A miracle snap from skipper Ellie Blackburn with less than two minutes remaining has secured the Bulldogs’ spot in the AFLW Season 7 Finals Series.

The Dogs left it late to get over a plucky Carlton outfit on Friday night at Ikon Park, with Blackburn’s long-range snap putting her team three points ahead, which ended up being the final margin.

The final seconds were frenetic and full of drama, as the Bulldogs tried frantically to secure the four points which would lock in their first finals appearance since 2018.

The Blues’ Keeley Skepper had a shot after the siren after receiving a free kick, but it fell short.

The Bulldogs did it the hard way.  They were 10 points down at three-quarter time and were outplayed for large parts of the contest, but found a way when it mattered most.

Blackburn played a pivotal role, with her heroics in the final moments matched by a crucial snap in the second quarter at the same end of the field.  She finished with a game-high 23 disposals and seven tackles.

Earlier in the final quarter, youngster Heidi Woodley soaked up the pressure to kick a set shot which breathed life into the comeback.

The game was played in largely slippery conditions at Ikon Park, and unfortunately for the Bulldogs, Eleanor Brown was unable to complete the game after succumbing to a head knock in the first half.

The Bulldogs kicked the first goal of the contest at the six-minute mark through the in-form Sarah Hartwig, but the Blues dominated the remainder of the first quarter.

A snap from Elise O’Dea was followed by back-to-back majors from Poppy Schaap, with the Blues opening up a 14-point advantage at the first change.

The Bulldogs hit back hard in the second stanza, kicking the only two goals through classy snaps from Ellie Blackburn and Richelle Cranston, leaving the scores deadlocked at half time.

O’Dea’s second of the game was the only goal of the third term, which was controlled by Carlton, with the Dogs facing a 10-point deficit at the final change.

Cue Blackburn, who had a huge final quarter and put the icing on the cake with her match-winning goal.

The Bulldogs will now wait to see who they will take on in an elimination final next week.

MATCH DETAILS

CARLTON                             3.2          3.2         4.7          4.7 (31)
WESTERN BULLDOGS     1.0          3.2         3.3          5.4 (34)

GOALS

Carlton:  Schaap 2, O’Dea 2
Western Bulldogs:  Blackburn 2, Hartwig, Cranston, Woodley

BEST   
Carlton: Hill, McKay, Vescio, Peterson 
Western Bulldogs: Blackburn, Edmonds, Cranston, Georgostathis 

Reports: Nil  

Crowd: 1193 at Ikon Park