Demons beat Giants to keep AFLW finals hopes alive

Melbourne have kept their flickering AFLW finals hopes alive by snapping a four-game losing streak with a 16-point win over a wasteful GWS.

The injury-ravaged Demons were stinging after a thumping loss to Essendon that left them in the bottom four.

But Mick Stinear’s charges lifted themselves off the canvas in style, with skipper Kate Hore starring and dynamic forward Alyssa Bannan kicking two goals to set the tone in a 6.5 (41) to 3.7 (25) win at Ikon Park.

With their first win since round one, Melbourne (2-4, eight points) rise to 13th on the ladder, four points and percentage behind eighth-placed St Kilda, who have a game in hand.

Injury relief is on the horizon too, with Paxy Paxman (foot) and Eliza McNamara (nose) due to return within a week.

Ruck Lauren Pearce, winger Blaithin Mackin and midfielder Olivia Purcell should all get back within three weeks.

For 15th-placed GWS (1-1-4, six points), the loss was a hammer blow to their own finals aspirations with five games to go.

Hore (27 disposals, 18 contested possessions, 12 clearances) was typically prolific in warm conditions on Thursday night, with support from Tyla Hanks (seven clearances, 19 disposals).

GWS gun Alyce Parker (29 disposals, 18 contested possessions, eight clearances), and skipper Rebecca Beeson (28 touches) were busy while Brodee Mowbray sparked the Giants with two third-term goals.

The Demons got off to a perfect start when Bannan gathered a loose ball on the run and snapped from a tight angle.

GWS missed three chances to get into the game and the Dees made them pay late in the term when Bannan flicked a handball to Alyssia Pisano, who drilled a neat goal on the outside of her boot.

Melbourne led by 11 at quarter time, then put the foot down.

Bannan drilled a set shot then crunched a key contest to open the door for Sarah Lampard to run in to goal.

It gifted Melbourne a 22-point lead at halftime.

Mowbray got the Giants on the board from a free kick midway through the third term then snapped her second to cut the three-quarter time margin to 18.

Zarlie Goldsworthy dribbled through a late major to reduce the deficit to 10 with two minutes to go, but GWS couldn’t complete their comeback.

Melbourne face a tight turnaround to Sunday’s away clash with Gold Coast at People First Stadium, while the Giants face St Kilda at Frankston’s Kinetic Stadium on Tuesday.