns won 61–39 in Mackay for their sixth win in a row, scoring three goals in the second term to build a 15-point half-time lead. Charlie Rowbottom collected 33 disposals, while Havana Harris, Ava Usher and Mikayla Nurse kicked two goals each. Melbourne, who were missing Kate Hore and Mia Austin through injury, suffered only the second defeat of their season.
Geelong continued its great run with a 63-point demolition of GWS, (96–33) at GMHBA Stadium for its eighth consecutive win. The Cats’ 14.12 half-time haul was their third highest in club history, while the loss leaves the Giants with just one win from nine games. The only downside for the Cats was a late shoulder injury to defender Claudia Gunjaca.
North Melbourne held on to top spot on the ladder, level with Geelong on wins, with a 28-point win over Fremantle at Arden Street. The Roos won 58–30 and held the Dockers goalless in the third quarter. Jasmine Garner had 33 disposals, while Ash Riddell had 38 touches and Eilish Sheerin a game-high nine clearances. The loss is a setback for Fremantle’s finals hopes.
Hawthorn moved ahead of the mid-ladder pack with a 25-point win over Brisbane (65–40) in windy conditions at Dingley. Aine McDonagh kicked three goals to jump to the top of the competition goalkicking charts, while ruck Lucy Wales continued her career-best season. The win was a fitting way to celebrate Kaitlyn Ashmore’s 100th AFLW game.
Port Adelaide ended West Coast’s winning streak with a four-point win, 26–22 at Alberton Oval. Port led by two points at three-quarter-time and neither side kicked a goal in a tense final term. Abbey Dowrick was in outstanding form again, a week after winning the Showdown Medal, with 25 disposals and nine clearances.
Adelaide kept its finals hopes alive with a 32-point win over Richmond (62–30) at Ikon Park. Ebony Marinoff was everywhere, with 39 disposals and 13 tackles, while the Crows had 118 more disposals than the Tigers.
AFLW Round 9 Results:
Bulldogs 65–22 Essendon
St Kilda 39–37 Collingwood
Port Adelaide 26–22 West Coast
Geelong 96–33 GWS
Adelaide Crows 62–30 Richmond
Gold Coast 61–39 Melbourne
North Melbourne 58–30 Fremantle
Hawthorn 65–40 Brisbane
Carlton 59–32 Swans
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