Carlton’s Tilly Lucas-Rodd was one of 22 Carlton players who breathed a sigh of relief when the final siren sounded on Saturday afternoon. 

The Blues fought off a late resurgence by the Western Bulldogs to claim a six-point win in front of a vocal home crowd at Ikon Park.

In the must-win clash for Carlton, Darcy Vescio and Bella Ayre combined for five of the Carlton’s eight majors, but their efforts to see the Blues record a season-high score were almost undone by the unrelenting Bulldogs. 

“It was a bit up in the air in that last quarter when they (Western Bulldogs) started to come back,” Lucas-Rodd said after the match. 

“I just knew that we had to stick to our structures and trust our game plan and keep working hard.

“We are all so stoked to get the win.” 

In the Blues' third AFLW victory, the speedy midfielder racked up a game-high 17 disposals and displayed her dominance on the wing and in the backline with six marks and three tackles also to her name.


Lucas-Rodd starred in the Blues' midfield against the Bulldogs. (Photo: AFL Media)

Pleased with her individual efforts on the field, the 20-year-old said it was nice to be rewarded with a win after the team fell just short against Melbourne in its previous hit-out.

“It was just good to get my hands on the footy especially in the third quarter,” Lucas-Rodd said.

“It just feels so good to get the win.”
 

Despite being the Blues’ highest ball-getter, Lucas-Rodd attributed the triumph to her teammates in defence and singled out the return of marquee player Brianna Davey as integral to the win.

“It was the backline who really stood up today, especially with Bri (Davey) back,” she said.

“She’s a bit of a general back there, so she was an important inclusion for us.

“They all stood up individually and played a good game.”

With three wins now under their belt, the Blues’ grand-final hopes remain intact, and according to Lucas-Rodd, Saturday’s confidence-building performance will hold the side in good stead as the season draws to a close.

“We have to win the last two games (to make the grand final), but this (Saturday’s win) gives us a lot more hope going forward,” she said.

Carlton will travel to unfamiliar turf this Friday 10 March when it lines up against Fremantle for its Round 6 match at Domain Stadium.