THE 2022 VFL Women’s season is almost here, so it is time to take a look at each of the competing teams and see where they sit as another season approaches. Today, Rookie Me Central takes a look at the Western Bulldogs, who narrowly missed finals in 2021.

After the heartache of 2021, the Bulldogs will be certainly be hoping history does not repeat itself in 2022.

They have a new coach at the helm this season, with former AFLW star and current Bulldog’s AFLW assistant coach Kirby Bentley taking over from Sean Kavanagh.

Despite the challenges she has enjoyed the role thus far.

“It’s been good, it’s been interesting,” Bentley said. “Obviously I’m a development coach in the AFLW and late comer to coaching in the VFL. Getting to know 61, 62 girls has been big but the club is very inclusive in everything they do and how they go about their business and building that support and sense of belonging is invaluable.”

Bentley is in a unique situation amongst her VFLW coaching colleagues, as she is also an assistant coach with the Bulldog’s AFLW side.

Despite the obvious challenges, it is clear she’s loving the challenge of both roles.

“I go to W and I can speak openly and bounce off other coaches and learn from them, she said. “They’ve obviously got their styles and however they want to implement their coaching styles in their lines, and Burkey [Nathan Burke] again he’s different. So the four of us complement each other and then Burkey on top of that kind of oversees it all. So the responsibilities are just different and coming into VFL I can be myself, kind of implement what I see would add value to the program, so it’s a nice thing to be able to transition between the two.“

2021 was, at times, an up and down season for the Western Bulldogs.

They could not have got their season off to a much better start, beating Hawthorn, but things came crashing back down to earth the next few weeks though, when they lost their next five matches. Things then got back on track with two wins in their next two games, over the Falcons and Saints respectively.

They then lost to the Cats pretty comprehensively before going on to beat the Blues.

In the last month of the season, they beat the Bombers and Saints before losing to the Pies. They then rounded off their season with a solid win over Casey.

This saw the Western Bulldogs finished narrowly outside the top six. They finished equal on wins with the sixth placed Saints, but their percentage was their undoing in the end.

Back as captain this year is Riley Christgoergl, who noted where things went wrong for her side in 2021.

“As a team I think we took a while to get our stride in the early half of the season,” Christgoergl said. “We’re just trying to get that good start right and get that intent really right from the start, and just make tweaks as we go along and change things in a rapid way which we have been able to do even throughout the preseason.”

Looking ahead to 2022, Bentley said that preseason had gone well, and noted how well some cross coders had slotted into the program.

“There’s a few new girls that have come in, cross coders, volleyball ones, netball and yeah I think they’re going to be exciting to watch,” she said. “Jaimee-Lee [Morrow] is a volleyballer and she’s taking it on pretty quickly and Lauren [Clymo]’s our netballer. So, both rucks but I think if we coach them right, if we do it well enough they’ll pick up anywhere I think.”

Christgeorgl noted how physically tough the preseason had been, but was full of praise for her teammates.

“Preseason’s been really good. We had a really tough preseason in terms of pushing ourselves fitness wise, it’s certainly the toughest preseason I’ve done in any sport,” she said. “Caleb our strength and conditioning coach has been really focused on getting us extremely game fit and being one of the fittest sides in the comp and the girls have worked so hard in that. No standouts, they’ve all worked so hard and kept each other accountable. Even when we had a break, even over the holidays they all got it done, so couldn’t be more proud of them.”

The Bulldogs have had a bit of a unique and tough preseason as compared to other clubs. The Covid outbreak that swept through the club’s AFLW program also affected their VFLW side.

“So, a couple of our girls not only got Covid,” said Bentley. “The challenge of then returning is a lot harder. The girls are also filling up to the AFLW program and that again is another challenge too. The protocols around testing and making sure that we’re doing the right thing, we’re accessing different parts of the community differently, which then plays a big part. So I think it’s been a challenge but they’ve managed it very well considering.”

This Covid chaos had an impact on the preseason practice matches the Bulldogs were able to play.

Unfortunately for them their first scheduled match against Geelong was cancelled, but they had a hit out against North Melbourne which did get underway.

Bentley said her side competed well, and although North did kick five goals against the Dogs, Bentley felt that the score didn’t represent the way that her side played.

Bentley’s ultimate goal for her side for this season is pretty straightforward.

“Just to see the girls learn and grow, but in the sense that they can self teach,” she said.” So instead of me telling them this is what they should be doing whatever else if I just equip them with the right amount of tools that they can then play the game and make adjustments themselves and trust that it’s the right thing at that time.”

Christgeorgl was on a similar wavelength to her coach.

“I think to just develop every player in a way that they can look back at preseason last year to the end of the year and go ‘Wow I am almost a different footballer because I’ve developed and I’ve improved and I’ve learned so much’,” she said. “So, I love winning games as much as everyone, you know, love to win a premiership cup, but I think for us it’s more about getting that development and making sure that everyone in the squad is getting that development.”