Western Bulldogs win AFLW premiership after six-point win over Brisbane Lions

AT HALFTIME it looked as if a taxing week — a taxing year, in fact — had taken its toll on the Western Bulldogs. But, as they have all season, the Dogs somehow lifted to claim the AFLW premiership.

ELIZA SEWELL

3 min read

March 24, 2018 - 5:50PM

Kirsten McLeod and Bonnie Toogood celebrate. Picture: Getty

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THE Bulldogs looked flat. They looked flustered. As the rain drenched Princes Park it looked as if a taxing week – a taxing season, in fact – had taken its toll.

It wasn’t just the Katie Brennan tribunal decision and failed appeals, in Round 1 they’d lost debutant Daria Bannister to a knee injury and Round 2 it was No.1 draft pick Isabel Huntington. In Round 3 Brennan went down too with an ankle.

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But just like the club found a way to win throughout the season, it somehow did it again to win the one that mattered.

“I would have loved to have been out there obviously, but for the girls to get the job done for us, and I know they were thinking of us out there, and they were playing with their hearts on their sleeve … I can’t even tell you how excited I am now,” Huntington said.

“We’ve obviously had a really tough year, three injuries to forwards and this week with Katie has obviously been very tough, to get the win given those circumstances is just phenomenal.”

The Brisbane Lions were cleaner early, their quick ball movement creating more opportunities than the rain-affected scoreboard suggested in the first half.

But the Lions led by just a goal at the long break, giving the Bulldogs hope - and that’s all they needed.

It was player of the match Monique Conti who turned the game in the third quarter.

With just four touches to halftime, she bolstered that to 12 by the last break and was crucial to her side’s 13-point three-quarter time lead.

Kirsten McLeod and Bonnie Toogood celebrate. Picture: Getty

The textbook play was when Emma Kearney twisted out of a tackle on the wing and delivered to a sensational Ellie Blackburn, who kicked it to a contest inside 50. As Kate Lutkins, who was huge, tried to clear it a cheeky Conti intercepted the handball and goaled to put her team three kicks ahead.

“Even in her basketball, she’s a big game player,” Bulldogs coach Paul Groves said.

“I wasn’t even speaking to her at halftime, but her third quarter was phenomenal.”

Conti said she took time to adjust to the weather.

“I just wanted to win,” Conti said.

Monique Conti of the Bulldogs is announced as best on ground.

The Dogs were clumsy and messy, kicking several out on the full and dropping marks all over the ground in the first half. The mark count was seven to the Lions’ 23 to halftime.

The Lions had Lutkins in defence. She’s very good. Not just one-on-one, but she was sometimes the Lions’ spare down there, which was an intimidating sight when the Bulldogs looked inside 50.

Kristen McLeod, the replacement for Brennan, also got involved, her snap after a deep kick from Hannah Scott swinging the game back to the Dogs.

“It was the weirdest week of my life being named emergency and knowing KB has the suspension and then the appeal and then to sit and wait,” McLeod said

“I was gutted for KB, but then I had to put that emotion aside to focus on today.”

Nat Exon, with her fresh buzz cut, went to Bulldogs ball winner Kearney from the first ball-up and quelled her influence early.

Kearney had just five touches to halftime, but she too found a way to influence the game when it mattered.

As Lion Kaitlyn Ashmore tried to take Kearney on inside the Bulldogs forward 50m with just five minute to go, up by just a goal, Kearney won a holding-the-ball decision and converted.

“In that third quarter I just tried to will myself and will the team by winning the contest and getting the ball forward for us,” Kearney said.

It’s what they all did, all 21, but more like 30, premiership daughters of the west.