1. It all comes down to this
What a thrilling finale to the second AFLW season. It’s the perfect result for head office, but it’ll make for a nervous weekend for Bulldogs fans.
Five of the eight teams have claims to make it to the big dance, and there are plenty of different win/loss combinations which may make your head spin.
But here’s the good news - beat the Demons and we’re in the Grand Final.
Lose, and we need the Lions to get over the Giants (by as small a margin as possible) and for the Pies to upset the Crows.
May the footy Gods be with us.
2. Guess who’s back?
Katie’s back. And that can only be a good thing for a Bulldogs team coming off a loss to GWS in Canberra last week, and with the stakes as high as they are.
Brennan’s five goals in her three games this season still have her in the top 10 in the competition, but she offers so much more than that. It’s her leadership and on-field presence which gives the team a real lift.
After a second AFLW season severely impacted by injury, KB will be itching to get out there again.
Also, don’t underestimate the impact returning youngster Ash Utri will have. The Rising Star nominee has kicked three goals and averaged 10 touches as a forward this season.
3. Battle within a battle
Footy is not an individual sport, and bragging rights will go to the winning team tomorrow night, but there are some intriguing individual battles to be won on the field this weekend.
The end of any regular season brings with it the mantle of stats masters, and the Dogs and the Dees have several players in contention for top gong awards.
Brooke Lochland leads the league for goals (11), but Demon Tegan Cunningham is only two majors behind. Emma Kearney (117 disposals for the season) is holding off Daisy Pearce (110) and Elise O’Dea (108) for most possessions. And Kearney and Pearce are both in a battle with Fremantle’s Dana Hooker for most clearances.
It’s not the main game, but an interesting sub-plot.
4. The Footscray fortress
There’s no two ways about it. The Dogs love playing at VU Whitten Oval. You can hear it when the girls speak in the media. You can feel it in the stands on match-day, and you can watch the way the players feed off it.
And you can’t deny the cold hard facts. The Dogs have won both games they’ve hosted at the kennel this season by a combined total of 99 points.
So, bring your voice, make it loud and help cheer the Doggies home. Bring it on.
