Brisbane’s Laini Freier became the first player in A League Womens history to score back-to-back hat-tricks in her first two starts and along with her twin Sharn tore Western United apart in an 8-2 win for the visitors.
Newly capped Matilda and twin Sharn notched her first two goals of the campaign and provided a couple of assists for her sister.
Roar moved back up to second and the 23-year-old twins were substituted just after the hour at Ironbark Fields after causing havoc for a shellshocked United.
“(To) show everyone what we can do together is a pretty good feeling,” Laini told Paramount Plus, after assisting her sibling for one of her goals.
“To put it in the back of the net, I’m just doing my job.”
Western suffered their greatest margin of defeat while Brisbane equalled their largest winning margin.
It was literally a five-star first-half effort by Brisbane, with all of their on-target attempts delivering a goal as they went in 5-1 up.
The extraordinary win lifted Brisbane back above Melbourne Victory, who had moved ahead of them with Saturday’s 1-0 triumph at last-placed Sydney FC.
Brisbane are two points behind ladder leader Melbourne City, who scored a 2-1 home win over Wellington Phoenix on Saturday.
The carnage started in the ninth minute with Sharn Freier running on to an exquisite through ball from Laini and driving a shot in from just inside the area.
Japan international Momo Hayashi scored her fourth goal in Roar colours, swerving her 17th minute free-kick over United goalkeeper Chloe Lincoln from the extreme right edge of the penalty area.
Sharn crossed from the byline to Laini, whose shot had too much power for Lincoln.
Matildas midfielder Chloe Logarzo briefly gave Western a lifeline with a 30th minute penalty.
However, within two minutes of conceding the spot kick with a clumsy challenge on Emily Roach, Roar defender Leia Varley atoned by scoring her first ALW goal with a header from a corner to restore her team’s three-goal lead.
The torment for United continued in the third minute of stoppage time with Laini racing clear and chipping Lincoln from close to 30 metres out.
Roar’s appetite for goals wasn’t diminished by the break.
Within eight minutes of play resuming, Laini shot just over the bar and Lincoln saved from Matildas stalwart Tameka Yallop, before Sharn headed in a corner.
Sharn set up her sibling's hat-trick, with Laini netting with her second shot off the rebound from Lincoln.
Yallop made it eight with a header to give Roar three goals from Chelsea Blissett corners.
Roar hit the post twice and Western pulled one back through a Holly McQueen own goal to complete the scoring.
In Sunday’s other ALW game Canberra and Newcastle drew 0-0 at McKellar Park.
Matildas striker Michelle Heyman missed the best chance to break the deadlock after she dispossessed Newcastle goalkeeper Tiahna Roberston outside the penalty area, but scuffed her shot wide across the area.
