Hawthorn have handed St Kilda their first defeat of the AFLW season, with a game-breaking six-goal haul from Greta Bodey the difference in a 57-point victory.

The Hawks were seeking a response to their humiliation at Adelaide's hands last week and were speedy and intense throughout Saturday's 11.8 (74) to 2.5 (17) win at Moorabbin Oval.

As a result, Hawthorn leapfrogged the now fifth-placed Saints into fourth on the ladder.

It was a massive reality check for St Kilda, which failed to kick a goal in the second half and copped six unanswered majors in the last term of its heaviest-ever loss.

With Lucy Wales (23 touches, 22 hitouts) dominating the ruck, Eliza West (21 disposals, 10 clearances, nine tackles) and Jas Fleming (20) got to work.

Tilly Lucas-Rodd (23 disposals) was superb off half-back with support from Tamara Smith and Mattea Breed.

"I was pleased today that we were able to get the game on our terms nice and early and run the game out really strongly," Hawks coach Daniel Webster said.

Jesse Wardlaw (two goals) stood up for St Kilda along with midfield stalwart Jaimee Lambert (22 disposals).

Wardlaw marked and goaled late for the only goal of the opening term, giving the Saints a six-point lead at the first change.

Then Bodey stepped up.

The former Lion kicked three goals on the bounce across the second and third quarters to snap the Hawks out to a 21-point advantage early in the second half.

St Kilda's Darcy Guttridge went into the rooms for treatment after a heavy collision midway through the third term and was ruled out for the remainder of the game after a head injury assessment.

But the Saints would not officially put Guttridge, 24, into concussion protocols immediately.

Bodey (six goals, eight marks, 18 disposals) was simply superb when it counted to set up the win.

She is just the third player after Brooke Lochland and Jamie Stanton to kick six or more goals in a game.

Hawthorn led by 20 at three-quarter time and early in the final term, Irish pair Aine McDonagh (two goals) and Aileen Gilroy combined for a wonderful goal to shut down any hope of a St Kilda comeback effectively.

Bodey kicked the final three goals of the match to complete her haul and St Kilda's humiliation.

"The Hawks outworked us, particularly from contest to contest," Saints coach Nick Dal Santo said.

"They exposed us defensively at times and then the way they ran out the game … yes they had a bit of a breeze but I was disappointed with the way we allowed six in the last quarter."

Hawthorn next play Geelong on Thursday at Kardinia Park while St Kilda play Fremantle at Moorabbin Oval next Friday.

Freo produce late comeback to sink Demons

An after-the-siren Aisling McCarthy goal has launched Fremantle to a six-point win over Melbourne, but the Dockers face a nervous wait after AFLW star Aine Tighe suffered a knee injury.

Trailing by 23 points, the Dockers mounted a serious second-half challenge led by midfielder Gabby O'Sullivan to bring themselves level at Fremantle Oval on Saturday.

A streaming Hayley Miller looked certain to slot the match-winner from point-blank range, before Demons defender Gabrielle Colvin shut her down with a classic high-pressure tackle.

But Melbourne skipper Kate Hore was caught holding the ball just in front of goal moments later, gifting McCarthy the chance to secure the 7.5 (47) to 6.5 (41) win.

"That was hectic," Fremantle coach Lisa Webb said.

"I knew they could do this. We've been saying it for a while."

The Dockers' afternoon got off to a dreadful start when sharpshooter Tighe was taken out of the game with a knee complaint following an off-the-ball incident two minutes into the opening term.

Tighe did not appear to engage in any physical contact before she fell to ground and could walk off the field without support.

The Irishwoman has a torrid history of knee injuries and was forced to overcome two consecutive anterior cruciate ligament tears in 2020 and 2021 to make her debut the following year.

Meanwhile, Melbourne could be in real danger of missing out on finals for the first since 2019 after falling to their third consecutive loss.

The Demons have their own injury concerns after fellow Irish player Blaithin Mackin was taken out of the game in the first quarter with a calf concern.

O'Sullivan stood up for Fremantle in Tighe's absence in attack, supported by Emma O'Driscoll (21 touches) and Hayley Miller (one goal, 17 touches).

Eliza McNamara was the stand-out for Melbourne and finished with 30 disposals, seven tackles, 15 contested possessions and 10 intercept possessions as club legend and now-West Coach coast Daisy Pearce watched from the crowd.

"We're still growing but we want to be winning and growing," Demons coach Mick Stinear said.

"Eliza had an enormous game. With Blaithin coming out of the game, she shouldered a really high workload. Phenomenal really.

"We need a few more performing at that level to help elevate us as a team."

Hore opened the scoring to set up a 17-point lead at the first change.

The hosts were able to keep Melbourne from blowing out the margin in the second quarter, conceding only one goal before O'Sullivan caught Sinead Goldrick holding the ball and scored.

O'Sullivan opened the third term by reducing the margin to 11 points.

Goldrick got one back for the Dees after being awarded a 50-metre penalty, but O'Sullivan was relentless. She went full-throttle in the fourth quarter, kicking her third of the match, before McCarthy scored the match-winner.

Cats go from goal famine to feast for first AFLW win

Geelong have gone on a goalscoring blitz to hammer Gold Coast by 69 points for their first win of the AFLW season.

With Nina Morrison starring in the midfield, the Cats went from famine to feast after only managing 0.5 last week against Carlton and won Saturday's away match 15.6 (96) to 4.3 (27).

Gold Coast kicked three goals in the final term, meaning they avoided their highest losing margin, and the Cats were only six points short of their highest AFLW score.

The massacre takes Geelong to a 1-2 record, with a draw, to keep them in the finals hunt, while the Suns only have a draw after four rounds.

"Our performance [so far this season] hasn't been too bad. It's nice to get some reward," Cats coach Dan Lowther said.

"The way we played today was more like the progression from last year [when Geelong made the finals]."

With Georgie Prespakis out through injury for a second game, Morrison stood up in the midfield and dominated.

She racked up 26 disposals, including 16 contested possessions and seven clearances, and kicked a goal.

Irish star Aishling Moloney kicked a career-best four goals as the Cats repeatedly punished Gold Coast on turnovers.

Jackie Parry kicked three goals in her 50th game and Shelley Scott also posted three.

The Suns were competitive early, but the Cats broke clear with three goals.

Then, with only seconds left in the first term, Kate Kenny was paid a dubious free in a marking contest and had a shot at goal from 60m out.

As the siren sounded, Kate Darby protected the ball superbly and it bounced through for their fourth.

That typified how the mismatch went — everything Geelong did turned to gold and the Suns could do nothing right.

Jamie Stanton, whose booming goal after the siren secured the draw against GWS last week, brought the Suns into a huddle at half-time and was animated with her teammates.

Suns captain Tara Bohanna finally kicked their first goal seven minutes into the third quarter.

There was a scuffle at three-quarter time after Morrison pushed over Suns star Charlie Rowbottom, prompting a couple of Geelong players to point at the scoreboard.

Gold Coast's Claudia Whitfort had a game-high 28 disposals and Rowbottom racked up 25.

It was their first match at home since St Kilda belted them in round one by 54 points.

"We were embarrassed with the performance we dished up today in front of our home crowd," Suns coach Cameron Joyce said.

"I think I said after round one, that wasn't a true reflection of us. That's now two from four in terms of performances like that and we really need to have a deep dive as to the why."

AAP