Swans beat Bulldogs by 29 points, end Western Bulldogs' AFLW season
Sydney have beaten the Western Bulldogs by 29 points, and the Bulldogs' season is over. The Swans won the AFLW Second Elimination Final 7.4 (46) to 2.5 (17) at Henson Park on Sunday, according to ABC News.
In an elimination final, the loser goes out of the finals and the winner keeps playing. Sydney now face Geelong in an away semi-final.
The weather made the day hard. It was wet and windy, and torrential rain arrived in the third quarter. A crowd of 4,325 watched.
Sydney started fast. Captain Lucy McEvoy kicked the opening goal after 20 seconds, from beyond the 50-metre arc, a long way out from goal. The Swans then kicked four goals in a row in the first quarter without reply, a 24-point lead. The Bulldogs' only score in that quarter was a behind, worth one point, from a hurried kick.
The second quarter was the Bulldogs' chance. They had the breeze, meaning the wind was behind them, but they managed only one point. Sydney led by 25 points during the third quarter, and the Bulldogs could not close the gap.
Sydney's Chloe Molloy, who led the AFLW in goals this season, spent time in defence. Bulldogs coach Tam Hyett responded by moving defender Vaomua Laloifi into the forward line. Molloy still finished with one goal, 12 intercepts (marks that cut off the ball before an opponent can take it) and 14 contested possessions (touches won in a tackle or a battle for the ball rather than a clean pickup).
Tanya Kennedy laid 17 tackles for Sydney. Isabelle Pritchard returned from a knee injury and had 14 disposals (kicks and handballs) and three clearances (winning the ball out of a stoppage). For the Bulldogs, Ellie Blackburn led the way with 29 touches and a goal.
Sydney had lost to the Western Bulldogs earlier in the season. Molloy said the Swans were a vastly different side from that one. Their win over Fremantle by one point earlier this week secured their first-ever home final, and this one was played at Henson Park.
For the Swans, the next test is Geelong. For the Bulldogs, it is the end of a season that began with the same players they had on Sunday, and now ends with a 29-point loss.
