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Miller stars as Fremantle sink GWS in AFLW

Steve LarkinAAP
Gemma Houghton kicked two goals as Fremantle beat GWS in AFLW.
Camera IconGemma Houghton kicked two goals as Fremantle beat GWS in AFLW. Credit: AAP

The feats of captain Hayley Miller and a second-term purple patch have propelled Fremantle to a 32-point AFLW win against GWS.

The Dockers booted four goals in a 10-minute burst to lay the platform for a comprehensive 7.10 (52) to 2.8 (20) win at Whitten Oval in Melbourne on Sunday.

Fremantle skipper Miller produced an all-time classic: 19 disposals, one goal, seven tackles and six marks.

Her teammates Gemma Houghton (two goals) and Kiara Bowers (14 touches, one goal) were also standouts as the Dockers chalked consecutive triumphs to open their season.

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The Giants, now square with a win and a defeat, were superbly served by Alicia Eva who collected a match-high 26 disposals.

Her teammates Alyce Parker (19 touches) and Katherine Smith (14 possessions) battled gamely and Katie Loynes laid 10 tackles, but GWS face losing stalwart Rebecca Beeson to injury.

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Beeson kicked at goal in the first term but her right ankle was then trapped under a Freo opponent - she was helped from the field and didn't return.

Beeson's departure came in a fierce opening quarter when the Giants shaded the Dockers to take a three-point quarter-time buffer, 2.3 to 2.0.

But Fremantle then exploded with a stunning scoring spree, kicking four rapid goals and amassing 4.4 to nothing for the term.

The Dockers were 25 points up, 6.4 to 2.3, after the blitz triggered by dual All Australian forward Houghton.

The 28-year-old snapped accurately as her captain Miller was felled in a behind-play bump by GWS' Pepa Randall which will attract match review scrutiny.

Randall's front-on bump collected Miller high, but she played on.

A minute or so after Houghton's goal, Freo star Bowers scored another with a tumbling bomb from 50 metres which took a lucky right bounce.

The influential Miller then got in on the scoring action with a composed running goal from 30 metres to give the Dockers an 18-point lead.

And as the siren sounded for haltime, Freo's Dana East was awarded a 50m penalty which took her to the goal line and her team to a 6.4 to 2.3 halftime advantage.

The Dockers, who were beaten in a qualifying final by Melbourne last season, then held sway in a second-half scrap, scoring one goal to none.

The Giants cruelled any comeback chances with inaccurate kicking at goal, scoring five consecutive behinds after halftime.

Fremantle's radar also went awry in a goal-less third quarter and it wasn't until seven minutes remaining in the game that until another goal was scored: a stunning 45-metre set shot from Freo's Ann McMahon.

"Three of our quarters were very good," Fremantle coach Trent Cooper said.

"We controlled the game, worked really hard in different stages and then took advantage of that wind in the second quarter."

Giants coach Al McConnell lamented his side's "inconsistent" performance.

"We have got too many girls who can do it for a bit of the game but not all of the game," he said.

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