AFL Women's: Melbourne Demons beat Collingwood Magpies by 19 points after superb comeback
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Moana Hope had the Pies firing early, but they could not go on with it. (AAP: Mal Fairclough)
Melbourne has staged a mighty comeback to hand Collingwood another loss, coming from 19 points down at the half to win comfortably.
The Magpies were kept scoreless in the second half as the Demons ran out to a 7.2 (44) to 4.1 (25) victory.
Collingwood, coming off a loss to Carlton in the AFL Women's season opener, watched the Blues improve to 2-0 in the first game of their Princes Park double-header before finding a way to lose to the Demons.
Led by Moana Hope, the Pies looked a different team to the one summarily beaten by the Blues in round one and it looked like they would coast to their first AFLW victory on Saturday.
Caitlyn Edwards' game-opening goal was created by two marks and some unselfish play in the space of a few seconds by Hope, before the star signing slotted her first AFLW major with a neat gather and left-foot snap.
Collingwood's accurate start was a reflection of the early exchanges on Saturday night as the first five shots on goal from both teams went through the big sticks.
But a behind by Christina Bernardi late in the first half turned out to be the last points of the day for the Magpies.
After leading 25-6 at the main break, Collingwood watched its lead evaporate in a matter of minutes as the Demons booted 25 unanswered points to take a six-point lead into the final term.
The rot continued after the break as Shelley Scott, after marking off a missed set shot by skipper Daisy Pearce, snapped and caught Collingwood napping, bouncing a goal through from the angle.
The sloppy play was a reflection of the latter stages of the match — Collingwood faltering and Melbourne capitalising.
There was an unfortunate moment for the Demons, with defender Meg Downie copping a nasty shoulder to the head in a contest and having to be stretchered off midway through the quarter.
It was revealed later in the night that she was conscious and talking.
Topics: australian-football-league, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia
