Smith shines against Suns as season ends early

Pingrup-raised Belinda Smith produced her best performance yet in West Coast colours but it wasn’t enough to get her side over the line against Gold Coast at Mineral Resources Park on Sunday.

Playing as a defender, Smith collected 18 disposals to be among the Eagles’ best players but the home side were unable to make the most of their opportunities as they went down by 25 points.

The Suns kicked the only two goals of the first half and added three more majors after that to win comfortably, 5.3 (33) to 1.2 (8).

Smith, now at her third AFLW club, used her pace off half-back well, taking four marks and laying three tackles in her strong afternoon.

Denmark’s Parris Laurie finished with 14 touches in the defeat along with five marks, four tackles and eight hit-outs playing as the Eagles’ first-choice ruck.

The Eagles were due to travel to Ikon Park to take on Carlton in round seven this Saturday.

However the COVID-19 virus crisis has ended the AFLW regular season and the Eagles season, with only the top four playing off in semifinals now to determine preliminary finalists and then grand finalists.