The AFLW Bulldogs are back where they belong – in the finals.

For the first time since 2018 – when the Club lifted its first premiership cup – the Bulldogs will compete in the post-season action.

It’s been a long time coming for this proud team.  A team which has been forced to regenerate over the last few years, perhaps more than most, as competition expansion took its toll.

What it unearthed was a list brimming with young talent who, with some experience under their belts, and the help of some established stars of the game, would surely get their chance to climb the mountain again.

Since 2018, the Dogs have been close to reaching the finals action, narrowly missing out on a few occasions, including in Season 6 when the Club was decimated by covid-19.

Season 7 came quickly, but the ‘Pups’ were ready.

Four straight wins to start the campaign put the competition on notice, and despite a flat spot in the middle, the Bulldogs powered home with three wins in-a-row to finish the home-and-away season.

Friday night’s heart-stopping three-point win over Carlton at Ikon Park sealed their passage through to the Finals.

It was skipper Ellie Blackburn, one of those established stars who hoisted the Cup four years ago, who kicked a miraculous goal in the dying stages to guide her team over the line.

Cue wild celebrations for this young team which deserves its place in the post-season, and truly believes the sky is the limit.

Perhaps coach Nathan Burke summed it up best post-game: “You’ve got to be in it to win it, and we’re in it.  We’ll see what happens,” he said.

Strap yourselves in.  The Fierce Women are back in the Finals.