West Coast Eagles have lived a nightmare on Halloween as they lost superstar Ella Roberts to a knee injury en route to a 55-point thrashing at the hands of Hawthorn.
And the loss came with a sting in the tail for their crosstown rivals Fremantle, with the Hawks’ victory extinguishing the Dockers’ finals flame for good and sealing their own spot in the top eight.
Fremantle had needed a West Coast win and a victory of their own (accompanied by a healthy margin) against Sydney on Sunday to extend their campaign into the post-season.
However, the Eagles were unable to hold up their end of the bargain as they were downed 14.10 (94) to 6.3 (39), as they never recovered from a five-goal second-quarter barrage.
But West Coast will have far more pressing concerns than Fremantle’s finals plans after Roberts’ early injury coupled with a dispiriting first-half performance.
The star on-baller went down in a heap less than four minutes into their final game of the AFLW season against Hawthorn at Sullivan Logistics Stadium.
Roberts’ attempt to tackle Jasmine Fleming, when a rogue bounce of the football forced a change of direction, with the West Coast star grabbing her right knee mid-air.
The midfielder struggled to get up from the floor without assistance and was eventually helped from the ground by a pair of trainers. She was not spotted on the ground during the quarter-time break.
The two-time All Australian and dual club champion had the knee in question taped during the game and strapped at training this week.
Without her, West Coast were taught a footballing lesson by Hawthorn, which will give coach Daisy Pearce plenty of food for thought heading into an important off-season.
While the Eagles’ finals race was run well before the opening bounce, the gulf in performance between the 13th-placed West Coast and the eighth-placed Hawks felt chasm-like.
Roberts’ influence in both the midfield and up forward was sorely missed, but the inability of her teammates to pick up the torch in her absence provided an insight into why the Eagles have struggled in 2026 and won only four games this year, down by two from last season.
Hawthorn battered the Eagles at clearances (27-12) off the back of an excellent Lucy Wales performance (22 hit-outs and 19 disposals) and turned their stoppage dominance into forward entries with a staggering 40-15 inside 50 advantage.
Had Kellie Gibson and Keeley Skepper not converted West Coast’s only two inside 50s of the opening term for goals, the damage would have been much worse as the Eagles only entered the forward arc five times in the opening half.
Aine McDonagh and WA cricketer turned goalkicker Poppy Stockwell combined for the Hawks’ opening four goals, and soon enough, their teammates joined in the fun to help the visitors to a 36-point lead at the main break.
In her final AFLW game, veteran Eagles defender Bella Smith did her best to stem the tide, but the Hawks’ flood was far too strong and unrelenting.
West Coast were able to give a better account of themselves in the third term, but they never felt like a realistic chance of reeling in the Hawks.
Amy Franklin’s final quarter goal ensured she will finish the year as the Eagles’ top goal-kicker with 13, while Stockwell and McDonagh both added to their tallies to finish with three each.
SCOREBOARD
HAWTHORN 2.2 7.6 10.7 14.10 (94)
WEST COAST EAGLES 2.0 2.0 5.3 6.3 (39)
Goals — HAWTHORN: P Stockwell 3 A McDonagh 3 J Dupuy 2 M Antony 2 H McLaughlin N Martin J Fleming N Allen. WEST COAST: K Skepper 2 K Gibson 2 I Shannon A Franklin.
Best — HAWTHORN: P Stockwell A McDonagh E West L Wales J Fleming L Stone. WEST COAST: I Shannon C Thomas K Gibson L Painter G Cleaver.
Injuries – WEST COAST: E Roberts (knee).
Umpires: G Simmonds L Porter A Ramsay J Kondhalkar. Crowd: 1284 at Sullivan Logistics Stadium.
