NAB AFLW Round 7

Western Bulldogs v Port Adelaide
Friday 25 September, 2:05pm AEST
Mission Whitten Oval, Footscray • Wurundjeri/Boon Wurrung
Broadcast: Fox Footy / Kayo / Binge

LAST TIME WE MET

Round 8, 2025
Port Adelaide 8.6 (54) def. Western Bulldogs 5.5 (35)

The Bulldogs went down to a surging Power outfit in a tense 19-point contest at Alberton Oval.

The Power led by a point at three-quarter time and sealed the 8.6 (54) to 5.5 (35) win with a dominant last quarter.

The Bulldogs led by 13 points when Elaine Grigg goaled two minutes into the third term, but Port’s Indy Tahau kicked the next three goals as the Power went on a match-winning run of six unanswered goals.

The Dogs made the home side pay for its inefficiency inside 50, Rylie Wilcox with the first major of the contest as the visitors gathered momentum; the Dogs were dominating possession with 47 more disposals in the first half, but Lauren Arnell’s side dug deep.

THE LINE-UP

WHAT IT MEANS

The Bulldogs have been one of the big improvers in 2026 and have given themselves a real shot at playing in another finals series. The big positive out of the Dogs this year is that they've had a very thin injury list throughout the season, which means competition for places has been fierce. Add in the fact that they play with plenty of fight and grit and that's meant they've been competitive in every match they've played. 

PLAYER TO WATCH

Ellie Blackburn returned from a hamstring injury last week and could make a real difference in the second half of the season. While she's now 31 years of age, Blackburn's leadership and footy IQ will be a huge boost to this Bulldogs side. She attended just 28.6 per cent of centre bounces last week - will that number rise or will Tam Hyett continue to rely on other names in the midfield?