Hawthorn had a number of impressive performers in its Round 6 victory over West Coast on Friday night.
Vice-captain Jess Duffin led the way in a new role up forward, booting three goals in the second quarter alone to go with 12 disposals and a game-high five marks (three of those contested).
Aileen Gilroy also impressed in her positional change with 15 possessions (10 of those contested) to go with a game-high 10 tackles, eight inside 50s and 491 metres gained through the midfield. After being recruited to Hawthorn as a defender, Gilroy has now played across all three lines in the brown and gold to great effect.
Speaking of elite midfield performances, Jasmine Fleming again shone in her childhood colours with 14 disposals, seven tackles and four clearances. The performance came after she was named the Round 5 NAB AFLW Rising Star.
The 17-year-old had an identical stat line to that of her captain Tilly Lucas-Rodd, who also registered 14 disposals and seven tackles. Lucas-Rodd also managed to kick her first goal as a Hawk on Friday night with a clever snap from close range.
Tamara Smith continues to be one of the great stories of the season after being overlooked in a series of drafts. On Friday night, she equalled Gilroy’s game-high 10 tackles while also gathering 10 possessions herself.
Sophie Locke and Charlotte Baskaran also shone in the tackling department, laying eight each. To complement their efforts, Locke recorded 10 disposals while Baskaran had nine.
Going up against one of the other emerging rucks in the AFLW, Lucy Wales held her ground with 22 hit-outs. She backed it up with nine disposals and seven tackles, continuing to build in her debut season.
The Hawks will be back in Frankston on Saturday night to face Port Adelaide, where they will be searching for their third straight win.