Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Joanna Guelas

Sydney hold off Eagles to snatch second AFLW victory

Ally Morphett played a starring role for Sydney in the Swans' 13-point AFLW win over West Coast. (Mark Evans/AAP PHOTOS)

Sydney have fought off a scrappy West Coast to hand the Eagles a fourth consecutive AFLW loss in a 13-point win at Henson Park.

Rising star Ally Morphett's brilliance steered the Swans to a 5.4 (34) to 2.9 (21) victory in their first-ever AFLW meeting with the Eagles on Sunday.

The 19-year-old led her team hitouts with 33 to the Eagles' combined 17, racked 20 disposals and 10 clearances, along with ball magnet Laura Gardiner (18 disposals, three clearances, 11 tackles).

"I've come a long way ... but I know that I have so much more to give and that I can be better," Morphett told AAP.

"I just keep trying to get better each week and just worry about my performance and when I can do better.

"Our second win is a lot more important than our first because we want to prove and show that where we're growing as a club and as a team and that we're getting somewhere."

Swans co-captain Chloe Molloy lit up the 4595-strong crowd with a 40m goal to open the game as well as snapping a major from the left pocket to start the second term.

Cynthia Hamilton (one goal) and Bella Smith (two) were also among the Swans' contributors to the scoreboard.

The Eagles went goalless in the first stanza before Kellie Gibson finally broke through to give her side their first major just thirty seconds before halftime, reducing the margin to 14 points.

Shaking off a right ankle injury, Eagles captain Emma Swanson breathed new life into her side with a snap goal from the boundary line to open the third quarter.

Swanson was typically crucial for her side, collecting 22 disposals but couldn't haul her team over the line.

A scare went through the Swans camp when Molloy left the ground with a potential elbow injury.

She returned to the fray soon after but the Eagles continued to claw back into the contest.

An electric effort from Smith, who kicked her second major of the game just 15 seconds into the fourth quarter, extended the Swans' lead to two goals.

In a setback for the Eagles, defender Evangeline Gooch was taken off the ground with a rib injury but was cleared of any serious damage.

Dana Hooker's inaccuracy in front of goal proved costly for the Eagles, with Henson Park erupting into a roar for Sydney as they closed in on their second-ever AFLW victory.

Eagles coach Michael Prior said the side is still chasing wins despite a less-than-ideal start to the season.

"We'd love the wins. We just got to keep plugging away," he said.

"Effort was outstanding in and around the contest, (if) we maintain that we're going to be right in games, we're going to get across the line in some games.

"We had our chances (today), we just got to work on connection."

Sydney (2-2) travel to Victoria to take on ninth-placed Carlton next round, while West Coast (0-4) host 13-placed Port Adelaide.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.