A spirited Western Bulldogs outfit has defeated Sydney by seven points in an impressive display on Friday evening to record back-to-back wins.

The Swans rested a host of important players for the clash and ultimately paid the price as the Bulldogs pounced to record a 5.9 (39) to 5.2 (32) victory at Whitten Oval.

Jess Fitzgerald carried on where she left off last week in her return to the midfield with 18 disposals and eight tackles, while Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner's (10 disposals, one goal) athleticism in attack created headaches for Sydney's defence all night.

The Dogs were diligent in defending at the contest, at times giving away free kicks for overzealous tackles, but doing a stunning job of worrying the Swans into poor ball use.

Sydney was nervous and fumbly, all too often unable to hit targets by foot and inviting that Bulldogs pressure. Chains of possession were easily broken down, making everything arduous and slow.

As a result, the Bulldogs were able to swarm back into defence and close off leading lanes for the Swans' forwards.

A bright patch to start the second quarter allowed Sydney a little more freedom in attack, opening up enough to slot three quick goals, but the Dogs were then able to effectively stem the tide and slot one of their own with the aid of a 50m penalty.

The Dogs were structured well around the contest, maintaining the ball-winning layer on the inside, and the exit layer on the outside to generate transition play from the source.

Without Brenna Tarrant, who was one of three players rested for the game, Sydney's defence had to withstand a barrage of late forward entries from the Bulldogs, but simply couldn't gain any ground in its attempts to rebound.

The Dogs backed themselves in when it came to one-on-one contests, and peppered the goals until hitting the lead late by way of a neat Brit Gutknecht set shot.

A huge blow

Sydney has been managing All-Australian ruck Ally Morphett this year as she deals with some hot spots in her foot, but she was brought in to compete with Bulldogs tall Alice Edmonds. Disaster struck midway through the third term, however, when Morphett's foot was trod on and she was helped from the field in tears. Morphett was almost immediately ruled out of the remainder of the game, in what was a huge blow to the Swans. They now potentially face their mid-week fixture without their first-choice ruck.

A bad day for Borg

Jorja Borg was finally getting a good run at AFLW level. Originally signed to Essendon's inaugural list back in 2022, but delisted without a debut, she got her first look at the top level as a top-up player for the Dogs last year. It was enough to be drafted in December, and this year she has played every game to date. But late in the first quarter the ruck/forward came down awkwardly, injuring her left knee and ultimately ruled out of the remainder of the game. What her height has been able to offer the Bulldogs up forward has been crucial this year, and her absence will certainly be felt if she has a long layoff on the cards.

A handy point

With five minutes left on the clock, and the Bulldogs just a goal in front, Sydney captain Lucy McEvoy gave the Dogs a handy point. McEvoy took a strong mark on the last line of defence, and opted to re-enter the field of play through the big sticks rather than the behind posts where she exited. As a result, the Dogs were gifted a handy point, making the Swans' job all the more difficult.

Up next

Sydney will enter its mid-week footy fixture, staying in Melbourne to play Essendon at Whitten Oval on Wednesday evening, while the Western Bulldogs will enjoy a longer break before facing an up-and-about North Melbourne at Arden Street Oval on Saturday afternoon.

WESTERN BULLDOGS             2.1    3.3    4.5   5.9 (39)
SYDNEY                                   1.1    4.1    5.2   5. 2 (32)

GOALS 

Western Bulldogs: Hartwig, Berry, Bennetts, Weston-Turner, Gutknecht
Sydney: Privitelli 2, Hurley, Morphett, Vale

BEST 

Western Bulldogs: Fitzgerald, Woodley, Grigg, Bennetts, Ahrens
Sydney: Hurley, Gardiner, McEvoy, Heads

INJURIES 

Western Bulldogs: Borg (left knee)
Sydney: Morphett (right foot)

LATE CHANGES

Western Bulldogs: Nil
Sydney: Montana Ham (managed) replaced in the selected side by Aimee Whelan

Crowd: 2,856 at Mission Whitten Oval