AFLW R8 2023: Sydney Swans v Western Bulldogs, 1.05pm EST Sat 21 Oct Whitten Oval

**liz** · 20th October 2023, 10:08 PM

So, we're into the home stretch now, with just three games remaining of season 2023. This week we travel back down to Melbourne to take on the winless Western Bulldogs. It's been a horrid season for the Bulldogs who, as a foundation team and past winner, you'd expect to see up at the other end of the table, battling away with the likes of Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne. But they've had a bad run with injury, and also attracted comments from their coach, Nathan Burke, that maybe they didn't attack pre-season in the most professional manner.

We should expect our women to face a highly focused Bulldogs. They will be desperate to avoid a winless season, and they have this week and next to register a win (facing the Kangaroos in the final round). And I imagine they will be buoyed by what has left us so despondent this week - the absence of Morphett. This will have ramifications across the ground. Not only will we miss her ruck work, her follow up work, and her around-the-ground presence, our forward line will likely be robbed to cover her, with Bella Smith and Lexi Hamilton the two most likely to share the ruck duties in Ally's absence.

We do welcome back Brooke Lochland this week, but Aliesha Newman misses another week. Hopefully the club is just being ultra-cautious with her concussion suffered two weeks ago against Port.

Elsewhere, Lauren Szigeti, Jaide Anthony and Amy Whelan lose their spots. We welcome back two of the Irishwomen: Julie O'Sullivan, who was unlucky to lose her spot a couple of weeks back, and Paris McCarthy, who played a couple of games in the middle of the season. Sargent-Wilson also returns for her first game since round 2.

TEAM: Gowans confirms multiple changes for Bulldogs clash

**dejavoodoo44** · 21st October 2023, 01:16 PM

Good start. Hope we can maintain it better than last week.

**liz** · 21st October 2023, 01:29 PM

Ally who? (Only kidding!) But that was far more impressive than I had feared without our not-so-secret weapon. I'm so glad Chloe finally nailed that goal after the siren, because it felt we were a couple of goals short of where we should have been after the play over the course of that quarter.

**dejavoodoo44** · 21st October 2023, 01:31 PM

Glad that Molloy put it through on the siren, to give us a handy lead, after wasting a few previous chances. I thought some of the ball movement was really good in that quarter. Hope we can keep it up, running against the breeze in the second quarter.

**stellation** · 21st October 2023, 02:03 PM

Wonderful quarter of footy, truly dominant.

**dejavoodoo44** · 21st October 2023, 02:03 PM

I really didn't expect five goals to one in that quarter, but it was fun to watch. Some of the ball movement and overlap run was very good. Also put on more tackling pressure than the Bulldogs. Perhaps a telling stat is an 8 to 1 lead in marks inside 50.

**liz** · 21st October 2023, 02:04 PM

Wow!

**dejavoodoo44** · 21st October 2023, 02:15 PM

Continuing on our merry way, but I'm getting the impression that the Bulldogs are pretty terrible.

**mcs** · 21st October 2023, 02:24 PM

Yes that was holding the ball - but surely that is also a dangerous tackle, effectively slamming her head into the ground like that (whether accidental or not). We saw players in ALFM suspended for a lot less this season.

**liz** · 21st October 2023, 02:34 PM

Those were some confuddling comments from the commentators at the start of the third quarter, wondering whether Laura Gardiner "might" be in AA contention. Huh?

**mcs** · 21st October 2023, 02:38 PM

You could be mistaken this is being broadcast on Fairypuppies TV, such is the commentary team and the focus on one team at times haha.

Finish them off Swannies Ladies - get the ton up in the process too!