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AFLW round-up: Goldrick, Magee and McEvoy set for finals as Demons withstand late Freemantle onslaught

Dublin stars Niamh McEvoy and Sinead Goldrick in the colours of their AFLW team Melbourne Demons Expand

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Dublin stars Niamh McEvoy and Sinead Goldrick in the colours of their AFLW team Melbourne Demons

Dublin stars Niamh McEvoy and Sinead Goldrick in the colours of their AFLW team Melbourne Demons

Dublin stars Niamh McEvoy and Sinead Goldrick in the colours of their AFLW team Melbourne Demons

Frank Roche Email

DUBLIN trio Sinéad Goldrick, Lauren Magee and Niamh McEvoy are destined for the AFLW finals following a nail-biting five-point victory for their Aussie Rules club, Melbourne, against Fremantle today.

In a roller-coaster round eight contest, the Demons led by four goals at half-time but then had to withstand a fierce Fremantle comeback. They eventually survived by 5.7 (37) to 4.8 (32), thus securing their place in the finals series.

Goldrick started the round six fixture at the Fremantle Oval but picked up a hamstring injury, while Magee featured as an interchange and McEvoy was listed as an emergency player.

Elsewhere there was disappointment for Niamh and Grace Kelly even though the Mayo sisters were pivotal players for the West Coast Eagles as they succumbed to Richmond by 5.12 (42) to 5.4 (34).

Grace scored a goal while delivering ten kicks and ten disposals; her sibling finished with 16 kicks and 13 disposals. Tipperary’s Aisling McCarthy also lined out for the Eagles only to depart with a knee injury in the opening minutes.

Even in defeat there was high praise for the Kelly girls in the Australian media. As the Herald Sun reported: “Niamh Kelly might be the most courageous player in AFLW and if you were to judge off Sunday’s game alone, she’d win that award by the length of the Flemington straight.

“At the 15-minute mark of the third quarter the 25-year-old Irishwoman sprinted back with the flight of the ball and launched herself into oncoming traffic to take one of the marks of the season.

“Her sister Grace only needed a minute in the third quarter to kick the Eagles’ first for the game and get her side going.”

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