A stunning open-quarter burst has propelled the Western Bulldogs to a famous one-point victory over flag favourites Adelaide at Norwood Oval on Sunday afternoon.
In one of the most memorable wins in Club history, the Dogs held on in the final stages, two women down and deep inside defensive 50 to run out winners against the previously undefeated side.
An inspirational smother from Kirsty Lamb saved the game in the dying stages, typifying the hard-fought performance and never-say-die attitude of the Fierce Women.
Skipper Ellie Blackburn led from the front with 23 touches, while ruck Celine Moody was dominant around the ground with one goal, 11 touches and 13 hit-outs.
The backline, inspired by Katie Lynch, Ashleigh Guest and Eleanor Brown, stood tall in the last quarter despite the barrage from Adelaide, proving pivotal in the overall result.
The gutsy performance was made even more impressive with the team playing two women down, with Aurora Smith (knee) and Brooke Lochland (concussion) both being ruled out after quarter time.
An opening term for the ages, the Bulldogs exploded out of the box to kick the first three goals of the game inside ten minutes.
Bonnie Toogood kicked straight to open the account, before a perfectly crumbed goal by tall forward Nell Morris-Dalton seconds later gave the away side the ideal start.
Blackburn extended the lead beyond three goals late in the term, receiving a handball from Morris-Dalton before slotting a goal on the run from 45 metres.
The manic end-to-end fixture was a delight for all spectators, with both sides moving the ball cleanly through the middle of the ground to set up plenty of scoring opportunities.
The crisp ball movement inside 50 continued into the second quarter with Moody on the end of an electric pass from Toogood, while Adelaide were held to just one goal.
A miraculous snap from Kirstie Lamb opened the third term, swivelling on her left from deep in the pocket to continue the momentum for the Bulldogs.
A tight tussle endured in the third, with both teams not willing to give an inch. A late Woodland goal to the Crows saw the visitors 15-points ahead heading into the final term.
Despite tired legs and rampaging Crows outfit, the Dogs held on with the final siren sparking wild scenes in South Australia.
With that victory, the Bulldogs move up to eighth position on the ladder and will face Geelong at home on Friday night.
ADELAIDE 2.0 3.2 4.4 7.6 (48)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 4.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 (49)
GOALS
Adelaide: Whiteley 2, Woodland 2, Gould, Munyard, Thompson
Western Bulldogs: Toogood 2, Blackburn, Cranston, Gutknecht, Lamb, Moody, Morris-Dalton
BEST
Adelaide: Marinoff, Hatchard, Charlton, S.Allan, Phillips
Western Bulldogs: Blackburn, Lamb, Toogood, Ferres, Lynch, Pritchard
INJURIES
Adelaide: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Smith (knee), Lochland (concussion)
Reports: Nil
