Grace Egan’s third AFLW season came to a devastating end at the weekend, as her Blues fell by one point to premiership fancy Melbourne in a thriller at Casey Fields.
After going down by three goals in the early passages, the Blues roared to life in the second term, booting four quick majors to take all the momentum into half-time.
But the classy Demons never panicked, going toe-to-toe with the fired-up Blues to regain control of the match, before holding on in a frantic last quarter to take the victory by the barest of margins.
Egan was a model of consistency on the wing for the Blues, providing her team an option all day to finish with 14 disposals.
The Shepparton product also showed off the vastly improved defensive aspect of her game, constantly pushing back to help the defence while also laying five tackles.
Finishing in eighth spot, the Blues improved drastically as the season went on as Egan and her group of young teammates appear set to take the next step when the competition starts up again for its seventh campaign.
Geelong’s AFLW campaign came to a close with an 18-point loss to GWS at GMHBA Stadium.
Benalla’s Becky Webster ended her excellent 2022 season with another prolific performance through the midfield, registering 13 disposals and kicking a goal.
Renowned for her ferocity around the contest, Webster could constantly be found battling for loose balls and making life difficult for the opposing Giants midfielders, as she registered another three tackles.
Finishing the season with averages of 16.8 disposals, 6.8 tackles and 2.4 inside 50s a game, Webster took her game to another level this season as she continues to develop into one of the competition’s elite midfielders.
Kyabram’s Julia Crockett-Grills was once again a solid performer up forward for the Cats, providing invaluable pressure inside the attacking 50.
Collecting eight disposals, laying three tackles and taking two marks, Crockett-Grills looked more at home in her new role as she continues to grow within the Cats’ forward set-up.
Angela Foley’s Adelaide is the only team remaining in the competition to feature a district export, with the experienced midfielder still working her way back into the side after rupturing her ACL in last year’s grand final.