The Western Bulldogs have continued their winning ways with a narrow 12-point victory over a determined Geelong outfit at VU Whitten Oval on Friday night.

The victory was once again built around a strong midfield performance, seeing a breakout game from speedy midfielder Elisabeth Georgostathis. The 20-year-old was everywhere throughout the contest, collecting 23 touches and kicking an important goal.

Kirsty Lamb was prominent in the match with a game-high 26 touches, while skipper Ellie Blackburn and Naomi Ferres contributed strongly.

Bonnie Toogood continued her stellar season to be the dominant forward on the ground with two majors and 15 touches.

05:02

AFLW Match Highlights | R7 vs Geelong

The Bulldogs and Cats clash in round seven of the NAB AFL Women's Competition

The home team burst out of the blocks for a second week in a row, kicking two goals to none in the first term to open up a 14-point lead.

Toogood started the run, finishing a set shot from directly in front before Georgostathis roved a pack inside 50 and converted on the run from a tight angle.

A 50m penalty increased the lead for the Dogs, as Toogood kicked truly from the square to further the margin.

Geelong’s pressure increased in the last quarter and resulted in two straight goals to keep the Cats’ in the contest. Despite the late drama, the Bulldogs hung on to record a 3.10 (28) to 2.4 (16) victory.

00:25

AFLW Team Song: Western Bulldogs

Watch the Bulldogs celebrate their round seven win

The important win keeps the Bulldogs’ finals hopes alive, moving to one game outside the six with three games to play.

Eleanor Brown led the backline courageously with 17 disposals and three marks, while Ellyse Gamble and Elle Bennetts made successful returns from injury. 

The victory signalled the last home game of the season at VU Whitten Oval, with the Dogs set to play their final home-and-away game at Ballarat in front of their home crowd.  

The Bulldogs next face Gold Coast away in a Tuesday night clash at Metricon Stadium, making up for a previous fixture lost to AFL Health and Safety Protocols earlier in the season.

01:31

Elisabeth Georgostathis | 'We stepped it up after quarter-time'

Bulldogs Midfielder Elisabeth Georgostathis chats about her performance in the Round 7 victory over Geelong.


WESTERN BULLDOGS                       0.2     2.4     3.9    3.10    (28)
GEELONG                                            0.0     0.2     0.2     2.4     (16)

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Toogood 2, Georgostathis
Geelong: Scheer, McWilliams

BEST 
Western Bulldogs: Georgostathis, Lamb, Blackburn, Toogood
Geelong: Emonson, Webster, Scheer, A.McDonald 

INJURIES 
Western Bulldogs: Nil
Geelong: Nil

Reports: Nil

Crowd: 1,530 at VU Whitten Oval