The Bulldogs celebrate their 2-0 start to the AFLW season. Photo: Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs have hung on to record a nine-point win against Brisbane at the South Pine Sports Complex to maintain their perfect start to the season.
It didn’t take long after quarter-time for 18-year-old Isabel Huntington to showcase her ability, opening her account for the 2018 from point blank after taking a contested mark on the goal line.
Huntington then blew the game open after converting from a similar position through yet another contested mark which left her opponents helpless.
It looked as though the number one draft pick was set for a field day before injuring her knee while in the hunt for a third goal.
The injury exacerbates the side’s injury woes with Huntington joining Daria Bannister, who injured her ACL last week, on the long-term injury list.
While this was a sour end to a frantic few minutes of play, the Bulldogs added to the scoreboard and maintained a sense of solidarity in defence to keep the home side goalless at the main break.
Brisbane’s spirited fightback commenced after a cheeky bit of play from forward Jess Wuetschner on the boundary line.
With the ball heading for the boundary line, Wuetschner did enough to tap the ball onto her opponent’s foot to be rewarded with a free kick for out of bounds on the full.
The best was yet to come as the Brisbane forward kicked truly from the boundary line which sent the crowd of just under 5,300 into raptures.
Huntington’s absence in the forward line made it difficult for the Bulldogs to pose any real aerial threat, which resulted in them being kept goalless in the third term.
With the Lions staring down the barrel of their first loss since last year’s Grand Final, they threw everything at their opponents.
Brisbane were well and truly in the hunt after an unmarked Ally Anderson breathed fresh life into the side who now only trailed by eight points with four minutes to go.
But the cooler Bulldog heads ultimately prevailed, with Aisling Utri capitalising on Brisbane’s failure to man the mark.
The dynamic midfielder comfortably converted the goal to seal the win for the visitors by nine points - a result which places them in second position on the AFLW ladder.
A late Wuetschner goal was merely consolation, doing nothing to rattle the Bulldogs who by this point were set for their second win of the season.
Both sides are set for arduous challenges next week as the Bulldogs travel to Adelaide to face the reigning premiers in the match of the round, while the Lions face the red-hot Blues who currently sit on top of the ladder.
BRISBANE 0.2 0.3 1.4 3.6 (24) WESTERN BULLDOGS 0.1 4.2 4.2 5.3 (33)
GOALS Brisbane: Wuetschner 2, Anderson Western Bulldogs: Huntington 2, Bruton, Scott, Utri
BEST Brisbane: Anderson, Bates, Zielke, Lutkins Western Bulldogs: Lamb, Kearney, Blackburn
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