AFLW: Essendon and Western Bulldogs scolded for low-scoring clash

A former AFLW coach has led calls for the league to abandon its condensed fixture after one of the worst matches in the competition’s history.

The Western Bulldogs and Essendon have combined to produce one of the most putrid games ever witnessed in the nine-season history of the AFLW on Friday night.

The Bombers might have emerged victorious by 23 points, but women’s football was the big loser, as the both teams conspired to deliver an ugly black eye to the sport.

There were more goals scored at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday night when the Socceroos defeated China 3-1 in a World Cup qualifier.

In perfect conditions in front of a healthy crowd of approximately 4000 at Whitten Oval, and in a primetime timeslot, the Dogs and Dons could only manage one goal between them in the opening three quarters, which went Essendon’s way courtesy of a 50m penalty.

The Bombers managed another couple in the last term to win 3.8 (26) to 0.3 (3), but the damage had well and truly been done by then, and it’s hard to imagine too many viewers who tuned in at the start of the match continued watching to that point of the contest.

Former Dogs coach Nathan Burke said: “We wondered what 4 games in 14 days would do for the game and the players. Well now we know. So don’t do it again.”

The Bulldogs and Bombers only managed three goals between them. Picture: Getty Images

The controversial condensed fixturing has been a huge talking point for much of the season, and while that might be a valid excuse for the Bombers, who played their fourth game in 15 days, the same slack cannot be afforded for the Bulldogs who headed into this match on the back of consecutive week-long breaks.

“We’ve just got to probably work a little bit harder in the off-season so we are able to run out games,” Bulldogs coach Tamara Hyatt said.

Essendon coach Natalie Wood added: “Off the back of four games in 15 days, I think our finesse and our touch was probably not as good as it could be.”

Rather than taking the game on, being proactive and looking to score, both teams employed conservative, risk-averse game plans and were more interested in avoiding being scored against. It made for a shocking spectacle and while Hyatt admitted to grappling between putting on a show and teaching her team defence, that balance has clearly gone way out of whack.

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 #AFLWDogsDons

— Eliza Reilly (@ByElizaReilly) October 11, 2024

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. #AFLW

— Lauren Wood (@LaurenHeraldSun) October 11, 2024

Essendon coach Natalie Wood and Bulldogs coach Tamara Hyatt owe an apology to supporters of their club, supporters of the AFLW and women’s football in general for these tactics. This is a real black eye for the sport. Utterly deplorable spectacle #AFLWDogsDons

— Ronny Lerner (@RonnyLerner) October 11, 2024

“We’re in a really heavy education phase with this group so defence for us is crucial in developing for our second phase which we hope will be a little bit more attractive,” Hyatt said.

Wood and Hyatt can take much of the blame for the snooze fest which was a direct result of their bland tactics, but Wood felt the Dogs were more responsible for what unfolded.

“Probably was surprising that the second quarter when they had the wind that they were still putting numbers back in our defence so that told us pretty clearly that that’s what they wanted to do and really clog up our ability to score,” Wood said.

Remarkably, Hyatt was actually pleased with a lot of what she saw, which is probably the crux of the problem.

“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.”

The Bulldogs were terrible for the second week in a row. Picture: Getty Images

DOGS HISTORICALLY HORRIBLE

Just a week after registering their lowest ever score of 0.4 (4), the Bulldogs broke their club record again by scoring one fewer point against Essendon.

The Dogs have become the first team in AFLW history to go goalless in three matches in the same season. The club’s three lowest scores have now all been achieved this season in what is Hyatt’s first campaign in charge.

The Bulldogs hierarchy must be wondering why they got rid of her predecessor Nathan Burke.

WESTON-TURNER SHOCKER

The hosts thought they were going to get their first goal of the game in the opening seconds of the third quarter when No.1 pick Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner ran into an open goal, but incredibly, she somehow managed to kick it out of bounds on the full from the goal square, much to the dismay of herself, her teammates and fans in attendance.

Essendon are closing in on a finals spot. Picture: Getty Images

DONS IN THE EIGHT

The Bombers won’t be too fussed by the doom and gloom, though, because they have entered the top eight and continued their surge towards the finals after winning a club record fourth straight win, which is an especially impressive feat given it was achieved entirely in their compressed portion of the fixture.

Those factors made Wood very proud of her team as she was in “no doubt” that fatigue had taken its toll.

“The travel to Gold Coast (on Sunday) and just us not being used to playing in 30-degree weather,” Wood said.

“But to the group’s credit … the resilience and the endurance and perseverance of the group to stick to task and to work through that means to me that there’s a level of coping through this stressful time.”

GEORGIA, MADDY SHINE

Few players could hold their heads high, but just after registering a personal best 28 disposals in her previous outing, Essendon’s Georgia Nanscawen went one better with 29 as well as 14 contested possessions. Maddy Prespakis also performed strongly with 27 disposals (10 contested).

CLUTCH KEANEY

In a match where excitement was as rare as hen’s teeth, Essendon’s Bess Keaney produced a much-needed highlight midway through the final quarter when her magnificent set shot from a sharp angle split the big sticks and sealed the win.

SCOREBOARD

BULLDOGS 0.0, 0.2, 0.2, 0.3 (3)

ESSENDON 0.3, 1.4, 1.6, 3.8 (26)

RONNY LERNER’S BEST

Bulldogs: Georgostathis, Berry, Edmonds, Pritchard.

Bombers: Nanscawen, Prespakis, G.Clarke, Keaney, Wales, Radford.

GOALS

Bombers: Wales, Walker, Keaney.

UMPIRES: Simmonds, Ball, van Raay

CROWD: Approx 4,000 at Whitten Oval