Bombers and Tigers draw inaugural Dreamtime in Darwin AFLW clash (2025)

Essendon and Richmond have drawn the inaugural Dreamtime in Darwin AFLW clash, adding extra drama to their finals hopes.

With seconds left, Richmond's Caitlin Greiser had a shot at goal and the Bombers were able to avoid a score, leaving the banner Indigenous round game tied at 6.6 (42) apiece.

The pulsating duel on Saturday ended in high drama, with Richmond unable to land the knockout blow despite having the last five inside 50s of the game.

With less than three minutes remaining, Richmond's Sarah Hosking was forced off with a hamstring injury.

Then Steph Wales' right knee buckled in a ruck contest and the Essendon player was stretchered from the field.

"I don't know what to feel … at least we take away two points," said Bombers co-captain Bonnie Toogood, who kicked two goals.

The draw leaves Richmond sixth with one game left and could end their hopes of a top-four finish, with fourth-placed Brisbane half a game ahead of them and playing Sydney on Sunday.

Essendon remain vulnerable in eighth, half a game ahead of Melbourne. Geelong are also only a game behind and have a better percentage.

The Bombers' last-round opponents are Carlton, who would love nothing more than to derail their arch-rivals' season.

Midfielders Georgia Nanscawen and Maddie Prespakis starred for Essendon, while Tigers star Eileesh Sheerin was best afield.

In her 50th game, Essendon's Daria Bannister won a free kick with less than four minutes left, but sprayed her shot at goal for a behind.

Then Richmond captain Katie Brennan scrambled a point with less than two minutes left to tie the scores.

Richmond's Ellie McKenzie kicked the only goal of the last term.

Conditions were typical of the Top End — hot and humid, with extra measures such as mist fans and cool rooms in place for the players.

Brennan had been in doubt after she suffered an ankle injury last week in the loss to Melbourne.

But the Tigers captain was outstanding on Saturday, kicking her team's two first-quarter goals and dishing off another at the start of the second.

Richmond led by 13 points in the second quarter, with the Bombers falling down in attack and the Tigers excellent on turnover.

Georgia Gee and Toogood then combined superbly twice late in the half, with Toogood kicking one goal and Wales another to tie the scores.

It was a big comeback from the Bombers, who led the clearances 17-8 and the inside-50s 23-13 at the main break.

Essendon threatened to kick clear with two goals in the third term and opened up an 11-point lead.

Tigers star Mon Conti took an excellent contested mark and goaled from an acute angle to keep her team within six points at the last change, setting up a frenetic final quarter.

Six of the best as Moloney helps Cats sink West Coast

Star Irish forward Aishling Moloney is on track to win this year's AFLW goalkicking award after bagging a career-high six majors in Geelong's 33-point win over West Coast in Perth.

Moloney was unstoppable throughout Saturday's match, kicking a club-record 6.0 to go with her 18 disposals and seven marks in the 9.2 (56) to 3.5 (23) win.

The result kept Geelong's slim finals hopes alive, but West Coast's fourth loss on the trot means their hopes of reaching the top eight are now officially over.

Moloney has a league-leading 21 goals for the season, and has the chance to add to that tally when Geelong complete their home-and-away campaign against Adelaide next week.

Brisbane's Taylor Smith is Moloney's closest rival with 16 goals, and has the chance to close the gap ahead of the final round when the Lions host Sydney on Sunday.

Geelong led West Coast by 14 points at three-quarter-time, and kicked three goals to nil in the final term against the breeze to cruise to victory, with Moloney kicking two of them.

"It was a massive day on the office," Moloney told Fox Sports after the win.

"I'm delighted to get the win. We dug it out in the end.

"They're a great team. It was looking scratchy there for a while, but we got the win at the end of the day."

Dockers' Irish connection comes up big in AFLW win over GWS

The Fremantle Dockers have consolidated their spot in the AFLW top eight with a comprehensive 30-point win over GWS at Henson Park.

The Dockers' Irish connection came through with a vengeance early on Saturday.

Former Meath Gaelic footballer Orlagh Lally snapped a great goal from deep in the left forward pocket while her Tipperary counterpart, Aisling McCarthy, booted two first-quarter goals to leave Fremantle in front by 15 points at the first change.

The Giants hit back in the second term, with Aliesha Newman kicking the team's second major after 90 seconds.

Then, after a couple of misses by Fremantle, the Giants struck again, with Newman kicking her second to close in on the visitors. However, the Dockers had the answers, with goals to Lally and Megan Kaufman extending the margin.

Fremantle's defence was holding, with a string of intercept marks chopping off GWS attacks.

The third quarter was more of a grind, with no scoring for the first eight minutes before the Dockers put it together in attack, kicking across the ground to find Ariana Hetherington who marked inside 50.

She went on to kick her first AFLW goal and was surrounded by celebrating teammates. GWS trailed by 25 points at the final change.

McCarthy made sure of things in the final term, getting the ball deep in the left forward pocket, dancing down the boundary line before stepping inside and snapping her third of the day.

Another Irish player, Sligo's Eilish O'Dowd, snapped a consolation goal from the pocket for the Giants late on, but the result was already clear.

The win, Fremantle's seventh of the season, keeps the Dockers firmly inside the top eight with a round left.

Power too strong for the Suns at Carrara

Port Adelaide boosted their chances of making the eight with a win over Gold Coast at Carrara.

The Power only led by three points at quarter-time, but they went on to kick seven goals to three in the remainder of the game to clinch a comfortable victory by 8.10 (58) to 3.6 (24).

The visitors dominated at stoppage and with intercepts, and although both teams had almost identical numbers of inside 50s, the Power managed to create and convert a lot of chances from closer range.

Jo Miller and Gemma Houghton led the way with two goals each for Port Adelaide, while the Suns had no multiple goal kickers.

The win was the Power's sixth of the year, ensuring they will be in the eight going into next week's final round.

In Perth, it was time for another Irish player to star, as Aishling Moloney kicked six goals for Geelong as the Cats beat West Coast by 33 points, 9.2 (58) to 3.5 (23).

The game was level until about half-time — when Geelong held a two-point lead — before the Cats kicked away, adding 5.2 to no score in the second half. Geelong made play out of their ability to hit targets inside the arc, with eight marks inside 50 to just one for West Coast.