Western Bulldogs AFLW captain Ellie Blackburn isn’t taking the recent on-field success for granted this season.
With her side currently sitting fifth on the ladder with a 4-1 win-loss record after four consecutive wins, Blackburn said the AFLW Bulldogs are enjoying the ride.
“It’s a nice feeling around the place, and the girls are just so confident at the moment,” Blackburn told SEN 1116 on Bulldogs’ Membership Day.
“The energy is good, the momentum is good that’s coming behind us, and I think that’s coming off the back of some really hard work from hard conversations, and raising expectations and standards.
“If you’d told us at the start of the season that we’d be 4-1 we’d happily take that, but then to actually be in that position right now, it’s sort of like wow – we’re actually okay at this and we’re tracking along nicely as a team.”
While the thought and possibility of a second flag has crossed the premiership captain’s mind in recent weeks, Blackburn admitted the playing group is very different to that of 2018.
“I have actually thought about (the comparison between us now and the 2018 premiership team) a little bit to be honest – I think it’s a completely different group to what we had back then,” Blackburn said.
“Obviously the personnel is different, but I guess also the type of people you have in your group – we’re very different.
“People are actually buying into it - I think we’ve got 30 players on our list that actually love being at our football club right now and I think that’s super important and super special to be part of right now.
“I definitely see us heading towards that direction though, for sure.”
Blackburn said she is excited for the challenge against the undefeated ladder-leaders in Collingwood this weekend.
“When it comes to the game, there’ll be that little bit of extra motivation knowing you are coming up against the top side, and knowing it can really show the entire competition that we’re here,” she said.
“Hopefully teams can start to take us a bit more seriously and consider us a really good side.”
The AFLW Bulldogs will look to knock off the Magpies on Sunday afternoon at Victoria Park.
