As we approach the business end of the AFLW home and away season, the Western Bulldogs' women's team are in a fantastic position to make their first Grand Final in the history of women's football. What is more fascinating about how well the Bulldogs are travelling is that they are doing it without their captain Katie Brennan, who I believe is a top-five talent.
They are also doing it without the highly-touted youngster Isabel Huntington, who showed before she went down with that season-ending knee injury against Brisbane that she is very capable of tearing a game apart as well. Anybody who doubts me just needs to go back and watch that second quarter and see her take those two strong contested grabs in the goal-square and go back and slot them through with no troubles. Barring anymore injuries, she is going to be a hell of a star and like Brennan, could be a top-five talent in her own right.
But why is it that the Western Bulldogs - sitting with a win-loss record of 4-1, a game clear on top of the AFLW ladder and still a very wealthy percentage ahead of the next best side – why are they still playing such great footy with the loss of two very talented individuals?
From a casual fan's point of view, it would be extremely easy to point out that it's the brilliance of both Ellie Blackburn – who is doing a fantastic job as the stand-in captain – and Emma Kearney, but those that followed the Bulldog ladies last year will know that the team relied on these two so much and not many people followed them in terms of talent or their ability to work as a team aspiring for a premiership.
The reason of their great start to the season and a seemingly inevitable Grand Final appearance of 2018 stems so much deeper than just two superstar midfielders. Aasta O'Connor played hurt for most – if not all – of 2017, but is playing with such rejuvenation this year. Hannah Scott – who finished behind both Kearney and Blackburn in the Bulldogs best and fairest last year - is playing even better footy than she did last year and Brooke Lochland has emerged from nowhere this season and could very well take out the league's leading goal-kicker award.
But the reason why the Bulldogs are a huge chance to win it all this year, isn't just because of those mentioned above are having great years. It's because of who the club have brought in for this year. As of today, the Bulldogs have a league-leading four Rising Star nominees – no other club has more than one at this stage of the season.
It's with these four young guns, that I think are the reason, or reasons why the Western Bulldogs can go all the way. Libby Birch is another player who was at the club for their inaugural season in 2017, but her abilities in defence have improved so much. The selection of Monique Conti with the fourth pick in last year's draft has proven to be the right move and the signings of both Aisling Utri and Bonnie Toogood have been masterstrokes.
The common denominator of these four is this – They have all previously played another sport, or they are still playing.
It was only a couple of years ago that Libby Birch had not even picked up a football. Before signing on with the Western Bulldogs, Birch had been devoted to the sport of Netball, and she was a pretty good netball player as well. She previously captained the Victorian State Netball Team, and it wasn't until the winter of 2016 that she had received a call from none other than Daisy Pearce. Shortly after failing to make the National team, Birch came down to train alongside Pearce and a host of other future AFLW stars at the Darebin Falcons.
Three months after switching from Netball to Football, Birch was signed on by the Bulldogs as a 19-year old rookie selection. Described as a player with extraordinary athleticism, Birch played all seven games last year as a defender and learned with each and every game. In the 2017 VFLW Grand Final, she blanketed another future star talent in Chloe Molloy before she went down with a shoulder injury as Darebin recorded another premiership victory.
This translated into incredible defensive performances in the AFLW this year. In round two, she was nominated for the Rising Star Award for her defensive efforts against Brisbane forward Kaitlyn Ashmore, keeping the electric Brisbane forward goal-less and just three disposals. Since her nomination, Birch has taken on the likes of Darcy Vescio and Moana Hope and came out on top. She even had a crack against reigning league best and fairest Erin Phillips, but that was a contest that saw her finish second-best.
Bonnie Toogood, who was also nominated following the Bulldogs' round two win over Brisbane has been not just such a revelation up forward, but a genuine find full-stop. When she signed on with the club in the off-season, there were people that were 100 percent guaranteeing that Toogood would just be remembered for just her surname and nothing more. However, from the moment that she kicked her first goal on debut against Fremantle this year, she has proven time and time again this year that she can hold her own in this league.
Like Birch, Toogood played netball after she found out that there was no future pathway for women's football. However, when she found out through a netball coach, who was connected to the Dogs, informed her that the club was holding trials, she gave it a crack and was rookie-listed almost immediately. The way she plays up forward, it looks like she's been playing for a couple of seasons, the way she attacks the footy and the way she can take a good grab. She's been great filling in for both Brennan and Huntington whilst they've been out with injury. She has played all five games and has kicked five goals, including a bag of three against the Blues in round four.
Another player rookie-listed for this year, Aisling Utri is another fascinating story. Signed on as a rookie after spending most of her teenage years playing field Hockey, having quit footy at the age of 13. Utri became a elite prospect in Hockey, playing for the Victorian Institute of Sport. The Western Bulldogs had been keen on getting Utri on board before the Western Bulldogs AFLW team even hit the field.
List manager of the Western Bulldogs Michael Saundry knew her from coaching Melbourne University's senior women's team – the team Utri played for as a junior before quitting footy. Even Bulldogs' Paul Groves wanted her to sign on before the start of season one. Despite the fact that she hadn't kicked a football in years, the athleticism that Utri possessed was enough for the Dogs to sign her on board.
It's a move that payed big dividends. Utri averages 10 disposals, nearly two marks a game and has three goals from five games, and like Toogood, has an extraordinary nous for the goal. Utri, by her own admission, isn't a good kick of the ball, but since coming on board as a member of the Bulldogs, she continues to practice her kicking and has an extraordinary work-ethic and you can see that she wants to better her game each time she takes the field.She was nominated for the Rising Star award in round four, following 18 disposals in the Dogs' rout over Carlton.
Nominated alongside Utri for the award in round four, is the young lady who I believe is the one that is a strong chance of dethroning Chloe Molloy, who is the favourite to the AFLW Rising Star crown. I speak of course about Monique Conti. The second of two top-four picks for the Bulldogs in last year's AFLW draft has been mightily impressive since her debut in round one, consistently getting her hands on the ball and making an impact as a midfielder/half-forward role.
Conti is no stranger to top-level sport, playing for the Melbourne Boomers in the WNBL as a 16-year old. But despite her age, Conti's athleticism, and skill with the basketball won her the 2016-17 Rookie of the Year and it was only just over a month ago that she was in the WNBL Grand Final. She represented Australia's under-17s team in the FIBA world championship and lead them to a Gold-medal win against Italy.
AFL players have come from basketball backgrounds. Collingwood's Scott Pendlebury is the first one that comes to mind. In my eyes, the way Conti weaves in and out of the congestion, rings similar to the Magpies captain. Her pace, her agility and her skill with the footy makes her a deadly asset in this team, her skills in particular, continue to improve and shine every time she runs out onto the park. In 2018, Conti averages 14 disposals, three marks and two marks per game, but has yet to get on the scoreboard, having had a number of opportunities, but for one reason or another, it hasn't happened yet.
It's hard not to keep the lid on when you see what these Western Bulldogs have done in just the second year of the AFLW. To say that these ladies have taken their game to another level is a tremendous understatement - these ladies have emerged as the real deal in 2018.
In young ladies such as this quartet of Rising Stars, along with the promising talents of players such as Hayley Wildes, Bailey Hunt, Naomi Ferres, Jenna Bruton and many others, they've got the gameplan and the depth to get to the promised land this year.