Geelong star Rachel Kearns has gone viral for a remarkable piece of skill that should have been punished during the Cats’ ruthless demolition of the Western Bulldogs on Friday night.
The Cats were simply a class above the Bulldogs on Friday night, piling on seven straight goals across the first half en route to a 13.10 (88) to 3.2 (20) triumph at GMHBA Stadium.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Gaelic skills go unpunished in AFLW
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today
While returning forward Jacqueline Parry grabbed the headlines for her five-goal haul, the Gaelic skills of Kearns also drew attention.
Kearns, who is also a standout Gaelic footballer, produced two ‘solos’ during a mazy run through the middle of the ground midway through the last quarter.
“That is not something you see every day,” Mel Hickey said on Seven.
A Gaelic ‘solo’ involves a player kicking the ball to themselves while running. It essentially replaces a bounce in the Gaelic code and is completely legal.
But in Aussie Rules, you must bounce the ball every 15m and while Kearns’ skills were impressive, it should have been penalised for running too far. She ended up running well beyond the permitted 15m.
The official rules state: “An umpire shall award a free kick against a player who whilst in possession of the football, does not bounce or touch the football on the ground at least once every 15 metre. A player shall be deemed to be in possession of the football during the period when the player kicks or handballs to themself and regains possession without the football touching the ground.”
The missed free kick had no bearing on the result with the Cats in no danger of losing at that stage.
Geelong (11-1) can finish no lower than second on the ladder, with defending premiers North Melbourne – who boast the better percentage – to take on lowly Richmond on Saturday.
Rejuvenated by flag-winning coach Mick Stinear’s arrival at the end of last year, the Cats will end their two-year absence from finals in red-hot form after extending their winning streak to 11 games.
The Bulldogs (8-4) have similarly enjoyed a change in fortunes in their third season under coach Tam Hyett, sitting sixth ahead of the weekend’s games to earn their first finals berth since 2022.
But Friday’s result will be a crude reminder of where the Bulldogs realistically sit in the premiership race.
The visitors could do little to contain Geelong’s star on-ball brigade, with Georgie Prespakis controlling the tempo alongside Amy McDonald and Mikayla Bowen.
Parry’s five majors on return from concussion saw her surpass Sydney star Chloe Molloy (24 goals) with a league-high 26 goals this season, while young gun Chantal Mason kicked three.
There was no hero to spark the comeback for the Bulldogs, with experienced midfielder Ellie Blackburn rested ahead of finals.
Co-captain Deanna Berry was playing in her first game since round two, but her lone goal in the third quarter – which was the final score for the Bulldogs – was not enough.
Berry had struggled to break back into the side after being sidelined for a month with a collarbone injury earlier this season.
Cats forward Parry wasted no time in making her return known and drew first blood within the opening minute.
The Bulldogs went coast-to-coast to find an immediate response through a Rylie Wilcox goal, only for the visitors to then lose their way.
Geelong soared to a 20-point lead at the first break after taking 86 disposals to the visitors’ 41, and 11 forward entries to just two in the first quarter.
The gulf between the Cats and the Bulldogs became more apparent, with the hosts building to a 44-point lead at halftime en route to victory.
— With AAP
