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Sport
Adrian Warren

Freo surge into AFLW top eight

Fremantle have beaten Adelaide to move into the top eight of the AFLW. (Matt Turner/AAP PHOTOS)

Fremantle's women lifted their club as they surged into the AFLW top eight, while Collingwood broke through for their first win of the season.

The fast starting Dockers outscored Adelaide 28-0 the first quarter and led by as much as 45 on their way to a comfortable 9.6 (60) to 5.5 (35) victory over Adelaide at Unley Oval.

Adelaide (3-4) kicked three straight goals either side of three-quarter time, but never got the deficit below 25, as Fremantle (4-3) defended their advantage, unlike their male counterparts in Saturday's AFL grand final.

AFLW
Hayley Miller had 20 disposals and kicked two goals for Fremantle. (Matt Turner/AAP PHOTOS)

It was the Dockers first win In their past seven AFLW encounters with Adelaide, who had a 9-1 record in the fixture before Sunday.

In the other early game on Sunday, Collingwood (1-6) outlasted GWS 4.10 (34) to 3.7 (25) In a low scoring arm wrestle at Victoria Park.

The Giants (1-6) led by margins of one, four and seven at the end of the first three quarters respectively, but Collingwood dominated the final term.

They finished with 18 more inside 50s and 16 more contested possessions.

AFLW
Mim Strom was important in the ruck for Freo and had 20 hitouts as well as 15 disposals. (Matt Turner/AAP PHOTOS)

In Adelaide, the Dockers more accurate entries into the forward 50 were rewarded by the trio of Eden Zanker (three goals) and Hayley Miller and Kiara Bowers (two apiece).

Adelaide didn't register their first goal until the last five minutes of the second quarter, with Freo scoring regularly from turnovers, especially forward-half intercepts.

Trailing by 33 at the main break, Adelaide conceded the first two goals of the third quarter, but a couple of majors from Eloise Jones reduced the deficit.

Bowers was massively influential for Fremantle, tallying a game-high 29 disposals and 609 meters gained, a joint-best eight tackles, and five clearances.

Crows star Ebony Marinoff had another productive game, notching 22 touches, eight clearances and seven tackles.

In Melbourne, both sides struggled to hit targets consistently, but Collingwood's glut of ball in the final quarter paid off, as GWS slumped to a sixth successive defeat.

AFLW
Tarni White is receiving high praise for her efforts against GWS. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)

Magpies captain Ruby Schleicher kicked the opening goal of the game and was a threat up forward and Tarni White, described by coach Sam Wright as "unbelievable," was a standout, gathering 23 touches.

GWS eked out an eight-point lead In the second quarter, with Collingwood managing just four behinds for the term, despite creating a lot more forward 50 entries.

The Pies hit the front briefly in the third through an Airlie Runnalls major, but a second well-taken goal from Tarni Evans gave the visitors the lead heading into the last.

AFLW
The Magpies surround Brianna Davey to celebrate in their win over GWS. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)

It was one way traffic in the fourth, with Ashley Centra squeezing a set shot over and between several players near the line to regain the lead and Brianna Davey converting a mark to settle the outcome.

"Its only one win, but its reward for effort that we've been putting in behind the scenes and the progress we've been making," Wright said.

GWS had the two leading possession-getters with Rebecca Beeson and Tilly Lucas-Rodd each tallying 25, but lost Poppy Boltz to injury in the first quarter.

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