The Western Bulldogs will look to return to the winner’s list when they meet Melbourne at Casey Fields on Sunday afternoon.
MATCH DETAILS
Round 7 v Melbourne
When: Sunday 9 October
Where: Casey Fields
Gates open: 2.10pm
First bounce: 3.10pm AEDT
Admission: Tickets $10, free entry for AFLW members using their digital membership card. Purchase or redeem tickets here.
Membership: Sign up here
Broadcast: 7Mate, 7Plus
SEASON SIX SUMMARY
Western Bulldogs 7th 4-5-1 95.2%
Melbourne 2nd 9-1 186.5%
LAST MEETING
Western Bulldogs 3.4 (22) def. by Melbourne 6.10 (46)
Round 1, season six
Melbourne regained the Hampson-Hardeman Cup with a 24-point win over the Dogs in the opening round of season six. The heavily undermanned Dogs defence – missing Katie Lynch, Hannah Scott and Sarah Hartwig - struggled to stand up under the weight of entries, as the Dees' midfield took control of the match. The Dogs came out full of fire after half-time, winning it from the contest and getting the ball inside 50 quickly, but the ball lived in Melbourne's forward 50 for most of the final quarter before Kate Hore sealed the game. Skipper Ellie Blackburn notched up 21 touches and seven tackles, while partner-in-crime Kirsty Lamb had 15 disposals and four tackles.
TALKING POINTS
Bouncing back
The Bulldogs will be looking to bounce back from their heartbreaking one-point loss to the Cats, and what better challenge to do so than taking on last season’s Grand Finalists on their home deck. In the six encounters between these two sides since 2017, the Dogs have triumphed on two occasions – but will be even hungrier for a win considering their last fortnight of misfortune.
Hampson-Hardeman Cup
Sunday’s battle will mark the 13th instalment of the Hampson-Hardeman Cup. The Cup was named in honour of women’s footy pioneers Barb Hampson and Lisa Hardeman, who developed the first women’s national championships in 1998, and was established by the two clubs for the inaugural exhibition match held at the MCG in 2013. The exhibition games were played annually over four years, before the introduction of the official AFLW competition in 2017. Melbourne is currently in possession of the Cup following its 24-point win in the opening round of season six.
Blackburn on track for record disposals
Skipper Ellie Blackburn could add another milestone to her accomplishments on Sunday. She only needs three more disposals to tally 1000 career possessions, which would make her the first Bulldog to do so, and just the seventh AFLW player overall. Lion Ally Anderson was the last to reach it in the round just passed, while Crow Ebony Marinoff was the first to record the 1000.
