The key talking points ahead of the Western Bulldogs’ 2019 AFLW season-opener against the Adelaide Crows on Saturday.
1. Hunters or hunted?
The premiership defence is officially underway.
And while the Dogs will be the ‘hunted’, they’re determined to remain the ‘hunters’ according to premiership star and All-Australian defender Hannah Scott.
The season-opener presents an ideal situation to hunt – the Crows hold a 2-0 advantage over the Dogs in their AFLW encounters so far, and *fingers crossed* it’s not a case of third-time lucky for them this week.
2. Avenues to goal
Who steps up to replace the injured Brooke Lochland?
The Dogs were the competition’s highest-scoring team in 2018, with Lochland kicking 12 goals to be the Club’s leading goal-kicker – six more than any teammate.
Co-captain Katie Brennan (six goals in 2018) only played four matches last year, and the Dogs will be hoping to squeeze a few more goals out of forwards including Brennan, Bonnie Toogood (five), Kirsten McLeod (three) Ash Utri (three) and Emma Mackie.
3. Debutant Dogs
Not one, not two… but three Dogs will debut in red, white and blue on Saturday night.
First-round draftee Eleanor Brown and first-year rookie Celine Moody have been named to make their AFLW debuts, while former Fremantle player Belinda Smith will make her first appearance for the Club.
Smith is set to start in the engine room, with Brown and Moody to come off the bench.
See the team, here
4. Operation: Stop Erin Phillips
There’s no doubt that Erin Phillips was the difference between these teams last year.
The Adelaide star booted a match-winning 4.2 from just 12 disposals when the Crows and Dogs met in round three of 2018 – also at Norwood Oval – in a seven-point win.
Shutting down the 2017 AFLW best-and-fairest will be pivotal, if the Dogs are to record their first AFLW win against the Crows.
