AFLW Round 10 Western Bulldogs v Carlton

[bornadog]

Friday October 28, 6:10pm at Ikon Park

Win this and top 8 secured.

Western Bulldogs captain Ellie Blackburn says the team is hopeful of securing a finals berth tomorrow night against Carlton, rather than waiting for other results to go their way.

A win against the Blues under Friday night lights at IKON Park will mean the Dogs qualify for their first finals series since the 2018 flag, while a loss will see them relying on the Gold Coast-GWS match on Sunday evening.

“We don’t want to sit around until 7pm on Sunday night waiting to know if we’ll be playing finals or not - hopefully we can secure it on the Friday night,” Blackburn said on The W Show this week.

“From our point of view, we know we have a really important job at hand - that’s to win a game of footy against Carlton.

“We know what they can produce and how good of a side they can be, but for us it’s about playing consistent four-quarter footy and building a hell of a lot of confidence moving forward.”

The Bulldogs currently sit in eighth position with six wins and three losses, and will enter the final-round clash off a two-game winning streak.

While Blackburn conceded losing is never ideal, those defeats through rounds 5-7 couldn’t have come at a better time for the young Pups.

“You obviously hate losing, but it was probably a nice time to lose a couple of games - if you have to,” she said.

“I think it allowed us to reset and re-focus on what we were doing, and to bring our group together.

[bornadog]

Team

B: I Grant, K Lynch
HB: B Hunt, E Georgostathis, E Bennetts
C: I Pritchard, D Berry, G Lagioia
HF: H Woodley, R Cranston, S Hartwig
F: G Newton, C Moody
R: A Edmonds, E Blackburn, J Fitzgerald
Int: N Ferres, E Brown, K Lamb, D Bateman, E Snell
Emer: A Strahan, B Vernon, N Morris-Dalton


IN: H Woodley, G Lagioia


OUT: K McLeod (injured), R Wilcox (managed)

[Bumper Bulldogs]

Go Girls, we can do it

[josie]

Wilcox is a big out. Understand though, she is only 17. What a star she’s been for us. Other clubs will start trying to poach her.

[Axe Man]

I never realised Peter Moody was the twins father.

Rucking, racing and really early alarms: Inside the Moody operation in their super spring

When the AFLW season was moved to August, it landed in the middle of the Spring Carnival. That has made life very interesting for star trainer Peter Moody and his footy star daughters.

Sunday night counter meals can go either way in the Moody family.

There’s a lot to cover.

There’s dad Peter’s weekend runners to discuss, as one of Australia’s eminent horse trainers, from Morphettville to Moonee Valley, Sandown to Sale.

Then there’s Breann’s Blues and Celine’s Western Bulldogs in the AFLW, plus sister Cara and mum Sarah’s showjumping and other achievements.

A parma and a pot almost doesn’t seem like enough time to take in the performances of one of Australia’s busiest sporting families.

“There’s nothing like sitting down at a pub on a Sunday night and recapping everyone’s results from the weekend,” Breann laughed this week.

Her twin sister Celine said “some Sundays it’s a Sunday well celebrated, and other times you’re just (in silence)”.

Dad Peter’s alarm will go off at 2.50am on Friday.

The day – which includes trackwork at the operation’s Pakenham base, a couple of spring racing functions and keeping an eye on the races all day – will end at Ikon Park at the footy, where Celine and Breann will face off in the final round of the AFLW season, the former fighting for a finals spot.

He’ll miss Friday night’s Moonee Valley meeting – the grudge matches don’t come around too often – but an early flight to Sydney on Saturday morning beckons with two key runners in Sydney’s $10 million Golden Eagle.

The AFL’s call to move the AFLW season plonked it bang in the middle of the racing industry’s busiest time in the calendar, not that the ever-laconic trainer minds too much.

“I suppose it puts it in the middle of our spring racing carnival and also the girls and I had a trip to Birdsville planned in September, for the iconic Birdsville Races, so it threw that out of kilter, as well,” he told the Herald Sun at Moody Racing’s Pakenham headquarters.

“I can respect the sport looking for that bit of fresh air. It is what it is. I go to what games when I can, and the girls understand that and they know the hours I keep.”

Mum Sarah will don a split Blues-Dogs guernsey, while Peter hedges his bets a bit.

“I wear a neutral blue,” he said.

“I’m just happy to watch, and the competitiveness that I’ve seen in them since they were teeny little girls continues on.”

Moody, who famously took star sprinter Black Caviar to Royal Ascot and even met the Queen, is – according to the twins – “one of those hecklers you’d hate to be sitting in front of at the footy”.

“His new favourite word is ‘ball!’,” Celine says.

Breann says he’ll deliver “a little bit of a spray” on occasion during the game, “but he’s also our biggest supporter”.

“It’s just a mutual respect, too,” Celine said.

“We know how hard him and Mum work in this operation, but we don’t expect them to just drop everything and come to our games. We both have got big things happening and we try to get (to the races and them to our games) when we can.”

The twins are both “accomplished horsewomen, much like their mother”, Peter says, with Celine – a trained information systems technician in the army – brushing aside a horse allergy that’s responding to immunotherapy to chip in with the family business.

They hope to attend the Spring Carnival with family and friends, but Celine is hoping a different kind of cup might be on the horizon other than Tuesday’s most-famous equine battle.

“The prospect of being able to get to a little bit of the Melbourne Cup carnival was great, but then we’ve put ourselves in such a great position to be able to play finals that I think for me, that’s just become even more exciting,” she said.

“I’ve been at the club for five seasons and this is potentially my first finals berth. I’d love to be at Cup Day, but I’d love to have a (premiership) cup in my hand even more.

“A Golden Eagle (win) and some AFLW finals would be pretty exciting for us.”

Breann believes the three Moody girls will “always be surrounded” by racing, but with Friday night’s family face-off firmly in her sights in Carlton’s annual Respects game, she’ll “definitely” be taking the opportunity to take down her twin in a tackle if given half the chance.

“And I think some cheeky elbows in the ruck,” she joked.

“This year, we’re playing predominantly different positions. Celine’s come out and had an amazing year as a forward, so if she can put a couple of goals on the board and I can get a few hitouts over their ruck, (it will be good).”

Like most siblings, there’s been plenty of banter in the lead-up.

“I’ve asked for the first centre bounce … just to give the family something to cheer about,” Celine said.

Breann doesn’t miss her chance.

“I’ll try and take a speccy on her back,” she chips in.

But it’s Celine’s mini eye-roll that would no doubt resonate with any sister pairing.

“Oh, please.”

[bornadog]

Great story

[Testekill]

Best of luck to Wilcox with her exams today, at least Woodley is in despite also doing her year 12 exams at the moment as well.

[Testekill]

We win this and we make finals. Our fate needs to be in our hands.

[Testekill]

That would have been a laughable free at AFL level, let alone at AFLW level.

[Testekill]

Embarrassing standard of umpiring.

[The Underdog]

Ellie Blackburn you absolute bloody star

[The Underdog]

Embarrassing standard of umpiring.

It’s a real blight on the comp right now.

[Jeanette54]

Only saw the last quarter, but it was good to see the backing up and teamwork continued on from last week.

Great win !

[josie]

Umpiring appalling

Blackburn’s goals were top shelf. What a star, she was the difference. So lucky to have her. All class.

Some our on ballers were being scragged and umps did nothing. Umps evened it ups but in last quarter but really it’s like chook lotto what they decide.

[Bulldog4life]

Umpiring appalling

Blackburn’s goals were top shelf. What a star, she was the difference. So lucky to have her. All class.

Some our on ballers were being scragged and umps did nothing. Umps evened it ups but in last quarter but really it’s like chook lotto what they decide.

Yes for sure Josie. Talk about lifting when the pressure is on. Wow. What a champion. We had our Mr. Football now we have our Ms.Football.