Blazing Blues tame Tigers

CARLTON have produced a dominant display to ruin traditional rivals Richmond’s AFLW coming out party, dishing out a 33-point thrashing in the season opener.

A crowd of 15,337 was on hand at Ikon Park last night as last year’s runners-up laid down an early marker in the 2020 premiership race.

Most of the Blues’ big guns fired as they romped to an impressive 6.11 (47) to 2.2 (14) win, keeping competition newcomers Richmond goalless until the final term.

Tayla Harris and Darcy Vescio patrolled a forward line littered with speedy smalls that kicked the Blues clear with a four-goal third quarter.

Madison Prespakis shook off an Alana Woodward tag to gather a game-high 21 disposals through the midfield and Sarah Hosking was prolific.

Lucy McEvoy, Katie Loynes and ruck Breann Moody all starred. But it was the even nature of the performance and sheer depth of contributors that put the Blues’ rivals for the flag on notice.

The Tiger Army painted Ikon Park yellow-and-black for what was officially a Richmond home game, but it was the landlords who dominated the on-field action from the outset. The Blues controlled field position for long periods on the back of their strength in and around the contest.

They had all six of the scoring shots in the opening term, eventually finding the major opening when McEvoy converted a free kick from 20m.

It took the Tigers more than half an hour to register a score.

High-profile forward Sabrina Frederick wrote her name into the history books as Richmond’s first AFLW goal kicker midway through the final term.