Tonight is a massive night for both the Western Bulldogs and the Carlton Blues. Not only is it vital that both sides win tonight to stay in the hunt for a Grand Final spot, but tonight marks the first official pride game in the AFLW. The men's league have done a few 'Pride' games over the past couple of years between St. Kilda and Sydney, but it's great to have the women have one of their own.
This game at the Whitten Oval tonight is to promote inclusion and support for the LGBTI community. Both clubs will display new designs on their guernsey to show their support for the LGBTI community, with a rainbow featuring prominently on both jumpers tonight.
Pride match aside, both sides entered round three unbeaten and walked out of it in amongst a logjam for the top two spots – these two spots determine this year's Grand Final, as it did last year. Five teams occupy the top five spots on the ladder with two wins and a loss. The Bulldogs and the Blues currently sit 3rd and 4th on the ladder respectively after both sides suffered losses in games that they were big chances to win.
Carlton went into their match with Brisbane last week without their captain Brianna Davey after she ruptured her ACL, but at home, the Blues could not contain a second-half Brisbane onslaught, with the Lions kicking five goals to two in the second half to win by 22 points. Despite having a 2-1 record, the Blues are last in the league in disposals and have the worst disposals efficiency in the AFLW this season, averaging 166 disposals per game and they are only going at 52 percent efficiency by both hand and foot.
The Bulldogs led for most of their game last week against the reigning premiers in the Adelaide Crows. But they couldn't stop the returning Erin Phillips, with last year's reigning best and fairest snagging four goals as the Crows inflicted the Bulldogs their first loss of the 2018 season. Coming off a grueling six-day break, in which they beat the Lions in stifling conditions, the Bulldogs are coming off another six-day break in the lead-up to this game.
However, it has been fair to say that even with the growing injury list that this club has, this Western Bulldogs team has been very impressive so far this year. Having relied on a gameplan that's based on kicking and maintaining possession, they lead the competition in kicks and disposal efficiency, averaging 141 kicks per game, whilst going on 69 percent disposal efficiency.
The Dogs will go into tonight without their two best forwards, whilst the Blues will also be missing a few key players, but in the context of both teams' seasons, this is going to be a massive contest, and if it's anything like the last time these two sides played, then we will be in for a beauty.
The Teams
Western Bulldogs
IN: Kim Rennie, Laura Bailey, Kirsten McLeod OUT: Katie Brennan (Ankle), Jess Anderson, Deanna Berry (Both Omitted)
B: Hayley Wildes, Libby Birch, Nicole Callinan HB: Hannah Scott, Bonnie Toogood, Brooke Lochland MIDS: Tiarna Ernst, Emma Kearney, Kirsty Lamb, Ellie Blackburn HF: Jenna Bruton, Lauren Spark, Monique Conti F: Kirsten McLeod, Aasta O'Connor, Naomi Ferres INT: Angelica Gogos, Kim Rennie, Bailey Hunt, Aisling Utri, Laura Bailey EMG: Deanna Berry, Emma Mackie
Three changes for the Bulldogs to the side that lost to Adelaide by seven points last Saturday. The big out is captain Katie Brennan, who injured her ankle in the loss last week. However it's an injury that may not end her season, as the Bulldogs are confident that they can get her back up and running before the season is done. Also out for the Bulldogs include former Melbourne pair Deanna Berry and Jess Anderson. Anderson was brought in for her first game in Bulldogs' colours last week and failed to register a touch, whilst Berry has been very quiet to start the year, averaging just over four disposals a game in the first three games.
Coming into the side includes one debutant and two Bulldogs named to play their first game of 2018. Kirsten McLeod and Laura Bailey – both players regular features in the Dogs' team last year are named to play their first game of this season, whilst former basketballer Kim Rennie is named to make her debut in the AFLW tonight. Rennie, who is listed at 185cm, is a very athletic prospect who was picked up by the Dogs as a rookie and with her height, can be seen as a key position player. She will most likely play most of the game as a forward, given the Dogs are missing both Katie Brennan and Isabel Huntington.
Carlton
IN: Lauren Arnell, Natalie Plane, Courtney Webb, Madeline Keryk OUT: Tayla Harris (Suspension), Lauren Brazzale (Shoulder), Georgia Gee (Rested), Katie-Jane Grieve (Omitted)
B: Kate Gillespie-Jones, Danielle Hardiman, Keryn Harrington HB: Natalie Plane, Nicola Stevens, Courtney Webb MIDS: Alison Downie, Sarah Hosking, Jess Hosking, Maddison Gay HF: Kate Shierlaw, Breann Moody, Katie Loynes F: Tilly Lucas-Rodd, Darcy Vescio, Gabriella Pound INT: Reni Hicks, Sophie Li, Lauren Arnell, Madeline Keryk, Shae Audley
The Blues have made four changes themselves following their 22-point loss to Brisbane last Saturday night. They will miss their high-profile recruit Tayla Harris this week after the match review panel found her guilty of striking her former team mate Leah Kaslar during last week's loss to the Lions. They will also miss Lauren Brazzale after she injured her shoulder in the same game, whilst Georgia Gee, who was concussed last week, will sit out. Katie-Jane Grieve has been dropped.
The Blues will welcome back former captain Lauren Arnell, who hasn't played an AFLW game since round one this year, having been dropped after the Blues win over Collingwood. Madeline Keryk and Natalie Plane also come back into the side, whilst rookie selection Courtney Webb will play her first game of her AFLW career. Webb is a talented cricketer before making the call to play AFLW, and is described by coach Damien Keeping as a player who is 'A really good user of the footy'. Speaking of Damien Keeping, he returns to coach the side tonight after being ill the past two weeks.
Last Time They Met – Round 5, 2017
Carlton 8.6.54 def Western Bulldogs 7.6.48
A crowd of just over 6,800 trekked to Carlton's Ikon Park to watch what was arguably one of the game's of the year. With the Bulldogs looking to avoid four losses in a row, they raced out to a five-point lead at quarter time, with three goals to two. The Blues wrangled back the lead by half-time, before Carlton got a hold of things in the second half, leading by as much as 25 points early in the last quarter, before the Bulldogs rallied hard late. But this superb comeback wasn't to be, as the Dogs fell short by a single kick at the final siren.
Darcy Vescio proved to be a match-winner up forward, booting a bag of three goals for the winners, whilst the support of young Isabella Ayre was also valuable, kicking a pair of goals. Brianna Davey overcame a back injury and stood up for the Blues when it was needed the most, recording 16 disposals, whilst team mate Tilly Lucas-Rodd led the team with 17 disposals. On the other end, Ellie Blackburn's three goals were just as huge as the Dogs fought hard to stick with the Blues in the first-half. She finished the game with 16 disposals, whilst Emma Kearney (18 disposals), Jaimee Lambert (16 disposals) and Nicole Callinan (16 disposals) were the Bulldogs' best players.
Players To Watch
Western Bulldogs
Hannah Scott
One of the more in-form defenders at the Western Bulldogs at this present time, Hannah Scott has represented the Bulldogs in the photos and has been at the forefront of promoting the 'Pride' Game tonight. Scott has started her season in fine style, averaging 11 disposals, four tackles and two marks per game. The Blues' forwards should try to find a way to curb her influence, because when she gets going, she's impossible to stop.
Monique Conti
I've absolutely enjoyed how young draftee Monique Conti has gone about things since her first game in the AFLW. Last week was her best game yet, and expect her steady development to continue tonight. She loves taking the game on and she's very good when she has the ball in hand. Currenty, Conti is averaging 14 disposals, four marks and two tackles per game. It'll only be a matter of time before she breaks out for a huge game.
Carlton
Darcy Vescio
Last year's league goal-kicking champion is having a very, very different 2018. Although not entirely her fault, Vescio has struggled massively this season, only kicking the two goals after three rounds of footy. I say it's not her fault as the Blues in general, struggle to score, having kicked only eight goals in three games – the worst of any team this year. With Tayla Harris out of the side tonight, Carlton will need their number one forward to fire up and kick a bag.
Nicola Stevens
It might be hard for some people to remember that Nicola Stevens plays her best footy as a defender. That's how she won Collingwood's best and fairest last year. But Stevens has shown in recent weeks that she can be just as effective anywhere else around the ground. She can play midfield and she proved that she can kick her goal. Just watch her snap around the body against GWS a fortnight ago. Definitely one to look out for tonight.
Final Verdict
Given that both sides will want to come out tonight with something to prove, this is going to be another tough game to predict.
The Bulldogs are missing their superstar captain and when that happened last year, the Dogs struggled mightily. However, this is not the same Bulldogs team we witnessed last year, so it's going to be interesting to see what happens to the forward line tonight. They've lined up Aasta O'Connor and Lauren Spark at the two key forward positions – both know how to take a strong grab. If they can get a few goals out of the pair, then that may be the deciding factor to this contest. It won't shock me to see if Ellie Blackburn goes forward a bit more tonight too.
The Dogs must also try to find a way to avoid Carlton's stifling pressure. As the number one tackling team, expect the Blues to make it a really scrappy affair early, but if the Dogs can shake off the pressure early, then it may be a big win to the home side tonight. With Davey and Harris – two of Carlton's key players – out of the team tonight, I'm tipping the Bulldogs tonight in a big win to keep their premiership chances alive.
Western Bulldogs By 15 Points