2024 AFLW Week 3 Preview: Thursday
THIS weekend’s AFL Women’s action kicks off early this weekend as two teams looking for a big turnaround from last weekend battle it out in Melbourne’s west.
- Team
Western Bulldogs
West Coast
7:15pm
Whitten Oval
Recent form
Things have been hard to start the year for the Western Bulldogs, who are still searching for win number one of the 2024 campaign.
The Eagles on the other hand will be looking to bounce back and find some more of that Round 1 form after coming up short against Essendon last week.
Last time they met
The last time these two sides met was in the back end of last season, and that day the Bulldogs were the ones who came away happy after an eight point win.
The Bulldogs really built out their buffer in the second and third quarter, and although the Eagles ultimately got close they just could not quite come back and get the win.
Key stat areas
Although the Eagles have been doing better in the hit outs than the Bulldogs have, the Bulldogs have ben doing much better than the Eagles in the clearance department.
The Eagles have also been doing much better than the Bulldogs in tackles, but interestingly when it comes to specifically tackles inside 50, it is the Bulldogs who have been doing better in that department.
Another interesting stat is that although the Bulldogs have recorded more inside 50s than the Eagles, they have been significantly less efficient inside 50 than the Eagles have.
Key match up/s
One thing the Bulldogs have really struggled with this season is their inside 50 efficiency, so Analea McKee and the rest of the Bulldogs’ forwards are going to have to really lift when they do get the ball inside 50.
However, they come up against a West Coast defence with last week’s Rising Star Beth Schilling in it, so the evening of the Bulldogs’ forwards will not be so easy.