8,500 people have packed a sun-drenched Victoria University Whitten Oval to see the Western Bulldogs post their first win of the 2018 NAB AFLW season, a 26-point win over the visiting Fremantle Dockers.
The Dogs got off to a fast start behind three first half goals from skipper Katie Brennan, leaving the visitors playing catch up for the rest of the day.
Brennan’s first sparked a roar from the outer that rattled the old EJ Whitten Stand before she set them off again, threading one from the boundary four minutes later. Blackburn got in on the action not long after, and by the time Brennan put her third through 19 seconds into the second term the game seemed out of reach.
VIDEO: Watch the Western Bulldogs celebrate the win, and sing the team song.
The Dockers, however, hand other plans and made the third term their own, kicking two in a minute early and threatening to undue the Dogs’ early good work. But the Dogs would steady, largely through the persistent grunt work of Blackburn, Brooke Lochland and Libby Birch who fought and scrapped all day long.
The Dogs’ new faces had a major impact across the ground, with Izzy Huntington looking dangerous every time she went near it, and Monique Conti showing off the moves and composure off a veteran, her 14 touches and four marking an impressive display.
Dogs coach Paul Groves would have been pleased with the bravery of his team as the more mature Dockers tried to physically impose themselves on the game, but the Bulldogs refused to take a backward step and as the match wore on it was more often a Fremantle jumper that was slow to get up.
While the Dogs never looked in trouble, there was a some relief when Bonnie Toogood, and later Aasta O’Connor put two through to finally put the game out of reach.
The Dogs travel to Brisbane next week to take on the second-placed Lions.
WESTERN BULLDOGS 3.2 5.4 5.6 7.7 (49)
FREMANTLE 0.0 0.0 3.3 3.5 (23)
Goals: Brennan 3, Blackburn, Lochland, O’Connor, Toogood
Disposals: Blackburn 23, Kearney 18, Conti 14, Lochland, 12, Brennan 11
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Guy, Young, Burns
Official crowd: 8,500 at Whitten Oval
