Western Bulldogs to field team in VFL Women’s competition

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The Western Bulldogs will field a team in next year’s VFL Women’s competition, after the Club strengthened its partnership with VU Western Spurs.


The Bulldogs and Spurs have developed a strong relationship in the last three years, and in 2018 the Spurs’ senior VFLW team will be known as the Western Bulldogs and will wear the red, white and blue colours.


The Spurs’ four other competing women’s teams will retain their name as the VU Western Spurs, to continue its strong connection to the community.


The Western Bulldogs VFLW team will spread its home games between Victoria University Whitten Oval and Henry Turner Oval in Footscray.


“We have developed a fantastic partnership with VU Western Spurs over the years, and it makes perfect sense for us to form a closer alignment,” said Western Bulldogs Director of Football, Chris Grant.


“The partnership will allow female players to enter the system at youth girls level and have a pathway through to the Bulldogs VFLW team, and potentially the Bulldogs AFLW team.


“It also allows us to develop players, coaches, strength and conditioning staff and volunteers 12 months of the year, with opportunities for those in the Spurs system to receive exposure to the elite AFLW level to fast-track their development.”


VU Western Spurs were formerly affiliated with St Albans Football Club, and recently moved to Footscray after forming partnerships with Victoria University, City of Maribyrnong and the Western Bulldogs.


Bulldogs’ ruckman Jordan Roughead has been an assistant coach of the VU Western Spurs VFLW team for the last three seasons.


“With AFL Women’s Football continuing to take centre stage and the ambitious plans for the future of the game, the VU Western Spurs are very excited to be building on the already successful three-year partnership we have enjoyed with the Western Bulldogs to now create clear pathways into the VFLW and AFLW,” said VU Western Spurs President Karen Hayes.


“This will establish a great foundation for our community club to extend exciting elite sporting opportunities for our current 160 players, together with future generations of women footballers.”


The partnership between the two organisations will also provide opportunities for VU Western Spurs’ off-field staff to integrate into the Western Bulldogs’ administration in the areas of commercial, marketing and communications.

Great stuff. We seem to be ahead of the other 17 clubs when it comes to developing a community around the club.

I have mixed feelings about this, but hopefully we are going to do this very well, and I think we're making a more than decent start at it.

My ambivalence stems from some significant concerns that I have about the way AFL Victoria is managing the VWFL teams (and of course competition more broadly). Each VWFL is supposed to align with a VFL team.

Now, in a number of ways this makes sense. Such alignments can give the women's teams access to much better facilities and also a broader supporter base. BUT the alignments also threaten to take away the hard-fought for identity of the VFLW teams, and to make their important and impressive history pretty much invisible.

The Victorian Women's Football League has been around since 1981. It was formed by (largely working class) women for women - it took a bit over 30 years before any of the male Australian Rules football powers started to give it significant support. Yet it is easy to imagine this history being seen as unimportant and forgotten by those (mainly men) running VFL and AFL footy teams. Already you had AFL Victoria claiming just two years ago that the 'new' VWFL competition was the first elite state-based women's Aussie Rules comp, which was just a bullshit re-writing of history.

So, for example, the Darebin Falcons players all spoke about how much it meant to win the comp this year, because they were not sure if there would be a Darebin Falcons team VWFL team next year. If they aligned with Collingwood, for example, they would be unlikely to be either Darebin or Falcons, and would Collingwood be interested in preserving their history? They might be, but I personally doubt that they would put any resources into it. (Already, in terms of Collingwood's viewpoint, the history of women's footy pretty much starts in 2017 when their team first played.)

Now fortunately Darebin have been recently told that they can stay as a stand-alone team for the next two years, but what happens after that? I happen to 'hate' them as they've been way too successful, winning 8 of the last 10 flags. (In other words I envy them greatly for all the success they've had.) But I'd hate it even more to see them virtually disappear into say the VWFL Collingwood Magpies established in 2020. They've been and still are, a seriously great club. And should be able to remain as such.

At the same time, I think that the Bulldogs and Spurs seem to be doing this alignment very well. Bringing Debbie Lee on board (who has been a key figure at the Spurs for more than a decade) is fantastic. If anyone is going to make sure that the legacy of the Spurs is preserved, hopefully it will be her. And the Spurs have a different history to Darebin. They've had some success (winning flags in 2004 and 2011), but have been on the move a bit more to try and find a sustainable identity.

Their non-VWFL teams will still be called the (VU Western) Spurs, but I'm not convinced by the need to call the VWFL the Western Bulldogs. I'd have preferred something like the Footscray (Football Club) Spurs if you were going to change their name. Now we have two women's Western Bulldogs teams, and what kind of relationship are they going to have? Will, for example, Katie Brennan be under pressure to play for them or Darebin in the VWFL?

These are important questions, and I hope that as a club, we take them seriously. Still, as I've noted, I think by bringing Debbie Lee and other Spurs officials on board into our marketing and communications team, we've begun this alignment pretty much as well as could be hoped for.

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Originally Posted by Raw Toast

Their non-VWFL teams will still be called the (VU Western) Spurs, but I'm not convinced by the need to call the VWFL the Western Bulldogs. I'd have preferred something like the Footscray (Football Club) Spurs if you were going to change their name. Now we have two women's Western Bulldogs teams, and what kind of relationship are they going to have? Will, for example, Katie Brennan be under pressure to play for them or Darebin in the VWFL?

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They were Western already. You mentioned preserving the identity of the Darebin Falcons, why would we change the name of the Western Spurs when our AFL team are Western as well?

I imagine Katie and other AFLW listed players will be contracted for longer periods and play for the AFLW aligned sides, in time

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Originally Posted by boydogs

They were Western already. You mentioned preserving the identity of the Darebin Falcons, why would we change the name of the Western Spurs when our AFL team are Western as well?

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They have indeed been the Western Spurs for a couple of years now (after being the St Albans Spurs for a longer period), but to me it's a bit strange that we'll have two Western Bulldogs women's teams - I'm one of the people who really like that our VFL men's team is called Footscray. The broader point is that their identity is the Spurs, just like our identity is the Bulldogs. No one calls us just 'Western'.

As I've said, I hope this alignment works, and I think the two clubs are pretty much doing it as well as it can be done, but it would have been nice to have the Spurs name remain as part of their elite team.

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Originally Posted by boydogs

I imagine Katie and other AFLW listed players will be contracted for longer periods and play for the AFLW aligned sides, in time

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I think this might be likely, but it's also unfortunate. Brennan has played all her VWFL career with the Falcons, and it will be distressing if she has to leave them due to these alignments.

It will be easy for Bulldogs fans to make an argument that it's "for the good of the game" or just not to care*, but I think we've been on the wrong side of such changes enough to distrust them and to think about what is at stake. I think those people on here with an affinity with teams like Port Melbourne will also have a sense of this.

Or perhaps you meant that the AFLW season will be extended to the extent that AFLW players won't be playing much or any VWLF footy. I hope that this is the case, but it's going to be complicated until we reach that time, and from my perspective, the legacy of the pioneering clubs and those women (and a few men) who've brought the game this far needs to be preserved, and they need to continue to have a strong voice in shaping their future.


*I'm not wanting to say that either of these are your opinions, or to judge you (or anyone else) if they are. I'm just trying to give my sense of what I think is at stake, and to show why I'm still a bit ambivalent about it all.

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Originally Posted by Raw Toast

They have indeed been the Western Spurs for a couple of years now (after being the St Albans Spurs for a longer period), but to me it's a bit strange that we'll have two Western Bulldogs women's teams - I'm one of the people who really like that our VFL men's team is called Footscray. The broader point is that their identity is the Spurs, just like our identity is the Bulldogs. No one calls us just 'Western'.

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From my perspective as a WB supporter I would have preferred Footscray, but the Spurs may not have, and I respect their preference

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Originally Posted by Raw Toast

I think this might be likely, but it's also unfortunate. Brennan has played all her VWFL career with the Falcons, and it will be distressing if she has to leave them due to these alignments.

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If the AFLW extends their season to replicate the men's, it will happen anyway. It seems though that VWFL alignments will be the preferred model, at least in the short term

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Originally Posted by Raw Toast

It will be easy for Bulldogs fans to make an argument that it's "for the good of the game" or just not to care*, but I think we've been on the wrong side of such changes enough to distrust them and to think about what is at stake. I think those people on here with an affinity with teams like Port Melbourne will also have a sense of this.

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There are VFL teams with AFL alignments that have not changed their name, mascot or location. Willamstown even changed AFL club alignment from Collingwood, to us, to none at all

I suspect we will be putting more resources into the VWFL side than WB did into Williamstown though, and so have asked for more control over their name and location

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Originally Posted by Raw Toast

So, for example, the Darebin Falcons players all spoke about how much it meant to win the comp this year, because they were not sure if there would be a Darebin Falcons team VWFL team next year. If they aligned with Collingwood, for example, they would be unlikely to be either Darebin or Falcons, and would Collingwood be interested in preserving their history? They might be, but I personally doubt that they would put any resources into it. (Already, in terms of Collingwood's viewpoint, the history of women's footy pretty much starts in 2017 when their team first played.)

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Cheers for your insights Raw Toast.

What do you reckon the chances of the Falcons surviving a la Port Melbourne in the VFL?

I am not sure about the AFL encroaching on the VFL. I probably don't know enough about the whens and whys to have a strong opinion though.

I'd love to see the Falcons continue as a significant VWFL force for many years without having to merge - I think that they should be given this option, but I don't think it's going to happen unfortunately.

A lot is going to depend on what happens with the AFLW comp - if the season is extended (and it should be in my opinion), then that will cut more into the VWFL. At the moment, the elite players can play most of the VWFL season, but that might well change, and the Falcons might start losing players to the VWFL teams of their AFLW counterparts (eg if Brennan moves to the Bulldogs VWFL team).

Bulldogs' VFLW fixture for 2018 revealed

The fixture for the 2018 Swisse Wellness VFL Women’s competition has been released, with the opponents for the Western Bulldogs’ first foray into the women’s state league confirmed.

The Bulldogs will open their 2018 campaign against VFLW newcomer Richmond at Victoria University Whitten Oval on Saturday 5 May, which will also be the first of two VFL/VFLW double-headers at the venue in the opening month of the season.

A further two away VFL/VLW double-headers will be played – against the Casey Demons (Rd7) and Williamstown (Rd11) – in which the Footscray Bulldogs will play back-to-back with the Western Bulldogs VFLW team.

The revamped competition will see the Bulldogs play in the Northern Territory at Darwin’s TIO Stadium in June, facing off against the NT Thunder – the first ever interstate VFL Women’s team.

Three home venues will be used by the Bulldogs, playing home games at Victoria University Whitten Oval, Footscray’s Henry Turner Reserve, along with one match at Mars Stadium.

A three-week finals series will begin on the weekend of September 8 / 9 before the Grand Final on the weekend of September 22 / 23.

It was revealed in October 2017 that the Western Bulldogs would field a team in the VFL Women’s competition, after the Club strengthened its partnership with VU Western Spurs.

The Bulldogs and Spurs have developed a strong relationship in the last three years, and in 2018 the Spurs’ senior VFLW team will be known as the Western Bulldogs and will wear the red, white and blue colours.

The Bulldogs’ full fixture can be viewed below.


2018 Swisse Wellness VFL Women’s

Round 1 – Saturday 5 May
Western Bulldogs v Richmond, 4pm, Victoria University Whitten Oval *

Round 2 – Sunday 13 May
Carlton v Western Bulldogs, 12:00pm, Preston City Oval

Round 3 – BYE

Round 4 – Saturday 26 May
Western Bulldogs v Collingwood, 2pm, Victoria University Whitten Oval *

Round 5 – Saturday, 2 June
NT Thunder v Western Bulldogs, 4pm, TIO Stadium – Darwin

BYE – Queen’s Birthday Weekend

Round 6 – Saturday 16 June
Western Bulldogs v Williamstown, 2pm, Henry Turner Reserve – Footscray

Round 7 – Saturday 23 June
Casey Demons v Western Bulldogs, 4pm, Casey Fields *

Round 8 – Sunday 1 July
Western Bulldogs v Geelong Cats, 2pm, Mars Stadium – Ballarat

Round 9 – Sunday 8 July
Melbourne University v Western Bulldogs, 2:30pm, Melbourne University Main Oval

Round 10 – Sunday 15 July
Western Bulldogs v Essendon, 2pm, Henry Turner Reserve – Footscray

Round 11 – Saturday 21 July
Williamstown v Western Bulldogs, 11:30am, Williamstown Football Ground*

Round 12 – BYE

Round 13 – Sunday 5 August
Western Bulldogs v Southern Saints, 12pm, Henry Turner Reserve – Footscray

Round 14 – Sunday 12 August
Hawthorn v Western Bulldogs, 2pm, Box Hill City Oval

Round 15 – Saturday 18 August
Western Bulldogs v Melbourne University, Henry Turner Reserve – Footscray

Round 16 – Saturday 25 August
Darebin Falcons v Western Bulldogs, Bill Lawry Oval - Northcote



* = Double Header With Peter Jackson VFL Match


I notice a number of AFL teams have got their own VFLW team so we are not the only one to have our Club's name as the team name.

Where is Henry Turner reserve? Down near where the cricket club plays on the road through to the Showgrounds?

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Originally Posted by Twodogs

Where is Henry Turner reserve? Down near where the cricket club plays on the road through to the Showgrounds?

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Farnsworth Avne, just before the bridge to go over the river. (Uni side)

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Originally Posted by bornadog

Farnsworth Avne, just before the bridge to go over the river. (Uni side)

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Ah Vic uni, my alma mater! I think Footscray Community College uses Turner reserve for some of its sports activities. My kids went there and I'm sure I remember the name being on some permission slips for sports days.