Take note AFLW, the Western Bulldogs never ever give up.
Almost creating history, the Bulldogs came from 24-points down at three-quarter time to finish in a draw with the Gold Coast Suns at Metricon Stadium on Tuesday night.
No AFLW team has ever come back from four goals down in the entirety of the competition and despite four Bulldog goals in ten minutes, the fixture finished 6.5 (41) to 6.5 (41).
Key forward Bonnie Toogood had the opportunity to get the crucial score with 1.30 remaining but couldn’t muster a goal from a tight angle.
In the dramatic final moments, the ball went from end to end with both teams out on their feet but unable to find the goals.
Playing their sixth game in 25 days, the Bulldogs looked out of the contest heading into the last quarter with Gold Coast kicking three goals to none in the third term to open up a match-winning lead.
But the Bulldogs have found a way all season and delivered a final quarter for the ages.
Nell Morris-Dalton started the run with a clean finish from 30m out before Kirsty Lamb created some magic, dribbling a ball home on her left under pressure to breathe life back into the game.
Youngster Morris-Dalton made it two goals in three minutes, tumbling one home from close range to get the away side within six points of the Gold Coast.
Completing the stunning ten minutes of football, Britney Gutknecht had her second for the fixture to tie the scores with eight minutes remaining.
Despite the best efforts of a rampaging Bulldogs outfit, they couldn’t quite get over the line, keeping their slim finals hopes alive with the result.
Skipper Ellie Blackburn was inspirational for the visitors, collecting 22 possessions and willing her side throughout despite appearing to injure her ankle in the early stages.
Katie Lynch, Ash Guest and Eleanor Brown remained composed in the backline, generating a number of attacking opportunities from deep in their defensive half.
Elisabeth Georgostathis followed up her breakout performance last week with another impressive display through the midfield, while Isabelle Grant showed plenty as a rebounding defender.
Morris-Dalton and Gutknecht finished with multiple goals in a glimpse to their exciting future, as Kirstie Lamb added another fantastic performance to her growing 2022 resume.
A vital clash with the Magpies awaits on Sunday, with a victory propelling the Bulldogs into top six calculations.
