The Brisbane Lions have shot to the top of conference B with a 32-point smashing of the Western Bulldogs on Saturday night.
Final score
Western Bulldogs 2.5.17
Brisbane Lions 7.7.49
The Brisbane Lions and Western Bulldogs meet today for a match that will have major implications for both sides’ hopes of playing finals in AFLW season 2019. Join The Roar for live scores and a live blog of the match, starting from 7:15pm AEDT.
It’s a funny – or perhaps more accurately, frustrating – quirk of the conference system that despite having more wins to their name, the Western Bulldogs are further away from a finals berth than Brisbane right now.
They were comfortably beaten by ladder-leading North Melbourne last week, but prior to that the Dogs had secured a one-point win over Adelaide in the first round and then a more comfortable victory against Geelong the following week.
Despite that, the reigning premiers find themselves at the bottom of conference A – every team in that conference has a 2-1 record at worst, and the Bulldogs are the only team to have a percentage of less than 140 (at 86).
Every team in conference B has a worse record than any team in conference A, and that means that Brisbane’s comparatively paltry 1-2 record is good enough for third spot here.
Better yet for them, the fact that Carlton are playing Geelong earlier today means only one of those teams can get a win, so if the Lions are able to get the four points today they’re guaranteed to rise to at least second and possibly top of the conference if it’s by a decent margin.
It’s only a year since these two played off in the grand final, but both are playing a brand of football that seems to have gone a little out of style as AFLW takes a more aggressive approach. Will we see either team change tack this week? It could shape the overall result.
Prediction
Last year’s grand final was such a tight match that could’ve gone either way and though both teams have changed personnel a little since then, it feels much the same. The Dogs feel like they’ve got more players who’ll be capable of kicking goals, so I’ll back them in – but all it would take is a big performance from a Brisbane forward to change that.
Western Bulldogs by 6
Join The Roar for live scores and a live blog of the match between the Brisbane Lions and the Western Bulldogs in Round 3 of the 2019 AFLW season at Whitten Oval starting from 7:15pm AEDT.
Where: Whitten Oval
When: 7:15pm AEDT
TV: Seven
Western Bulldogs
B: N.Ferres 16, L.Spark 11, S.Karlson 26
HB: L.Birch 18, T.Ernst 19, H.Scott 22
C: K.Lamb 27
HF: A.Utri 23, E.Gamble 14, B.Toogood 28
F: A.McCarthy 15, K.Brennan (c), E.Mackie 25,
Foll: K.Rennie 24, E.Blackburn 2 (c), M.Conti 8
I/C: C.Moody 13, N.Callinan 10, A.Gogos 36, D.Berry 7, K.McLeod 6
Brisbane Lions
B: M.Dowrick 33, L.Kaslar (c) 11, S.Campbell 20
HB: S.Virgo 5, K.Lutkins 13, E.Bates 1
C: J.Zanchetta 7
HF: L.Arnell 16, J.Tawhiao-Wardlaw 30, E.Zielke 8
F: J.Wuetschner 23, J.Keeffe 27, N.Exon 15
Foll: S.Frederick-Traub 14, B.Koenen 3 , A.Anderson 18
I/C: A.Clarke 21, G.Collingwood 28, J.Yorston 25, M.Hunt 6, K.McCarthy 9
Macca
Roar Rookie
Missed by 1 point.
Macca
Roar Rookie
Can the Lions out score the otherv3 tams to have played combined?
Josh
Expert
Full time That's the end of that chapter - the Lions winners by 32 points, and that'll shoot them right to the top of conference B. Western Bulldogs 2.5.17 Brisbane Lions 7.7.49
Josh
Expert
Goal Bulldogs Nearly a miracle goal from Katie Brennan there, but just a minor score. Western Bulldogs 2.5.17 Brisbane Lions 7.7.49
Josh
Expert
Goal Brisbane And Kate McCarthy gets in on the party - again! The Lions are going to come away with a smashing victory here. Western Bulldogs 2.4.16 Brisbane Lions 7.7.49
Josh
Expert
Goal Brisbane Megan Hunt with her second! The instant reply for the Lions, and the margin is out to 27 again. Western Bulldogs 2.4.16 Brisbane Lions 6.7.43
Josh
Expert
Goal Bulldogs Kristen McLeod puts through the second goal for the Western Bulldogs, and brings the margin back to 21 points. Eight and a half minutes left in this game. Western Bulldogs 2.4.16 Brisbane Lions 5.7.37
Josh
Expert
Behind Bulldogs Minor score for the Dogs. Western Bulldogs 1.4.10 Brisbane Lions 5.7.37
Josh
Expert
Goal Brisbane Kate McCarthy with a goal! The Lions surely have this one sealed. Western Bulldogs 1.3.9 Brisbane Lions 5.7.37
Josh
Expert
This is going from bad to worse for the Bulldogs. Co-captain Ellie Blackburn involved in a head clash, and she looks to be in a bad way. Western Bulldogs 1.3.9 Brisbane Lions 4.7.31
Josh
Expert
Final quarter underway.
Josh
Expert
Josh
Expert
Josh
Expert
A goal apiece in that term. An improved effort from the Bulldogs obviously, but there's a huge amount of ground to be made up if they're any chance of reeling this in now - seems unlikely, and instead it appears Brisbane are only a quarter away from a crucial victory.
Josh
Expert
Three-quarter time Western Bulldogs 1.3.9 Brisbane Lions 4.7.31
Josh
Expert
Behind Brisbane Another behind from Brisbane for the end of the term. Western Bulldogs 1.3.9 Brisbane Lions 4.7.31
Josh
Expert
Behind Brisbane Lions add a minor score. Western Bulldogs 1.3.9 Brisbane Lions 4.6.30
Josh
Expert
Goal Bulldogs Finally, the Bulldogs are on the board! Aisling McCarthy the one who puts it through. Is it the start of a comeback? Western Bulldogs 1.3.9 Brisbane Lions 4.5.29
Josh
Expert
Goal Brisbane Exon! Sells the candy and puts through her first goal of the night. Brisbane running away with this one. Western Bulldogs 0.3.3 Brisbane Lions 4.5.29
Josh
Expert
Behind Bulldogs Dogs add another minor score, still yet to find the goals. Western Bulldogs 0.3.3 Brisbane Lions 3.5.23