Carlton V Western Bulldogs | AFLW Round 2 Preview
Written by Nathan Sepe
Following a season opener defeat, the Baggers are looking to bounce back against the Doggies, who were also unsuccessful in securing their first win of the season against St Kilda. The Bulldogs-Blues fixture is the annual pride game in the AFLW, showcasing the league’s diversity and openness to anyone wanting to play the game and be a passionate supporter of the game, and is yet again a great innovative from the AFL. It is the fifth meeting between the two teams, with the Baggers winning 4 out of 5 games.
It was a game of ups and downs for the Bagger Girls, as the girls were able to use the ball efficiently in the backline, transitioning from the backline into the middle, but unfortunately, what stood out most was the lack of efficiency moving the ball into the forward 50, ending the game with 30% inside 50 efficiency. A key problem for the Baggers seemed to be the high reliance on key players to turn the game around and effectively get some scores on the board. It was a tough day in the office for Tayla Harris who really struggled to have any aerial or ground ball influence throughout the match, going scoreless.
There was definitely heaps of player positives throughout the game, with key defender Charlotte Wilson showing her presence down back as a strong intercept marker, and yet again Maddy Prespakis showing her class through the midfield, being able to take the game on and create effective mid-ground kick and handball play to transition forward.
Opposition Analysis
Key takes from the Dogs’ game plan is their work through the middle of the ground. They look to efficiently take the ball from the back wings of the ground and move into the middle through handball switches and long kicks down forward to generate quick offensive players that catch oppositions defence off guard.
The Bulldogs effectively had the same problem as the Baggers, with the entering of the ball into the forward 50 not a problem but forward 50 efficiency lying at 36% from 33 entries. With the Dogs young defence they have quite a struggle rebounding the ball out of the 50 with St Kilda having 55% inside 50 efficiency with only 12 defensive rebounds from the Dogs.
Key players for the Dogs include star midfielder Ellie Blackburn who ran the midfield for the dogs, with 21 disposals and 2 goals. Another key player for the Dogs is Issy Huntington who is a big key forward, similar to Tayla Harris, both like the aerial game and attacking the ball. Huntington ended up with seven marks during the game, dominating the aerial ball against St Kilda’s defence and ending up with two goals.
It’s a big game for?
Tayla Harris – It will be important for Harris to get her season up and running, especially against a young Bulldogs offense that struggles to rebound out of their defensive 50. It is important for Harris to pressure the Dogs defence and challenge the ball in the air, dragging herself out to potentially open up our smaller forwards in Vescio and Stevens.
Grace Egan – It is crucial for Egan to be influential in this matchup as the big task of Blackburn will most likely be put on Prespakis, so it is important Egan has a big role in the midfield to get some touches with offensive rebounding and putting balls into the forward line.
