AFLW: Dog duo named round two Rising Stars

[Bulldog4life]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-02-1...o-rising-stars

WESTERN Bulldogs duo Bonnie Toogood and Libby Birch are the NAB AFL Women's Rising Star nominees for round two.

Toogood amassed 10 disposals (at 80 per cent efficiency) and three tackles in the Dogs' win over the Brisbane Lions on Sunday.

Match report: Dogs stay perfect against Lions

The 20-year-old was selected No.11 in the 2017 NAB AFLW Rookie Draft and debuted against Fremantle in round one.

Birch is in her second season with the Bulldogs after playing all seven games last year.

The athletic defender recorded six disposals, all contested, in a reliable performance in defence.

Players qualify for the Rising Star if they were 21 or younger on January 1, 2018, and have not previously been nominated.

[Happy Days]

Have been really impressed with Toogood. She's a really natural footballer.

[Twodogs]

Great stuff girls.

[Bulldog4life]

Have been really impressed with Toogood. She's a really natural footballer.

WHEN Bonnie Toogood was rookie-listed by the Western Bulldogs late last year, footy commentators around Australia collectively high fived each other.
There have been some funny names in AFL circles — think Wylie Buzza, Orazio Fantasia — but perhaps none as playful as ‘Toogood’.

The netball convert, who has played in both the Bulldogs’ wins this season, says her surname is both “a blessing and a curse”. But she can certainly see the hilarity of it all.

“I’ve been saying it’s either going to be a blessing or a curse because as soon as I do something bad it’s going to be, ‘Oh, she’s not Toogood’,” the 19-year-old told foxfooty.com.au.

“But my whole life I’ve had people give me a little bit of (stick) about the surname.

“It is funny and I want commentators to have fun with it.”

Kelli Underwood wasted no time in doing just that when Toogood kicked her first AFLW goal with a right foot snap against Fremantle in Round 1.

It was an instinctive goal for someone who had given the game away when she could no longer play with the boys as a 14-year-old at South Melbourne.

“It’s pretty surreal actually. It was kind of a full circle moment for me because I played footy as a kid,” Toogood said.

“I always wanted to play, but didn’t see a future. Then I got this opportunity. It has been pretty amazing.”

There was no light bulb moment for Toogood. But when she heard the AFL was launching a women’s competition her 14-year-old self came to the fore.

“I thought, ‘Now this can actually be a future for me’,” Toogood said.

“I had a netball coach who was connected with the Bulldogs. She told me the club was putting on trials and asked if I wanted to give it a go.”

Toogood was rookie-listed almost immediately and in February was upgraded to the Bulldogs’ primary list. She may only be two games into her fledgling AFLW career, but already she has added a more physical look to the Bulldogs’ line up.

“As a netballer I was a GA so I’ve always known how to use my body and protect space,” Toogood said.

“But my netball coach said to me, ‘You always played netball like a footballer’.

“The ability to tackle, bump and go at the footy 110 per cent knowing I don’t have to stop really quickly has been working in my favour. It has been really exciting to give it a go and be fearless with it.”

Toogood has leant on Hannah Scott, skipper Katie Brennan and Ellie Blackburn for advice on how to best play her role.

“Hannah has been a really big idol and mentor for me, as well as KB,” Toogood said.

“Watching her game, how strong she is with her hands ... I think that’s one of my assets I’ve been able to bring to the team.

“Those two especially have been mentors to me. And Ellie Blackburn. Her footy smarts are just amazing.

“She’ll tell me to come through to the footy, use my hips more, things like that. She has been instrumental in my development over the past three months.”

While Toogood is aware she still has much to learn, she is embracing her role, with coach Paul Groves giving her licence to use her physicality and crack in.

As for that surname?

“It could be taken as a very arrogant last name,” Toogood said with a laugh.

“But if I can follow it up with my skills and hard work then maybe I can be somewhat ‘Toogood’.”

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/wes...6a5a47704c813a

[Testekill]

I think that we might have to move Toogood to playing out of full forward now that Huntington is out. She moves well enough and is strong enough in the body that I think she can be competitive in that position

[bornadog]

Round 4 - Dogs' Double Rising Star Nomination


Aisling Utri and Monique Conti were named round four nominees for the NAB Rising Star.

[bornadog]

A little bit about the girls.

WESTERN Bulldogs teammates Monique Conti and Aisling Utri are the NAB AFL Women’s Rising Star nominees for round four.

The pair looked lively through the midfield and forward line on Friday night as Western Bulldogs beat Carlton by a record 73 points.

Conti racked up 16 disposals and laid three tackles while showing great agility to move in and out of traffic.
At just 18, she was one of the big names heading into the 2017 NAB AFLW Draft, and was selected by the Dogs with pick No.4.

A cross-code basketballer, Conti successfully split her time in the pre-season with her commitments to the Melbourne Boomers in the WNBL.

Utri finished with a personal-best 18 disposals (nine of which were contested) and two clearances against the Blues.
Initially picked as a rookie last August, the 19-year-old was later upgraded to the main list before the season.

Utri successfully crossed to football from field hockey. The Victorian Institute of Sport scholarship holder is aiming to make the Australian hockey team.

Both players made their debuts in round one this season and have appeared in all four games.
The Bulldogs’ future looks bright with four of their young stars nominated for the Rising Star award in the first half of the season. Libby Birch and Bonnie Toogood were given the honours in round two.

Players qualify for the Rising Star if they were 21 years old or younger on January 1, 2018, and have not previously been nominated.

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