AFLW round-up: Staunton scores in defeat, Crows on top

Adelaide Crows maintained its place at the top of the AFLW standings with a thrilling nine-point win on the road against fellow contender Fremantle on Saturday.

Midfield stars Anne Hatchard and Ebony Marinoff produced dominant performances at Fremantle Oval to secure the important win, lifting in the final term as the Crows prevailed 3.7 (25) to 2.4 (16).

The battle came with high stakes as both teams chase a top-two finish, and the win all but guarantees the Crows will secure one of those prized spots at the end of the season.

Clare's Ailish Considine finished with nine disposals and a mark for the victors, while Áine Tighe made four tackles in defeat for the Dockers.

A dominant first-half display paved the way for Geelong in a 23-point victory over Richmond and secure a second win of the campaign

Mayo’s Rachel Kearns contributed to the win with seven tackles and the Cats set up victory at Punt Road Oval with a rampant second quarter, where they booted four unanswered goals, to leapfrog the Tigers into tenth in the table.

Amy McDonald (26 disposals, 10 clearances) and Rebecca Webster (20 touches and a goal) set the tone in midfield for the Cats, with Phoebe McWilliams booting two goals and providing a strong presence up forward.

Melbourne staked a claim for a top-two spot by defeating an ill-disciplined North Melbourne in gusty conditions at Casey Fields.

The Roos gave away at least three 50m penalties, resulting in two of the Demons' three goals to the half-time break.

After weeks of struggling to convert their many inside 50s, North Melbourne was starved of opportunity in the first half due to Melbourne's strong defence, led by Libby Birch, Sinéad Goldrick and Tahlia Gillard.

Aileen Gilroy put in a solid display with 15