AFLW great Kate McCarthy slams terrible Bombers-Bulldogs clash

A foundation member of the AFLW competition was begging for change after fans were greeted to a dismal display on Friday night.

Friday night’s AFLW clash between the Bulldogs and Essendon has come under more fire, with a footy veteran slamming the disappointing spectacle.

Kate McCarthy, a foundation member of the women’s league who played 42 games for the Lions, Saints and Hawks, retired last year.

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The 31-year-old was part of the Fox Footy team broadcasting the game, which finished with a lopsided 3.8 (26) to 0.3 (3) scoreline in favour of the Bombers.

The game, which has come in for some heavy criticism, was 1.4 (10) to just two behinds at the halftime break and 2017 All-Australian McCarthy was struggling to comprehend what she was watching.

“It’s a little bit disappointing, to be honest,” she said.

“We’ve got two coaches that are happy to just have either two or one spares behind the ball and they’re just happy to turn the ball over, intercept it and go back.

The Bulldogs look dejected after the heavy defeat. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“It’s sort of like, which coach is going to blink first? No one’s equalised ahead of the ball so far and it’s just making it a really scrappy game.

“I know that there are ways around the spare but, at times, there have been two and three spare players in the opposition defence.

“I want to see a change in this second half.”

It barely improved from there, with the Bombers kicking two behinds to no score in the third term and finally slotting two goals in the fourth, with the Dogs adding one more behind.

It also continued a horrible stretch for the Bulldogs, who beat their previous lowest score from just six days earlier, when they managed four behinds in a 55-point loss to North Melbourne.

The Dogs have won two of their eight matches this season, defeating Collingwood and the Swans in consecutive weeks, kicking 14 goals combined in those matches.

Kate McCarthy, seen here on and off the field, wasn’t thrilled with the display. Photos: Getty Images

Remarkably, Bulldogs coach Tamara Hyatt was pleased with a lot of what she saw in their clash with the Bombers.

“I think we did a lot of things right in the first three quarters, especially defensively,” she said.

“The game looked how we wanted it to look pre-game. Forward of the ball we just had no connection, so that’s a disappointing thing.”

Some of those watching on weren’t so kind in their assessments.

CODE Sports’ Eliza Reilly wrote on X: “AFLW diehards and prospective fans want to see the players at their best. 2/3 goals in a game from 50 metre penalties ain’t it. Condensed fixture, defensive tactics or a combination of both, that was a hard watch.”

Bombers captain Bonnie Toogood signs autographs with some of the fans that hung around. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The Herald Sun’s Lauren Wood said: “Both teams off the back of their condensed fixture period but now we’re officially at the end of it, let’s not do it again please and thanks.

“Four games in 14ish days equals this in prime time. Extras behind, players exhausted. Big no thanks.”

Essendon’s win pushed it into the top eight with a 5-3 record with three matches remaining, starting with the Kangaroos at Windy Hill next week.

The Bulldogs might have a few more eyes on them when they try to kick a first goal in three matches against Carlton at IKON Park on Thursday night.

Originally published as AFLW great Kate McCarthy slams terrible Bombers-Bulldogs clash