WITH a premiership on the line, both teams brought their A-game on Saturday. The players went hard for the footy and had to contend with the miserable Melbourne conditions, but it was the Western Bulldogs that prevailed to win their first AFLW premiership against the Brisbane Lions.

Western Bulldogs 4.3 (27) defeated Brisbane 3.3 (21)

After a week plagued with off-field controversy and appeals, Bulldogs captain Katie Brennan’s bid to play was unsuccessful. But that did not seem to bother the Dogs, who came out firing in the second half to claim their first AFLW Premiership. In difficult and wet conditions, the Lions made all the running in the opening term, scoring the only goal for the half. Brisbane looked to have put the memories of last year’s grand final loss to bed early, but fell short to a determined Bulldogs side who claimed a one-goal victory. The game was tightly poised, with both teams competing hard for the footy and while at times succumbing to the wet weather, the Bulldogs found a way to dig deep and win the low-scoring affair.

Key moment:

In the end, it all came down to the Bulldogs desperation and commitment to the footy. The Dogs showed why the third quarter is known as the premiership quarter, bagging three goals and keeping the Lions scoreless. The Western Bulldogs applied plenty of forward pressure to trap the ball in their forward 50. Their relentless tackling and hunger for the ball gifted them with two quick back-to-back goals in the opening few minutes of the second half, putting the Lions under immense pressure. The Bulldogs had 16 tackles inside their forward 50 compared to Brisbane’s nine, showing their ferocity and commitment to win the ball. 

Impressers:

Brisbane Lions Rising Star nominee, Sophie Conway had a belter of a game, opening the scoring account for the Lions. Conway was in everything in the opening term and showed great poise and more importantly clean hands in very slippery and wet conditions. Down the other end for the Lions, superstar Kate Lutkins was at her destructive best, taking huge contested grabs. The Wilston Grange recruit racked up 21 touches for the Lions and was the leading disposal-getter for the match. Jess Wuetschner also had a stellar game in a disappointing outing for the Lions. Wuetschner applied plenty of pressure, laying four tackles and scoring two vital goals to keep the Lions in the game. For the Western Bulldogs, the likes of Emma Kearney had a huge game, slotting an important goal and amassing 15 disposals. Young gun Monique Conti stood up for the Dogs scoring a goal, and showing great footy awareness on her way to being best on ground despite being the youngest player out there. Angelica Gogos was a tackling machine for the Bulldogs, laying nine tackles for the match, while the ever-reliable Ellie Blackburn starred with 17 touches and clean hands.