GEELONG has avoided the ignominy of a winless AFLW season, instead inflicting that fate on Gold Coast with a 17-point win over the Suns in their wooden spoon playoff at Metricon Stadium.
The Cats made the most of a three-goal first term on Saturday to secure a 6.5 (41) to 3.6 (24) win and finish the year with a 1-8 record for 2021.
Defeat for the Suns however means they end the season bottom of the ladder with an 0-9 record in a year where they’ve made history for all the wrong reasons.
The Suns not only posted the lowest score in AFLW history this season, but they also set a new mark for the heaviest defeat in the competition’s history.
Veteran Richelle Cranston scored two goals for the Cats, including a sensational solo effort in the third quarter where she sold a dummy to her opponent before kicking home from just inside the 50m arc with the outside of her right boot.
‘Cranston had earlier scored one of the first two goals of the game for the visitors in an opening quarter which ended with a bit of push and shove.
That led to a 50m penalty against the Suns which allowed Rene Caris to kick the Cats’ third after the siren and take a 19-point lead into the opening break.
It was one of 11 free-kicks conceded by the hosts in the opening term, which was spent largely inside their defensive 50.
Suns’ star Kalinda Howarth kicked two goals for the Suns, who were unable to get the margin under a goal despite battling hard following the poor opening quarter.
The Cats iced the victory with a goal on the siren that sparked jubilant celebrations with a pack of players falling on goalkicker Rebecca Webster.
(C) AAP 2021
GEELONG CATS 3.2 3.3 5.3 6.5 (41)
GOLD COAST SUNS 0.1 1.3 3.3 3.6 (24)
Goals: Geelong Cats: R Cranston 2 O Barber P McWilliams R Caris R Webster. Gold Coast Suns: K Howarth 2 S Virgo.
Umpires: James Strybos, Rowan Hundertmark, Chris Melin.
Official Crowd: 1,506 at Metricon Stadium.
