ALICE Edmonds, take a bow.
From the ruck, Edmonds led the Western Bulldogs to a commanding 57-point victory, adding to the Pride festivities under lights on Friday evening.
The heaving crowd at Mission Whitten Oval was treated to the 10.7 (67) to 1.4 (10) Bulldogs victory, as they ran rings around the Bombers in beautiful conditions.
Within three minutes the Dogs had put last year’s horror night against Essendon in the rear-view mirror, and they never looked back. The 67-point return is the Bulldogs’ highest since 2022 (S6).
On the flip side, Daria Bannister saved the Bombers from their lowest ever score with a goal in the final seconds of the game.’
Running in waves, using the width of the ground, and dominating one-on-one contests, the Bulldogs proved what kind of aggressive, difficult to defend team they are becoming.
Edmonds was the star. With 32 hitouts, two contested marks, and a goal, she set up her midfield beautifully, and dominated opposing ruck Steph Wales. Meanwhile Isabelle Pritchard (20 disposals, six clearances, one goal) showed why she has drawn comparisons to her fellow Dogs No.4, Marcus Bontempelli.
Essendon simply had no answers for the Dogs’ relentless attack.
First-year key forward Emma McDonald (five marks, two gaols) moved beautifully inside 50. Her ability to lead up at the footy and take marks offered a sense of structure to the Bulldogs’ attacking line. She was well supported by Sarah Hartwig (13 disposals, three goals) who has found her groove in recent weeks.
The Bombers weren’t afforded the space or time required to effectively move the footy. Every possession was worried, rushed, or turned over, and the pressure built steadily as the game wore on.
And that was all when they actually got their hands on the footy. The Dogs dominated possession, and no matter how hard Georgia Nanscawen (25 disposals, six tackles) worked at the coal face, Essendon couldn’t find control with ball in hand. Five Bombers failed to register a touch in the opening quarter, signalling an ominous trend for the remainder of the evening.
The home side went on to win the disposal count 260-233, while also using the ball more efficiently.
There seemed to be an energy gap between the sides. Where the Dogs moved proactively with speed, the Bombers seemed lethargic, often caught trailing their opponents.
In the only real negative for the Bulldogs, Pritchard may come under the scrutiny of the match review officer after throwing an elbow at Maddy Prespakis in an effort to create space in the final quarter, but clumsily collected the Bomber high, forcing her from the field as blood flowed from her temple.
A moment of curiosity
Early in the final quarter, an eager whistle from an umpire caused a little confusion. Sarah Hartwig went to take a mark on the wing, and before the Dog had control of the footy, the umpire whistled to confirm the mark. Realising the error, the umpire had to bring the footy back and throw the ball up into neutral territory to get things going again.
The Dogs do Pride well
Given the opportunity to open the two weeks of AFLW Pride round, the Bulldogs put on one hell of a show. With activations, drag queens, pumping music, and puppies, it was as entertaining behind the fence as it was in front of it. While this fixture last year was admonished for the highly defensive, dour spectacle that brought coaching styles into question, this year’s version couldn’t have been more different. The Dogs made the most of the attacking footy they’ve played in recent weeks, and the crowd fed off it.
Entertainers are seen as part of Pride Round before the match between the Western Bulldogs and Essendon at Whitten Oval in round nine, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos
Welcome back, Mua
For the first time in 706 days, fan favourite Vaomua Laloifi took to the footy field. In her first game back from an ACL injury that cruelled her 2024 season, she donned the red, white, and blue guernsey for the first time. Midway through the first term, she entered the game to a raucous cheer from the Bulldogs-heavy grandstand.
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Up next
The Western Bulldogs travel to Mackay to take on Gold Coast at Great Barrier Reef Arena, closing round 10 on Sunday evening, while Essendon returns to its home of Windy Hill to host Brisbane in its second Pride Round fixture.
WESTERN BULLDOGS 1.0 6.1 8.5 10.7 (67)
ESSENDON 0.0 0.2 0.2 1.4 (10)
GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Hartwig 3, McDonald 2, Pritchard, Edmonds, Grigg, Gavalas, Woodley
Essendon: Bannister
BEST
Western Bulldogs: Edmonds, Pritchard, Woodley, Blackburn, Hartwig, Wilcox
Essendon: Nanscawen, Gay, Prespakis, Toogood
INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Nil
Essendon: Prespakis (head)
Crowd: 4,234 at Mission Whitten Oval
