AFLW Round 9, 2026

Carlton 4.3 27 5.6 36 6.10 46 8.11 59 Sydney Swans 1.3 9 2.4 16 3.4 22 4.8 32
Venue:	Henson Park, Sydney.
Date:	Sunday 11th October 2026 (2.05 PM).
Result:	Won by 27 points.
Crowd:	5,114
Goalkickers:	N. Morris-Dalton 4.1, D. Vescio 2.0, S. McKay 1.5, E. Fitzpatrick 1.2, C. Whitfort 0.1, P. Scholz 0.1, Rushed 0.1.
Reports:	Nil.
Umpires:	Luke Porter, James Kerr, Alysha Ramsay.
Injuries:	A. McKay (ankle), S. O'Connell (ankle).
Ladder:	5th

Game Review

Blues cruise past Swans to as good as lock in finals. Carlton has secured a third consecutive win as it ramps up premiership credentials. - By Emily Patterson.

Carlton has silenced the red and white crowd at Henson Park, claiming a 27-point victory over Sydney on Sunday afternoon in a vibrant AFLW Pride Round clash. However, the Blues' 8.11 (59) to 4.8 (32) win was heavily soured by a fourth-quarter ankle injury to captain Abbie McKay. With both sides hunting a top-four spot, the marquee clash certainly lived up to the hype. In the end, Carlton's dynamic, surging ball movement proved far more effective in handling the tricky windy conditions. The Swans edged the inside-50 count 45-39, while the Blues got the upper hand in clearances, winning the battle 22-16. However, Carlton remained incredibly efficient, converting 22 per cent of its entries compared to the hosts' nine per cent. The loss of Ally Morphett to a season-ending ACL injury forced marquee recruit Taylor Smith into the primary ruck role, with first-year tall Maddie Quinn providing support as a pinch-hitter. Versatile defender Darcy Moloney also came into the side to replace Morphett. Carlton, meanwhile, welcomed back Darcy Vescio for their first game since round two after recovering from a calf injury. Vescio made an immediate impact with two goals, while Amelia Velardo was recalled after being managed during last week's win over Hawthorn and starred with 23 disposals, a game-high seven marks and 423 metres gained. Nell Morris-Dalton finished with a career-high four goals and set the tone early, kicking two in quick succession as Carlton stormed out of the blocks in the opening term.

Sydney struggled to generate consistent scoring opportunities, leaving Chloe Molloy to lead the Swans' attack with three majors. It was the fourth time this season Molloy had kicked at least three goals in a match. In her milestone 50th game, Lexi Hamilton had a quiet afternoon as the Swans searched for answers across the ground. The clash opened at a lively pace, with Sydney scoring a rushed behind from the opening centre clearance before Carlton answered through Erone Fitzpatrick, who ran into an open goal after a turnover. Molloy quickly responded with a long-range set shot, but the Blues soon seized control through their rapid counter-attacks. Back-to-back goals from Morris-Dalton capitalised on Sydney's defensive lapses and fuelled Carlton's scoring from turnover. The Blues' slick ball movement generated six scores from deep entries while restricting the Swans to just one, helping establish an 18-point quarter-time lead. Molloy produced a moment of individual brilliance early in the second term, brushing off several opponents and breaking three tackles before kicking her second goal of the match. With the breeze favouring one end, Sydney locked the ball in its forward half to make the most of the conditions and generate repeat opportunities. But Carlton stood firm. Morris-Dalton ducked, weaved and refused to be caught before snapping her third goal from the pocket, helping the Blues maintain control and carry a 20-point lead into half-time.

They then peppered the goals early in the third quarter and eventually broke through after four consecutive behinds, with Sophie McKay converting a long-range set shot from a downfield free kick. Carlton's momentum was briefly interrupted when Siofra O'Connell suffered an ankle injury. Although initially appearing unlikely to return, O'Connell worked her way back into the contest in the final term. Molloy again provided a spark for Sydney, snapping cleverly for her third goal as her speed and agility troubled the Blues' defence. However, the Swans were unable to generate sustained momentum or make meaningful inroads into Carlton's lead which sat at 24 points at the final break. The Blues were dealt another injury concern when McKay limped from the field after rolling her right ankle. Carlton finished strongly to secure a crucial victory and strengthen its top-four aspirations, but attention will now turn to the fitness of its captain ahead of next week's clash. An important win on the road for the Blues, who dominated the contest once the ball left stoppages. Carlton finished with 71-45 post-clearance loose ball gets, among 109-79 post-clearance contested possessions. A strong forward half game from the Blues ended with 36-25 forward half intercepts and 31-11 points scored from this source. Chloe Molloy kicked three typically classy goals for the Swans, but the Blues had more winners, with Dayna Finn (12 intercepts) and Nell Morris-Dalton (four goals) posting career highs.

Molloy shrugs off Blues with second-quarter stunner.
Chloe Molloy produced one of the highlights of the afternoon with a brilliant individual effort in the second term. After gathering a contested ball deep inside forward 50, Molloy shrugged off several defenders in a powerful display of strength and determination, refusing to be brought to ground as traffic closed in around her. Maintaining her composure through contact, she burst into space before snapping truly for her second goal of the match. The major formed part of a three-goal performance from the Swans star, whose ability to create something out of nothing kept Sydney in the contest and provided a crucial spark before half-time.

Blues play down McKay injury concerns after late ankle scare.
Abbie McKay’s afternoon ended prematurely after she suffered an ankle injury early in the fourth quarter. The influential midfielder remained on the ground for several moments following a heavy contest before limping from the field and receiving treatment on the boundary. McKay did not return, but Carlton coach Mathew Buck played down concerns post-match, saying the decision to keep her off was largely precautionary given the game's situation. "We didn't need to put her back on,” he said. "She could have come back on if needed, but yeah, we'll assess that one during the week."

Sydney's reshuffled attack stalls in Carlton defeat.
In Sydney's first outing since losing key tall Ally Morphett to a season-ending ACL injury, the Swans' forward line struggled for inside-50 efficiency and lacked aerial presence against Carlton on Sunday. With Morphett sidelined, Sydney reshuffled, deploying key forward Taylor Smith as the primary ruck and supporting her with first-year forward Maddie Quinn. While the Swans won the inside-50 count 45-39, the Blues were far more clinical, converting 22 per cent of its entries into scores compared to the Swans' nine per cent. Speaking post-match, coach Colin O'Riordan said Sydney was off the pace early, over-relied on Chloe Molloy in attack and failed to provide enough support for their young target, highlighting the structural challenges created by Morphett's absence. - Emily Patterson

Up next
Sydney will travel to Melbourne to take on Collingwood at Windy Hill on Sunday, starting at 12:30pm AEDT. Meanwhile, Carlton returns home to IKON Park to clash with the Western Bulldogs on Saturday at 3:05pm AEDT.

Best: N. Morris-Dalton, D. Finn, S. McKay, A. Velardo, E. Fitzpatrick, C. Whitfort.

Blues cruise past Swans to as good as lock in finals.
Carlton has strengthened its top-four push with a 27-point win over Sydney at Henson Park, defeating the Swans 8.11 (59) to 4.8 (32) in Sunday's AFLW Pride Round clash. Despite Sydney winning the inside-50 count 45-39, Carlton's clinical efficiency proved the difference in difficult wind conditions, converting 22 per cent of its entries into goals compared to the Swans' nine per cent. The victory was tempered by a late injury blow, with Blues skipper Abbie McKay suffering a fourth-quarter ankle injury. - AFLW Media.

Team

B:	21 Harriett Cordner	49 Madeline Hendrie
HB:	14 Siofra O'Connell	36 Ciara Fitzgerald	1 Amelia Velardo
C:	11 Yasmin Duursma	4 Claudia Whitfort	17 Dayna Finn
HF:	10 Mimi Hill	55 Sophie McKay	25 Keeley Sherar
F:		35 Nell Morris-Dalton	7 Poppy Scholz
Ruck:	2 Lauren Bella	19 Erone Fitzpatrick	5 Abbie McKay (c)
Interchange:	12 Jess Good	20 Lily Goss	24 Brooke Vickers
	26 Tayla McMillan	3 Darcy Vescio
Coach:	Mathew Buck
Emg:	13 Aisling Reidy	6 Gab Pound	8 Lily Baxter

In: Darcy Vescio, Amelia Velardo.
Out: Gab Pound (omitted), Aisling Reidy (omitted).

Interesting Facts

1. Nell Morris-Dalton kicked a career high 4 goals.
2. Carlton's win brought it back up to a 50% AFLW win-loss ratio, with 52 wins from 104 games.

AFLW Coaches Votes

9 - Dayna Finn (CARL)
7 - Chloe Molloy (SYD)
6 - Montana Ham (SYD)
4 - Erone Fitzpatrick (CARL)
3 - Nell Morris-Dalton (CARL)
1 - Zippy Fish (SYD)

Links

AFLW Season 2026 | Round 8 | Round 10