World Footy News

The Western Bulldogs overcame the Lions in hot conditions in front of 5,300 football fans. In the second season of the AFLW the Dogs remain undefeated and the Lions have zero wins to start this season. The Dogs had been fantastic all day and their slick ball movement and gameplay all over the ground getting them get over the line. They unfortunately let themselves down in front of goal, as they were only able to score three goals for the entire match.

Image Source: Twitter @BulldogsW

It was a tight opening term with the first score a behind only coming with 6 mins left on the clock from Katie Brennan. Izzy Huntington played tough in and around the contest, as she cracked the packs and took strong marks. At quarter time the Lions led the Dogs by one point with neither team able to score a goal in the opening term. It was a real arm wrestle in the heat. Ally Anderson from the Lions was able to rack up nine possessions in the first. She was the only player able to get more than four disposals.

Emma Kearney kicked beautifully to Jenna Bruton who took a mark on a tight angle. Bruton set up the goal for the Dogs, as she kicked it forward to a pack in the goal square and Huntington the no.1 draft pick from last year took a solid mark and slotted home the Dogs first goal of the second only metres out. This was also the first goal of the match. Huntington played with flair, prowess and was a lively dangerous target up forward for the Dogs. She kicked two goals in the space of about two minutes, after she took two great pack marks and she helped her team get out to a lead of 11 points.

About 90 seconds after she kicked 2 goals in quick succession and owning the second term, Huntington threw her body at the contest and she came off second best. She held her knee in immense pain with what looks like a possible ACL injury. Huntington has done her ACL before in 2016 and she has just come back from a knee reconstruction.  Footy can be cruel at times after Huntington showcased some of the great skills she has to offer and was looking like she was going to continue to play a gem of a game.

Huntington was stretchered off and it was sad as she was giving it her all for her Dogs and truly bought the forward line for the Dogs alive. The Dogs were able to get three consecutive goals with a goal through Hannah Scott who crashed out of the pack and scored a goal off a banana kick. Bruton was really involved in the second and gave it her all and slotted another major for the Dogs in only her second match and they had a 24 point lead.

Their ball movement and play was exceptional and possibly can only be matched to the Dees. Sabrina Frederick Traub tried to give her Lions a lift with a strong pack mark 30m from goal and the crowd cheered. Unfortunately Frederick Traub's kicking in front of goal let her down on this occasion. Dogs had a 23 point advantage at the main break over the Lions who had only managed three behinds for the whole match so far.

Jess Wuetschner scored the Lions first goal of the game at the start of the third term, after she curled the kick perfectly from the boundary. The game heated up late in the third term with both teams not allowing each other to breakaway clear from the contest with possession. At three quarter time the Lions were down by 16 points.

The fourth stanza started tight with both teams unable to breakaway from the packs with clean  disposal. There was stoppage after stoppage due to the good tackling by both teams who were playing a contested style of football. The Lions did all of the attacking in the middle and in their forward part of the ground for the first half of the last quarter. Fortunately for the Dogs, the Lions were unable to make the most of their opportunities when the football was inside their attacking 50. The Lions were all over the Dogs in the last term, but to the relief of the Dogs they could not capitalize with majors on the scoreboard.

Ally Anderson slotted through the first goal of the tight last quarter for the Lions. Aisling Utri for the Dogs saw an opportunity in front of goal and nailed the open goal. Wuestchner responded straightaway for the Lions with a goal of her own on her left foot for her second goal of the match. The Dogs were outscored in the last quarter, as they only kicked one goal to the Lions two.

Wuetschner ended the match with two goals to her name and so did Huntington for the Dogs. The smalls for the Dogs were great today. Katie Brennan led the way as captain again for her side with 11 quality disposals, 7 marks and 2 score involvements. Emily Bates had 21 possessions and Anderson had 16 disposals. They both played well for their Lions. Sabrina Frederick Traub was well managed by two Dogs players all match. Kearney was the standout for the Dogs as well with 18 possessions, 5 marks and 9 tackles in a fine display.

The Dogs were victors by nine points over a Lions team that almost over ran them in the last quarter. Even though the dogs were able to get the win this afternoon they will be anxiously awaiting the results from Huntington's scans on her knee.

BRISBANE                             0.2     0.3     1.4     3.6     (24)
WESTERN BULLDOGS     0.1     4.2     4.2     5.3     (33) 
 
GOALS
Brisbane: Wuetschner 2, Anderson
Western Bulldogs: Huntington 2, Bruton, Scott, Utri
 
BEST
Brisbane: Anderson, Bates, Zielke, Lutkins
Western Bulldogs: Lamb, Kearney, Blackburn, Bruton 
 
INJURIES
Brisbane: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Huntington (knee)
 
Reports: Nil
 
Umpires: Broadbent, Adair, Strybos
 
Official crowd: 5300 (approx) at South Pine Sports Complex (Brendale)