AFLW round 8: All the latest results and news from the AFLW

The Blues are officially out of the AFLW finals race after a shock 33-point loss to the Bulldogs, with the Dogs providing a stunning response to last week’s dour affair with the Bombers.

Carlton have been sensationally knocked out of the AFLW finals race after suffering a shock 33-point loss to the struggling Western Bulldogs at Princes Park on Thursday night.

The Dogs failed to kick a goal in their previous two games, and are well out of top-eight contention, while the Blues were coming off their best win of the season against Fremantle in Perth.

To keep their faint finals hopes alive, Carlton just had to do what was expected of them and brush aside the Bulldogs.

But the Dogs had different ideas. They were a far cry from the ultraconservative, defensive, risk-averse team last week that registered their lowest ever score of 0.3 (3) in one of the worst games in AFLW history against the Bombers.

The Bulldogs are back on the winners list. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

After applying the straight jacket to her players and blunting any hint of dare and creativity out of them, Bulldogs coach Tamara Hyett unshackled her players this week and they responded spectacularly to kick their biggest score in three seasons and run out 9.7 (61) to 4.4 (28) victors for just their fourth win from their last 19 games.

The contrast to last week was night and day for the Bulldogs who took the game on at all costs. Their fierce pressure, attacking flair, dare and willingness to back themselves absolutely overwhelmed Carlton as they helped themselves to seven of the last nine goals.

It’s a result that will no doubt put Blues coach Mathew Buck under increased scrutiny considering his first two seasons in charge will fail to yield a top-eight spot. The Blues are now set to miss the finals for the fifth straight season.

But the win was soured for the Bulldogs as their ruck Alice Edmonds finished the game on crutches after suffering what looked like a serious left foot injury in the final quarter.

The Bulldogs’ heat was relentless all night and they towelled up the Blues in tackles (87-63) while also doubling them for inside 50s (42-20) on the back of clearance superiority (35-27).

Isabelle Pritchard dominated for the Dogs. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

PRITCHARD, BERRY LEAD THE WAY

Isabelle Pritchard was the standout for the winners with 25 disposals (15 contested), eight tackles, six clearances and a goal, and stand-in captain Deanna Berry displayed great leadership with her 19 possessions (10), five clearances and one goal.

Young Jessica Fitzgerald also had a night out with 22 touches (12), eight clearances and seven tackles while Dominique Carruthers also played a key role with 23 disposals (13) and nine tackles.

WASTEFUL BLUES

Carlton did all the early attacking, but their first four scores were all behinds and the Bulldogs made them pay for their wastefulness by kicking a goal for the first time in 20 days courtesy of a lovely snap from Heidi Woodley.

BULLDOGS BREAK CLEAR

The first half was an arm wrestle which produced five lead changes, but late in the second term, the Bulldogs kicked clear, and if not for their second-quarter inaccuracy (2.5), they would’ve led by more than 13 points at half-time on the back of a centre clearance smashing (6-1).

The Bulldogs’ territory domination went into overdrive in the third quarter as they blitzed the Blues in forward entries 18-2.

Carlton looked completely disorganised and, at times, confused, as they committed multiple turnovers and struggled to cope with the Dogs’ intense heat. Yet despite walloping Carlton in general play, the Dogs could only outscore them by a solitary behind for the term.

But the Blues lacked the class and quality to make the most of their reprieve as the Bulldogs ran over the top of them in the final quarter with four goals to one.

"I don't know how they did it, but they did!" 😅#AFLWBluesDogspic.twitter.com/YttXdWUjYo

— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) October 17, 2024

FINN GIFTS DOGS A GOAL

Carlton’s dismal night was perhaps best summed up when Dayna Finn gifted the Bulldogs a goal late in the first quarter. Instead of simply rushing the ball through for a Bulldogs point after getting there first, Finn ran right over the ball and kept it in play in an extremely dangerous position. Analea McKee then forced the ball into the path of Naomi Ferres who converted a dribbler from close range, completing Finn’s humiliation.

SCOREBOARD

CARLTON 1.4, 2.4, 3.4, 4.4 (28)

BULLDOGS 2.0, 4.5, 5.6, 9.7 (61)

RONNY LERNER’S BEST

Blues: McKay, Hill, Cordner, Sherar, Guerin.

Dogs: Pritchard, Berry, Fitzgerald, Carruthers, Wilcox, Georgostathis, Bennetts.

GOALS

Blues: C.Moody, Sherar, Skepper, Brown.

Dogs: Hartwig 2, Woodley, Ferres, Berry, Weston-Turner, McKee, Pritchard, Grigg.

LATE CHANGE Darcy Vescio (delayed concussion) replaced by Amelia Velardo in Carlton’s selected line-up.

INJURIES Blues: Nil. Dogs: Edmonds (foot).