Lions confident Conway will be ready for AFLW finals

Brisbane are smiling over a win against St Kilda and positive on the injured Sophie Conway. (Rob Prezioso/AAP PHOTOS)

Sophie Conway is expected to play in Brisbane's AFLW qualifying final against Hawthorn after she gave the Lions a major scare with a shoulder injury.

The midfielder had starred on Sunday at Moorabbin before leaving the field in the last term of the 27-point win over St Kilda.

But coach Craig Starcevich was confident after the 10.8 (68) to 6.5 (41) win, saying it appeared to be a low-grade "stinger" that would not put Conway out of action.

"There are a few beaten up today," Starcevich said. "It was a tough game, physically, which is actually good preparation (for the finals).

"They tell me it's nothing major (with Conway). Those types of things, you might end up with a low-grade A/C sprain. Hopefully that's all it is."

Lion Isabel Dawes looks to get a handball away in a tackle.
St Kilda battled hard but were short on firepower against the classy Lions.

Kicking with a solid southerly, the reigning premiers killed off St Kilda at the start of the third term with a four-goal burst.

But the Saints returned the favour in the last quarter with four goals to nil. 

Hawthorn's win over Richmond later on Sunday confirmed the Hawks will host the Lions next weekend in a qualifying final.

The Hawks' win also meant they won the McLelland Trophy and $1 million ahead of Brisbane for the best combined AFL/AFLW seasons.

Starcevich was unfussed about being on the road again next weekend..

"Our team actually prefer that," he said. "They get away and perform pretty well when they're on the road, in most cases.

"It's an exciting November coming up and we've kicked off on the right step."

For the first time next weekend, Starcevich will coach against his former assistant Daniel Webster, who has led the Hawks to a breakout season and their first top-eight finish.

"Everything is a bonus for them right now, so there's a little bit of that with them, and maybe a bit of expectation with us," Starcevich said.

"I know how he thinks, he knows how I think - it's going to be entertaining footy, for sure."

Jade Ellenger of the Lions.
Jade Ellenger of the Lions spears a pass towards a teammate in the clash with St Kilda.

The Lions kicked four goals to one in the first quarter and Starcevich agreed that was important, given their slow start was a key factor in the upset loss to Geelong a fortnight ago.

"We're hell-bent on not looking like that again. We've been talking about that for a fortnight," he said.

"It's nice to have a little wake-up lesson a couple of weeks out from the finals."

Conway kicked two goals and had 27 possessions in the midfield, while Belle Dawes (20 disposals, nine tackles) also impressed.

Taylor Smith's two goals in the first term took her to 21 for the season, level with breakout Geelong star Aishling Moloney at the top of the goalkicking table.

Jesse Wardlaw kicked two goals for St Kilda and star onballer Jaimee Lambert had 22 disposals.

St Kilda veteran Steph Chiocci, the inaugural Collingwood AFLW captain, announced her retirement on Sunday.

"Her football knowledge and the way she invests in her teammates - she gives so much more than she gets back," Saints coach Nick Dal Santo said of Chiocci.

License this article

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store