The Western Bulldogs have revealed a new-look line-up to begin the 2021 NAB AFLW Season, when they face St Kilda at RSEA Park on Friday night.

Ellie Blackburn will lead a youthful Bulldogs team into battle, with one club debutante and two AFLW debutantes to feature.

Former Collingwood player Katie Lynch will pull on the red, white and blue for the first time after seven games in two seasons as a Magpie.

Teenage duo Jess Fitzgerald and Sarah Hartwig will both make their AFLW debuts.

Both were selected in last year’s NAB AFLW Draft – Fitzgerald with pick two and Hartwig with pick 11.

Remarkably, almost half of the Bulldogs’ team is aged 21 or under – led by reigning best and fairest winner Izzy Huntington.

All five of the Bulldogs’ top 10 draft picks from the past two seasons – Fitzgerald, Gabby Newton, Nell Morris-Dalton, Gemma Lagioia and Elisabeth Georgostathis – have been named.

The two emergencies are Naomi Ferres and the yet-to-debut Issy Grant.

Fox Footy will broadcast the match live, with the first bounce at 7.10pm AEDT.

ROUND 1 TEAM

St Kilda v Western Bulldogs
Friday 29 January, 7.10pm AEDT
RSEA Park

B: Angelica Gogos, Eleanor Brown
HB: Sarah Hartwig, Isabel Huntington, Gabby Newton
C: Gemma Lagioia, Ellie Blackburn, Deanna Berry
HF: Jess Fitzgerald, Kirsty Lamb, Brooke Lochland
F: Bonnie Toogood, Bailey Hunt
Foll: Celine Moody, Elisabeth Georgostathis, Katie Lynch
Int: Nell Morris-Dalton, Dani Marshall, Britney Gutknecht, Ashleigh Guest, Lauren Spark
Emer: Isabella Grant, Naomi Ferres

The Western Bulldogs have fallen just short of victory in their 2021 NAB AFLW season-opener, going down to St Kilda by nine points in an entertaining contest at RSEA Park.

Despite torrential rain throughout the day in Melbourne, the foot skills of both teams were slick from the get-go.

The Saints split the big sticks first, courtesy of a free kick and 50-metre penalty to 2020 AFLW leading goalkicker Caitlin Greiser.

But the Bulldogs found a quick reply courtesy of a sharp snap from Bonnie Toogood before skipper Ellie Blackburn turned on the jets to add her side’s second.

A pair of majors to the hosts restored their lead, before Izzy Huntington nailed a set shot on the stroke of quarter time to give the Bulldogs a three-point lead.

The Saints took control in the second quarter and made the most of their opportunities.

Huntington and Toogood had set-shot opportunities but couldn’t convert, with the Saints finding three majors to open up a 13-point advantage at the major break.

Neither side could break through in a see-sawing third term, despite both threatening.

It was the Bulldogs – courtesy of another Huntington pack mark and goal – who broke the deadlock on the siren, reducing the Saints’ lead to eight points at the final change.

The Saints hit back with the first goal of the last quarter.

Two star Bulldogs impacted the contest next – Toogood kicking her second, then Blackburn her second to pull the margin back to two points with nearly five minutes on the clock.

But the Saints had the final say – one last goal to seal the result.

Blackburn was best afield for the Bulldogs with 21 disposals, while Kirsty Lamb also found plenty of the footy, finishing with 19 disposals.

Toogood and Huntington were potent inside-50, finishing with nine disposals and two goals each.

The Bulldogs will face Carlton next in their round two clash, on Friday night at VU Whitten Oval.

ST KILDA                                              3.0          6.0          6.2          8.3 (51)
WESTERN BULLDOGS                     3.3          3.5          4.6          6.6 (42)

Goals

St Kilda: Greiser 2, Guttridge 2, Patrikios, Shierlaw, Smith, Vogt
Western Bulldogs: Blackburn 2, Huntington 2, Toogood 2

Best

St Kilda: Patrikios, White, Smith, Phillips, Greiser
Western Bulldogs: Blackburn, Toogood, Huntington, Hunt, Lamb