AFLW Round 10

Carlton v Western Bulldogs
Saturday 17 October, 3:05pm AEDT
IKON Park, Carlton North • Wurundjeri

Broadcast: Fox Footy / Kayo / Binge (check your local broadcast guide)

LAST TIME WE MET

Round 4, 2025
Carlton 7.7 (49) def. Western Bulldogs 4.9 (33)

The Bulldogs snatched the lead midway through the second quarter, before the Blues stormed home in a 16-point victory at IKON Park.

The visiting Pups looked more dangerous in attack early on, but were unable to make it count. Both teams had their opportunities to score in the second half, but struggled to find targets moving forward. 

Star Bulldog Ellie Blackburn finished with 14 disposals, five tackles, and her 30th career goal. 50-gamer Alice Edmonds also performed strong in the ruck, with 28 hitouts, 10 disposals, and a major of her own.

THE LINE-UPS

WHAT IT MEANS

The Western Bulldogs have been super impressive under Tam Hyett in 2026 and look destined to participate in a finals campaign this year, if they can maintain the rage. Sitting in sixth with a win-loss record of 7-2, the Bulldogs have given themselves a fantastic platform to launch from. Having said that, they’ll face a big test over the next three weeks with games against Carlton, Melbourne and Geelong. They’ve got a golden opportunity to prove to themselves and the rest of the competition that they can really give the finals a shake.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

After a career-high, four-goal outing against the Bombers, forward Sarah Hartwig now sits first on the Club's overall AFLW goalkicking leaderboard. One more major will further etch her name into the history books, with her current season tally of 12 goals the equal-most by a Bulldog in a single season.

If the Bulldogs are to beat the Blues, they’ll need the ball in Jess Fitzgerald’s hands as much as possible. Fitzgerald is one of the Dogs’ premier ball users and can slice games open both through the midfield or at half-back with her pinpoint kicking efficiency. She’s so crucial to how the Bulldogs move the footy.