Updated ,first published
With 18 seconds left on the clock at Ikon Park, Geelong star Chloe Scheer took a deep breath and lined up for a set shot, directly in front and about 20 metres from goal.
After a dominant first half of Saturday’s qualifying final, the Cats coughed up a 28-point margin to a surging Melbourne to find themselves five points down in the dying minutes of the final quarter.
An always-reliable Scheer took her shot as Melbourne defenders watched on helplessly – but it sailed wide for a point.
Cue pandemonium from the euphoric Demons, who won the nail-biting game by four points, and devastation for the Cats in what will go down as one of the greatest AFLW finals in history.
It was a fourth-quarter masterclass from the Demons to snatch the lead and win 8.8 (56) to 8.4 (52), booking a preliminary final berth.
Saturday’s highly anticipated match-up saw Cats coach Mick Stinear face his old Demons – a team he coached for 10 seasons.
A gracious Stinear conceded Melbourne were the better team and said the Cats would rally around a disappointed Scheer.
“The outcome of the game is not on her; that’s on us as a coaching team and a playing group to be more consistent,” he said post-match.
“We shouldn’t have put ourselves in that position.”
Stinear praised Geelong’s pressure in the first half, but said the team lost their way in the third quarter and Melbourne “made us pay on turnover”.
“I thought our pressure and effort and intent was really good for the whole game, but our method and ability to execute fundamentally lacked at critical times, and to their credit, they came over the top of us, and we nearly escaped with a win.
“But I didn’t feel like we’d earned it with the second half we had.”
At half-time the Cats seemed to have the game locked away, boasting a 22-point margin. But the Demons found their groove, and a star turn from Alyssa Bannan helped them home.
Geelong should have been playing in front of a home crowd at GMHBA Stadium but had to settle for Ikon Park after a venue-booking clash with the AUSX Supercross Championship – a dirt-bike racing series.
Due to the AFLW season structure and length, the Cats and Demons hadn’t faced each other in more than a year, with the Demons winning their round 12 clash back in 2025.
Since then, both teams have experienced significant change, with Stinear departing for the Cats and Melbourne welcoming new coach Tom Wilson.
There were nerves in the opening term, with both sides missing opportunities to convert. But Rebecca Webster’s long-range effort from 50 with a fortunate bounce gave the Cats the opening goal and steadied the ship.
A blistering second quarter from Georgie Prespakis, Scheer and Jacqueline Parry pushed the Cats further up the scoreboard and almost left the Demons goaless for the first half, but they were saved by a last-minute snap from Eliza McNamara.
Momentum shifted in the third, with a goal from a 100-game Melbourne veteran Tyla Hanks followed by a brilliant running goal from Kate Hore.
Suddenly, there were holes in the Cats’ defence and the Demons pounced. Melbourne came roaring back into the contest and a second goal from Bannan cut the margin to just one point with less than eight minutes left.
A thrilling few minutes followed and an extraordinary Paxy Paxman kicked truly to put the Demons in front.
Post-match, Wilson praised veteran Paxman and star Tayla Harris, who laid some sensational tackles in critical moments.
Their teammate Tahlia Gillard joked her heart rate was still through the roof, well after the final siren.
“There’s [so] much excitement, [that was] just such a team performance, and for some of those girls to get their first finals win, that’s pretty good one to experience,” she said.
Both teams made it through with minimal injuries, with Cats star Nina Morrison briefly coming to the bench after a hard hit from Harris, but later returning to play. Demon Saraid Taylor – who has been nursing a calf injury for most of the season – also left the field after getting her leg trapped and twisted under her opponent, but also returned to play.
In typical Melbourne weather, Ikon Park was hit by flashes of torrential rain followed by a 15-minute lightning delay and then patches of sunshine.
There’s a short break before the second qualifying final starts at 4.05pm at Ikon Park, with reigning premiers North Melbourne facing the Carlton.
The Kangaroo juggernaut is eying a historic three-peat this year and have cruised through the season, but they aren’t invincible. Hawthorn defeated the Roos back in round six and Carlton came close earlier in the year.
More to come
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Hannah Kennelly is an award-winning sports reporter and Formula 1 writer at The Age.Connect via email.
