Zippy Fish has played a starring role as Sydney fought off a spirited challenge from Fremantle to win by 25 points and stay undefeated in the AFLW season.
Flashy half-back Fish kicked her career-first goal as the Swans made it four wins on the trot with a 9.8 (62) to 6.7 (37) result at Henson Park on Sunday.
Emerging as early flag fancies, the Swans kicked four goals to none in the third quarter after an evenly-matched opening half to set up their longest winning streak in the AFLW.
Fish combined well with Swans captain Chloe Molloy (two goals) in attack, while ball magnet Laura Gardiner led the way with 35 touches.
Mim Strom was massive for the Dockers with 15 hitouts, 24 touches and 11 clearances against Swans counterpart Ally Morphett (13 hitouts).
The 23-year-old Dockers ruck was well-supported by Kiara Bowers, who had 22 disposals.
Exciting first-year player Fish had gifted Sydney a one-point lead at quarter-time with her first goal.
It was a fitting start for Western Australia product Fish — a Larrakia, Noongar, Wongi and Wirangu woman — to mark Indigenous round.
The Swans could only build their advantage to three points despite more magic from captain Molloy.
Molloy fought off two Fremantle defenders at the boundary line and got the ball home with a soccer kick from the tightest of angles.
The Dockers had opportunities to take the lead after a Tunisha Kikoak goal but the visitors could only add five behinds.
Sydney came out firing after halftime and finally broke away by 31 points after slamming through four unanswered goals.
Fish had flaunted her pace to burn competition heavyweight Hayley Miller down the corridor and set up Molloy’s second goal.
Gabrielle Biedenweg-Webster hit the scoreboard for Fremantle in the final quarter but it was too late.
Lions break Adelaide hearts after downfield free kick
Taylor Smith’s late goal from a downfield free kick has given the Brisbane Lions a stunning three-point AFLW comeback win over Adelaide.
The Lions trailed by 17 points at the final change but kicked three unanswered goals in the last quarter of their 6.5 (41) to 6.2 (38) victory at Norwood Oval on Sunday.
Crows midfielder Teah Charlton gifted Smith a simple shot at the top of the goal square when she was penalised for a late push on Shannon Campbell.
Smith converted the chance with little more than a minute left and Brisbane hung on in the desperate final stages.
Charlton was in tears after the siren and had to be consoled by teammates.
“It was the hard work of the girls up the field and I was just the lucky one to get it down the field,” Smith said of her match-winning goal.
“We love playing Adelaide. They’re great competitors and really classy opposition.
“We’ve all got to know them pretty well now, so we just enjoy the competition and enjoy the fight.”
The result extended Brisbane’s dominance of their fellow AFLW heavyweights to 11 wins from 14 meetings.
Six of those clashes have been decided by margins of one goal or less.
The Crows players walk off the field dejected after the heartbreaking loss. (Getty Images: Mark Brake)
The latest battle was played with a finals-like intensity from the outset, with the hosts on top early.
Adelaide kicked the first two goals, including a brilliant Eloise Jones strike from the boundary line after she beat Sophie Conway to a loose ball.
The lead changed four times in an entertaining second term and the Crows looked to have built a match-winning margin in the third when they kicked 2.1 to 0.1.
Goals to Courtney Hodder and Charlotte Mullins dragged Brisbane back into the contest in the last quarter and tempers flared with the game on the line.
Adelaide star Chelsea Randall caught Hodder holding the ball and the Lions goalsneak was furious, shoving several opponents and giving away a 50m penalty.
The game went down to the wire and Smith stood up in the decisive moment, with Brisbane holding their opponents scoreless in the final term.
Smith, Hodder and Mullins finished with two goals each for Brisbane, while Ally Anderson (22 disposals), Jade Ellenger (22) and defensive rock Bre Koenen (18) were influential.
Randall kicked two majors for Adelaide, who were well served by gun midfielder Ebony Marinoff (23 disposals, five clearances).
The result left Brisbane and Adelaide with 2-2 records after four rounds.
