Western Bulldogs VFLW captain Dom Carbone says it would ‘mean the world’ to be holding the premiership cup on Sunday afternoon.
After finishing 13th out of 14 teams last season, the Bulldogs rose up the ladder in 2024 – eventually defeating Port Melbourne (Semi Final) and Williamstown (Preliminary Final) to qualify for the Grand Final this weekend.
Carbone said she was filled with pride, particularly knowing where the team had come from.
“It is actually quite a surreal feeling – reflecting with some of the girls yesterday around our season last year to our season this year...we lost (five) games by less than a kick,” she told the VFLW’s State of Play podcast.
“The connection and cohesion among the group is something that we pride ourselves on. I think we are all firmly (aligned) to make sure we are getting the best out of each other.
“We’re really looking forward to this week – I’m just so unbelievably proud of what we’ve been able to achieve.”
Carbone said creating a safe environment to challenge one another respectfully was a catalyst for the team’s growth.
“One of our biggest mottos was around creating a space where we can get the best out of each other,” she said.
“That goes beyond the playing group too – I think the way we were able to express how we wanted to create that environment, and sometimes have those tough conversations to make each other better, really was the catalyst for how we were able to improve as a group.
“It even went above the players – as a whole program (from our) S&C coaches to our coaching staff, everyone just wanted to get better.
"We really strived to make the Grand Final, and (now can) hopefully win a premiership.
“I think those standards that we drove from the beginning – even starting last year but mainly day dot of pre-season – has really been the catalyst for how successful we’ve been so far.”
Carbone also commended emerging ruck Keeley Hardingham and hard-nosed utility Jaimi Tabb for their impact in 2024.
“I’m very fortunate to be in the midfield playing under Keeley. As a young player coming through, to have the confidence to back herself in and really hit her strides – it’s something that makes me so proud,” Carbone said.
“She is quite a humble girl and doesn’t really like the limelight of it all but has come in leaps and bounds this season. Her footy ability is unreal.
“She has a bright future ahead of her and has a great head on her shoulders. She’s somebody that we really value on and off the field.
“Tabbs has been great for us too. She has an unreal attack on the ball and is someone that is so softly spoken off the field, but as soon as she crosses that line is a whole other person.
“She has a mad case of white-line fever, but in that sense though we have so much confidence in her that she’ll have our backs 100% at every contest.”
The Bulldogs will go head-to-head with North Melbourne in the VFLW Grand Final at ETU Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The first bounce is at 12.10pm and will be broadcast live on Channel 7. The match is also free to attend.
