Essendon’s VFLW side solidified its standing atop the premiership ladder with a resounding 79-16 victory over Port Melbourne at the NEC Hangar on Saturday.
Round two’s 63-point triumph marks the Bombers’ second consecutive victory after a commanding 98-0 result last week, which has resulted in an extraordinary percentage of 1,106.
Despite a comfortable margin, the scoreline didn’t necessarily reflect the evenness of the match up until three-quarter time.
Port Melbourne came to play and was dour in its defensive efforts despite the Bombers' ascendancy around stoppages and inside 50s.
It took until the last quarter, when a 26-point lead at the final break ballooned into the 63-point margin thanks to six unanswered goals.
Big smiles for a big win 😄 pic.twitter.com/4pqUf6ZhyN
— Essendon VFLW (@essendonfcw) February 19, 2022
Co-captain Mia Rae-Clifford was at her best with three goals, which was matched by Renee Tierney who also kicked a hat-trick of majors.
Fellow co-skipper Georgia Nanscawen was once again a star in the midfield with 30 disposals, as was Amelia Radford who orchestrated the same tally.
Sarah Ford was a presence too with 22 disposals, while Jordan Zanchetta showed her class with a composed 21 disposals.
Debutant Olivia Manfre showed no signs of intimidation in her first VFLW game, slotting comfortably into the forward setup to snag a goal, a performance which showed everyone in the Bombers’ setup contributed evenly to ensure a comfortable win.
What a finish by Olivia Manfre 😍 pic.twitter.com/jJH7eN1oJK
— Essendon VFLW (@essendonfcw) February 19, 2022
Essendon now faces its first away game of the season against Carlton at Ikon Park on Sunday, February 27 at 2pm.
ESSENDON 2.3 5.6 6.6 12.7.79
PORT MELBOURNE 0.1 1.2 2.4 2.4.16
Goals: Clifford (3), Tierney (3), Frew (2), McIntosh (2), MacDonald, Manfre
Best: Nanscawen, Radford, Zanchetta, Rae-Clifford, Ford