With five days to go until the Western Bulldogs’ round one clash against Geelong, we take a look at some stats involving number five – with help from AFL Media’s Gemma Bastiani.
5 – The round that AFLW returns to VU Whitten Oval
588 days between games, the AFLW Bulldogs will resume hosting duties at VU Whitten Oval this season.
The first match back at Footscray HQ will come in round five under Friday night lights against St Kilda, on the Grand Final Eve public holiday.
Due to the ongoing redevelopment, capacity at VU Whitten Oval will be limited this season - so the best way to guarantee access to all Western Bulldogs AFLW home-and-away games is with an AFLW membership.
5 – The number of games against Adelaide at Norwood Oval after R7
The Bulldogs’ meeting with Adelaide in round seven will mark the fifth occasion at Norwood Oval – and if previous clashes are anything to go by, we’re in for a belter.
In season six, the Dogs were the only team to beat the eventual premiers – holding onto a one-point triumph in a thriller.
They recorded a similar result in 2019 – but in their other two matches at Norwood have gone down by a combined 63 points (2018 and 2021).
Will it be another thrilling Bulldogs’ win in 2023?
55 – The number of coaches’ votes Ellie Blackburn polled last season
Ellie Blackburn enjoyed a prolific season seven, earning 55 coaches’ votes to finish ninth in the overall count.
Since the AFLW Player Champion of the Year award was introduced in 2018, Blackburn has polled in 40 of a possible 49 games, at an average of five votes per match.
It’s incredible consistency for the 28-year-old skipper.
5 – The number of consecutive goals kicked by the Dogs last season
In season seven, the Dogs strung together five-goal runs in two separate games.
The first came in round four against the Hawks, running home 30-point winners, with the second coming against West Coast in round nine – contributing to a 32-point victory.
Both occurred away from home – at Box Hill City Oval and Mineral Resources Park respectively.
