Sydney is hopeful star ruck Ally Morphett has suffered further aggravation to her troublesome foot in her return AFLW game after her teary third-quarter exit added injury to insult as the Swans were overrun by the Western Bulldogs.
The All-Australian hobbled off Whitten Oval in distress during Friday night's seven-point loss after her right foot was trod on by an opponent.
"Ally will have a scan on Saturday," Swans coach Scott Gowans said.
"It's the same foot ... she got trod on.
"It's hard to tell on assessment whether it's actually something to do with the injuries she's had, or whether it's just because someone stood on her foot.
"The potential is if it's just been trod on, it's 'move on'.
"We're going to be really ultra-careful."
Sydney were mown down in Morphett's absence, the Bulldogs overcoming slender half-time and three-quarter-time deficits to finish strongly and notch their second successive win, 5.9 (39) to 5.2 (32).
"It's a pretty nice feeling — it's our first win at Whitten Oval in over 900 days," Bulldogs coach Tam Hyett said.
"We knew if we were structurally sound across all three lines, that would give us a good opportunity to have some time in the forward half."
The ball lived inside the Bulldogs' attacking 50 down the stretch as Britney Gutknecht's first goal of the season midway through the fourth term — the only goal of the quarter — put the hosts in front for good.
The Dogs started strongly, highlighted by smart-snapped goals to Sarah Hartwig and skipper Deanna Berry, but their bench was shortened at the 13-minute mark when ruck Jorja Borg injured her left knee.
"It doesn't look good at this stage," Hyett said.
"She'll go in for scans Saturday morning — but not great."
As a result, Alice Edmond rucked solo against Morphett, and the athletic 189cm Bulldog acquitted herself superbly, combining neatly with on-baller Jess Fitzgerald.
Sydney, spearheaded by Laura Gardiner (31 disposals), regularly looked more slick on the outside and more clinical in attack but they became beset by poor decision-making and execution errors late.
The Swans started the second stanza by streaming out of the centre-square with three goals in the first six minutes before Ellie Bennetts got one back for the Dogs after converting a 50m penalty.
The lead changed hands throughout an engrossing third-term arm wrestle before Morphett's exit and a sharp decline in the Swans' skill level paved the path for a strong final flourish from the Bulldogs, who won the fourth-quarter inside-50 count 12-2.
"We just made some silly decisions," Gowans said.
"We'd get the ball in our front half and turn the ball over.
"When the Bulldogs got that momentum, we didn't have the footy IQ across the field to make decisions to possess the ball and take our time.
"We always wanted to go quick, which was a problem for us."
Dockers beat Saints to post third straight AFLW win
Fremantle has extended its winning streak to three AFLW matches with a hard-earned 11-point victory over St Kilda.
Playing without stars Aine Tighe and Gabby O'Sullivan, the Dockers fought a relentless Saints unit to secure a 3.7 (25) to 2.2 (14) win at Moorabbin Oval on Friday.
Mim Strom stood up to lead Fremantle with 18 disposals and five clearances, while teenager Tunisha Kikoak kicked two goals.
Tunisha Kikoak kicked two goals in the Dockers' win over the Saints. (AAP: Rob Prezioso)
Lisa Webb's charges conceded the first goal and were scoreless at quarter-time after Saints star Nat Exon kicked a major to help establish a seven-point lead.
Kikoak then took a leaf out of Exon's book to bamboozle Grace Kelly for the Dockers' first goal to open the second quarter before slotting another to send her side in front while Exon left the ground with a shoulder complaint.
But Fremantle's lead was brief, with the Saints' Jesse Wardlaw restoring a one-point lead courtesy of a free-kick paid against Ariana Hetherington for holding.
Exon returned to the fray in the third quarter as Fremantle came out firing.
The Dockers were able to lock the ball in their forward half with six of the first seven inside-50s of the third term but found little scoreboard reward for effort.
Hayley Miller was able to level scores when her running effort at goal hit the post before more skewed shots earned Fremantle the lead.
No goal was scored by either side in the third term and the Dockers arrived at the last break ahead by four points.
With 30 seconds on the clock in the final quarter, Miller launched to an empty forward-50 before Gabby Biedenweg-Webster chased down the ball for the match-winner.
Jaimee Lambert (22 disposals and five clearances) was the shining light for St Kilda in its second-consecutive loss, while defender Serene Watson fought valiantly with 23 disposals.
Bombers thump injury-hit Demons
Daria Bannister was outstanding for the Bombers in their defeat of the Demons. (Getty Images: Daniel Pockett)
Daria Bannister inspired a thumping 65-point win over Melbourne to keep Essendon's finals hopes alive while leaving the injury-ravaged Demons' season hanging by a thread.
A stunning three-goal first quarter from power forward Bannister set the Bombers on their way and they never looked back, kicking away for an 11.6 (72) to 1.1 (7) win in front of 3,325 spectators at Windy Hill.
The Bombers (2-3) now sit just four points outside the top eight.
The Demons (1-4), normally among the league's strongest teams, are in the bottom four with their finals hopes slipping away.
Bombers midfielder Madison Prespakis racked up 32 disposals and seven clearances, and also kicked a goal.
Georgia Nanscawen (24 disposals) also shone, with support from Steph Cain, Georgia Gee and ex-Demon Maddi Gay among others, while Ellyse Gamble and Amber Clarke kicked two goals apiece.
Youngster Ryleigh Wotherspoon kicked Melbourne's only goal, which came in the first term.
Maeve Chaplin (23 disposals), Tyla Hanks (21), Sinead Goldrick, Tahlia Gillard and Kate Hore fought hard for the Demons
Magpies get on the board
Tarni White was among the Magpies' goal-kickers in the victory over the Suns. (Getty Images: Darrian Traynor)
Collingwood broke through for its first win of the season after defeating Gold Coast by three points.
The Magpies' 4.3 (27) to 3.6 (24) victory in the bottom-of-the-ladder clash at Punt Road comes at the halfway mark of the 11-round season following five straight losses.
It is also their first win under first-year coach Sam Wright since the club parted ways with Steve Symonds in November.
Symonds led Collingwood to the finals in each of his first four seasons, but a disappointing 11th-placed finish in 2023 cost him his post.
The Magpies' win over the Suns came at a cost, with Mikala Cann — returning from a one-match suspension — subbed out with a shoulder injury.
Meanwhile, the Suns remain the only winless team left with five losses and one draw after making their first finals appearance last year.
Brittany Bonnici, back from a calf strain, was inspiring for Collingwood and shook off a shoulder complaint to finish with 27 disposals and eight clearances.
Bonnici was well supported by usual stars Ruby Schleicher (one goal), Sarah Rowe and Tarni White (two goals).
Suns star Charlie Rowbottom led the game with 30 disposals, and Lucy Single stood out with nine clearances, but the duo could not lift their team over the line.
AAP