AFTER a number of weeks where the Western Bulldogs have shown glimpses of what they are capable in the 2025 AFL Women’s season, the Daughters of the West produced their best effort of the year with a dominant, four-quarter demolition of Collingwood.

The Magpies had looked far better in the past month against a host of quality premiership contenders, and coming up against a side in a similar rebuilding phase, most expected Collingwood to grab the four points without too much trouble. However from the first bounce until the final siren, it was all the Western Bulldogs who were as brilliant as the Magpies were “bitterly disappointing”.

Aside from a rare highlight from teenager Ash Centra in front of goal in the second term, the Dogs piled on 15 scoring shots to three to win comprehensively, 10.5 (65) to 1.2 (8). When asked what the difference was on Friday night compared to recent weeks where the Bulldogs could not get over the line, coach Tam Hyett said “execution for sure”.

“I think we’ve been building, there’s been areas of our game that’s been really good, and just finishing off our work hasn’t happened and everything clicked tonight,” she said. “We’re really good at contest which we’ve been all year, as well as our pressure and defensive acts, but we executed with ball in hand, so that was the pleasing thing.”

Star player Ellie Blackburn is never short of a highlight reel or memorable game, but her 25-disposal, six-mark, four-tackle and four-goal performance under lights will be remembered as one of her all-time best. Considering she missed 2024 due to a foot injury, the premiership skipper is building much like the side, and put on an absolute clinic against the Magpies.

“She’s been great all year to be honest,” Hyett said. “The role of high half-forward, we’ve got to remember she was out of the game for 12 months with a foot injury so it was always going to be find her legs and things like that, and then we’ve just had the last couple of weeks opportunities to give her more midfield time.

“She’s a star, class act and she’s had a lot of opportunities early on and she was able to capitalise on them today so really, really pleased for her.”

It will not be an easy job for the umpires to work out the votes however, with midfielder Isabelle Pritchard (33 disposals, six tackles, 11 clearances and six inside 50s) dominating around the ball, while Alice Edmonds was simply too good in the ruck, finishing with 36 hitouts and six clearances from 18 disposals.

“Look it’s hard to single people out,” Hyett said. “I thought we were really connected across all three lines. “Really strong team effort, so those players did have significant impact on the game, but I also thought that we had a lot of others who really played their role and executed their role, so that was really pleasing.”

The win moves the Western Bulldogs up to 13th from 16th, leapfrogging the Magpies, Giants and Power to sit 1.4 per cent clear of Port Adelaide with a 2-5 record. If the Dogs win next week, they can jump to as high as 11th. For now, Hyett said her side would be able to enjoy a well-deserved victory.

“I think it gives you a bit of nourishment around the hard work that you’re doing,” she said. “The girls are working hard, we can’t ask any more. “Then to be able to finish off their work and wins are always nice. “It’s a really good feeling going into the weekend, and we think that we’ve got opportunities in every game and it was just really nice that we got the win.”

Collingwood coach Sam Wright could not hide his disappointment from the performance, with the Magpies having their worst effort of the season, after competitive digs against top three sides North Melbourne, Melbourne and Hawthorn, and knocking off then unbeaten top four side Sydney over the past month.

“I don’t have all the answers right now, but obviously it’s just bitterly disappointing for us,” Wright said. “I say that from a place of we have been progressing and we progressed against the really good sides.

“We’re still a young developing side, but part of that is building an identity that is really clear when you come and watch us play, that there’s a certain level of effort, there’s a certain level of game system that we play to and we just didn’t show that tonight so I know our players will be disappointed, our fans will be disappointed, but we need to get back to our identity and what that looks like and that wasn’t it tonight.”

The Western Bulldogs have an eight-day break before facing the Power at Alberton Oval, while the Magpies head further west after a nine-day rest to tackle the recently promoted top eight side, West Coast.