Essendon pulled off a sensational come-from-behind win over Geelong by 10 points to return to the AFLW top eight.
Left with a sour taste in their mouths after a 20-point loss to Collingwood last round, the Bombers overcame a scoreless start to win 4.5 (29) to 2.7 (19) against the Cats at Reid Oval on Sunday.
The sixth-round win provided Essendon midfield star Maddy Prespakis with family bragging rights over younger sister Georgie in their second AFLW skirmish.
Prespakis also celebrated her 50th game in style with 33 disposals and six clearances as she arm-wrestled Georgie (26, 10) for dominance in the midfield.
“Maddy’s got a great ability of being able to step up every week. She shoulders a lot for us,” Essendon coach Natalie Wood said after the match.
“What Maddy and I spoke to the whole group about was a team effort. It was going to take a team effort today and Maddy set the tone for us.”
The younger Prespakis, in her 25th game, kicked the game’s first goal but was denied by the umpires who argued – without an AFLW score review system – the ball was touched.
The ever-prolific Chloe Scheer broke through twice to give the Cats a 14-point lead while the hosts were scoreless at quarter-time.
A desperate Essendon went to work in the second term, leading contested possessions 14 to four for the term and generating three of the first four inside 50s.
With a minute left on the clock and only three behinds on the scoreboard, Amber Clarke snapped the ball towards goal.
Although the ball looked sure to spray across the face, it somehow bounced backward to go through the posts and give the Bombers a much-needed six points.
Essendon co-captain Bonnie Toogood then cut the margin to one point to kick start the second half and bring herself within three goals of 50 career majors.
With scores level at three quarter-time, Georgia Nanscawen (24 disposals, six clearances) worked diligently to put the ball back in Bomber hands, before Daria Bannister kicked truly to put Essendon into the lead. She was backed by another from Clarke that sealed the win.
Geelong (4-2) returns home to host 10th-placed Fremantle next round while Essendon (3-3) faces eighth-placed Richmond.
