The Western Bulldogs VFLW side will kick off their 2019 campaign, this Saturday night against Williamstown at Downer Oval.
With many new faces arriving at the Club, the Bulldogs are looking to build on their inaugural 2018 season, while developing the team’s new players.
Western Bulldogs VFLW coach Sean Kavanaugh said that the team’s new-look list includes some exciting local talent, alongside many of the Club’s AFLW players.
“We’ve had a pretty major turnover of players and a fantastic injection of new players onto our list,” Kavanagh said.
“We’re looking at players who have come out of the VAFA league, we’ve got some exciting talent coming out of Marcellin and the Eastern Football League as well.
“Katelyn Betts is a real excitement machine. She’ll play as a midfielder; she has explosive pace and her skills are incredible. Having her working in combination with our AFLW players in the midfield and with Ellie (Gavalas), leading up to Jess (Crundell) as a deep forward, I think we’ll see some exciting passages of play.”
Former VU Western Spurs player Mickayla Ward was named captain of the VFLW side at the Club’s season launch earlier this week.
“Mickayla had an interrupted pre-season but her leadership and her willingness to work on her rehab was outstanding,” Kavanagh said.
“She really shone within the group, her natural leadership ability and her experience with the program meant that the girls really looked up to her. She was an obvious choice as our captain.”
2019 coach: Sean Kavanagh
2019 leadership group: Mickayla Ward (captain), Tayla Dinuccio (vice-captain), Ashleigh Gunn.
2018 finish: 6th (7-7 record)
2018 best and fairest: 1. Naomi Ferres / 2. Ashleigh Guest / 3. Libby Birch
2019 Western Bulldogs VFLW list:
Brooke Lochland
Ellie Blackburn
Isabel Huntington
Kirsten McLeod
Deanna Berry
Bonnie Toogood
Eleanor Brown
Nicole Callinan
Lauren Spark
Celine Moody
Ellyse Gamble
Naomi Ferres
Hayley Wildes
Ashleigh Guest
Bailey Hunt
Hannah Scott
Kim Rennie
Kirsty Lamb
Jessie Davies
Amanda Tessari
Ashleigh Gunn
Tayla Dinuccio
Sarah Jolly
Emma Mackay
Simone Ruedin
Ange Gogos
Mikayla Haddow
Jessica Crundell
Mary Sandral
Kate Tull
Annabel Scott
Lauren Dundon
Ellie Gavalas
Mickayla Ward
Vaomua Laloifi
Nicole McMahon
Katelyn Betts
Louise Bibby
Courtney Mullins
Riley Christgoergl
Megan Chadwick
Annaleise Xanthos
Julia Austin
Isabella Grant
