World Footy News

In the first ever AFLW pride match between the Western Bulldogs and Carlton at the VU Whitten Oval, the Bulldogs ran away by 73 points over the Blues. The Bulldogs kept the Blues scoreless for the first half of the match and the Blues only managed to score their first goal with three and half minutes left in the third term.

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They also kept the Blues scoreless in the final quarter. This dominant attacking display by the Bulldogs had them record the highest ever AFLW score of 86 points beating Melbourne’s score from last year at Casey Fields against Fremantle. Bonnie Toogood and Brooke Lochland were the standouts up forward for the Dogs both combining for 10 goals.

 

It was a tight tussle to begin the match with strong tackling by both teams. The disposal efficiency by both teams inside there attacking 50s were scrappy. Early in the first term, Toogood was rewarded a free kick after she was tackled high by Kerryn Harrington in the forward 50. Toogood kicked the goal truly off her boot for the opening goal of the night from 30m out into the breeze on the angle. In the first term, Toogood was a strong lively target in the forward line for the Bulldogs with her strong marking and pressure. Hannah Scott put a crunching bump on, which was superb to watch.

The Dogs came out all guns blazing with all of the attacking play. They placed the Blues defense under immense pressure with their disposal efficiency and ball movement. Former Wimbledon Hawk's Kate Shierlaw applied great pressure with a lovely smother to cut off the Dogs advance as soon as she came off the bench. Sarah Hosking also played well for the Blues in what was a poor opening quarter for them and they were down by 10 points at quarter time.

In the second quarter Brooke Lochland was on fire with four goals and two behinds. She played incredibly well up forward for her Dogs and she owned the second term. Lochland kicked truly for her first of the second quarter after she was held without the ball and was awarded the free kick from 35m out and guided the goal through nicely between the big sticks. The Blues defense was under siege in the second quarter as the Dogs controlled the play. Toogood hand passed out of the pack to Lochland who snap kicked the ball off her boot for her third goal of the quarter. She played an amazing quarter of football. Ellie Blackburn slotted through an easy gift of a goal from an uncharacteristic Blues kick out mistake from Lauren Arnell.

Lochland nailed her fourth goal of the quarter after Libby Birch kicked towards goal. It looked like it was going to bounce through for a behind, but on the bounce Lochland booted the goal. The Dogs played completely dominant football in the first half of the match at their home especially with their very high disposal efficiency. Lochland played superb football up forward and the Blues did not score for an entire half. The Dogs had a massive 44 point lead at the main break.

The Dogs continued to be all over the Blues in the second half. Lochland scored her fifth goal after Emma Kearney and Monique Conti moved the ball quickly through the centre. Conti was involved in a consecutive goal for the Dogs in the third term, as she kicked the football forward into space and Toogood ran onto it and slotted through her second goal of the match.

Late in the third quarter, Arnell scored with a quick snap around the corner that narrowly missed and Arnell scored their first point. There was a huge cheer from the Blues supporters. Straight after, Arnell kicked through the Blues first goal of the match with three and half minutes left in the term. Shierlaw put her body on the line for her Blues, as she impacted the contest late in the third term and she certainly made her presence felt. Arnell scored a goal off a snap kick just before the siren sounded for three quarter time. The Dogs had a 44-point lead heading into the last quarter.

Lochland and the Dogs remained dominant in the final stanza, because Lochland slotted through her sixth goal of the match after a kick forward from Aisling Utri. Conti marked the football and kicked to Toogood who marked it and slotted her third major. Lochland marked the football and scored her seventh goal of the match. The Dogs led by Lochland’s performance put on a goal kicking display tonight, her return was the best performance in front of goal by an AFLW player in the competition's short history..

Everything turned to gold for the Dogs in their forward half of the ground, as Bruton kicked the football forward to her leading forward targets but the football dribbled through for a long goal from outside 50. The Dogs were too fast as they were running in packs in this match and the Blues found it hard to stop. They played superb football all night and thrashed the Blues by 73 points after they made it hard for the Blues to score all night.

WESTERN BULLDOGS     1.4     6.8     8.9     12.14     (86)
CARLTON                          0.0     0.0     2.1        2.1       (13)

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Lochland 7, Toogood 3, Blackburn, Bruton
Carlton: Arnell 2

BEST 
Western Bulldogs: Lochland, Kearney, Scott, Toogood, Blackburn, Conti
Carlton: S Hosking, Arnell, Moody, Gay

INJURIES 
Western Bulldogs: Nil
Carlton: Nil

Reports: Nil 

Umpires: Mirabile, Rowe, Howorth

Official crowd: 8987 at Whitten Oval