Gold Coast falls short of finals berth despite victory over Giants

The Suns prevailed 9.8 (62) to 7.11 (53) against the GWS Giants at Henson Park. The Giants honored retiring players Alicia Eva and Isabel Huntington in their final match.

Eva, an inaugural AFLW player for Collingwood, captained the Giants for five years. Huntington, a first-round draft pick and All-Australian, battled through three ACL injuries during her six-year career.

Gold Coast initially dominated the first half, controlling the midfield and winning clearances 16-10, largely due to the efforts of Charlie Rowbottom and Lucy Single. However, GWS mounted a strong comeback in the third quarter, leading in disposals 68-46 and capitalizing on inside-50 entries.

Rowbottom, who finished with 33 disposals, two goals, and 12 clearances, attempted to rally her team in the fourth quarter with a late goal. Despite the win, the team’s aspirations for a top-four finish were dashed.

“Obviously we’re happy to get away with the four points, but I wanted to finish fourth,” Rowbottom stated after the game. “We’ll take the long way home.”

Elsewhere, Essendon defeated Collingwood 4.14 (38) to 4.7 (31), marking a final victory for Essendon coach Natalie Wood and a final loss for Collingwood coach Sam Wright.