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Collingwood have withstood a desperate Western Bulldogs rally to win a fierce AFLW elimination final by five points.
The Bulldogs kicked the only two goals of the last quarter on Sunday at Victoria Park, but the Magpies held on to claim a 5.10 (40) to 5.5 (35) triumph, setting up a semi-final clash next weekend against Adelaide.
Imogen Barnett took a game-saving mark in the last few seconds as the Bulldogs made one last charge into attack.
Joanna Lin’s desperate lunge on the goal line also stopped a certain goal from Heidi Woodley earlier in the last term.
Magpies forward Eliza James became the first player to kick four goals in an AFLW final, while defender Stacey Livingstone also starred.
Defender Katie Lynch shone for the Bulldogs.
It was a bruising clash, especially in the the frantic last quarter, with Collingwood’s Ruby Schleicher (ankle) and the Bulldogs’ Deanna Berry (head clash) forced from the field.
Finally, proper spring weather came to Melbourne, with the temperature in the mid-20s.
Collingwood brought the heat from the start and James should have kicked her first goal in the opening minutes.
She ran into an open goal, but sprayed the shot.
Shortly after, she made up for her mistake with a much tougher goal, kicking it from an acute angle with the outside of her boot.
The Magpies were all over the Bulldogs and only the stellar efforts of Lynch, plus Collingwood’s inaccuracy, prevented a bigger margin.
Aishling Sheridan went to Bulldogs captain Ellie Blackburn and immediately quelled her influence, in a big win for the Magpies.
Jaimee Lambert’s strong mark at the start of the second term set up the Bulldogs’ only goal of the first half.
Gabby Newton took another solid grab from Lambert’s long shot and goalled to briefly give the Bulldogs some respite.
But James kicked another two goals in the second term and the Magpies held a 15-point lead at the main break.
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The Magpies had sprayed 3.7 and a reversal of those scores would have been a more accurate reflection of how the game was going.
The Bulldogs re-set and dominated play early in the third term, for no result.
Inevitably, Collingwood rebounded, with James kicking her fourth and Abbi Moloney breaking her monopoly on Magpies goals to give them a 28-point lead deep into the third term.
But just when the match looked over, goals to Sarah Hartwig and Newton kept the three-quarter time margin interesting at 17 points.
Bulldogs stars Richelle Cranston and Kirsty Lamb kicked the Bulldogs’ last-quarter goals, but they fell just short.
© AAP
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