CARLTON will close out the home-and-away season back home at IKON Park when it takes on the Western Bulldogs under Friday night lights.
The Round 10 fixture will mark the annual AFLW Carlton Respects Game, which will be taking place for the sixth consecutive season.
It’s also the first AFLW Carlton Respects Game since the IKON Park redevelopment, with a fully functioning new match-day facility.
Orange socks will return for the Game Changers, in the distinct symbol of the Club’s Carlton Respects initiative: promoting gender equality for the prevention of violence against women.
What to watch:
Twin sisters Breann and Celine Moody will go head-to-head – the third time the pair have faced off in their AFLW careers.
The sisters are just one component of an intriguing ruck battle, with the Bulldogs and Blues ranked first and second in the league for hitouts respectively.
Jess Good will need to step up to support Breann Moody up against Dogs’ duo Celine Moody and number-one ruck Alice Edmonds, who leads the competition for total hitouts individually with 242.
The Nos.1 and 2 picks from the 2019 AFLW Draft will also be on show, with Gabby Newton and Lucy McEvoy likely to cross paths in the Blues’ defensive 50.
An eye on the opposition:
The Bulldogs have one hand on their first finals berth since their 2018 flag, maintaining a one-game buffer in eighth place through their 32-point win over the Eagles.
A win over the Blues would confirm their place without doubt, with the Dogs’ fate in their own hands.
Ellie Blackburn has only solidified her reputation as one of the best players in the competition, ably supported by the courageous Kirsty Lamb, while young guns Rylie Wilcox and Sarah Hartwig have proved dangerous up forward in recent weeks.
The Bulldogs will be without forward Kirsten McLeod, who will miss the remainder of AFLW season seven after suffering a broken fibula and syndesmosis injury to her left ankle in Round 9.
Last time we met:
The Blues and Dogs last met in Round 2 of season five, with just one straight kick separating the two sides as the Dogs claimed bragging rights.
The match was just the second of Mimi Hill’s AFLW career but provided a glimpse of what was to come for the reigning Rising Star.
Overall the ledger sits slightly in favour of the Blues, having won three of the five clashes between the two teams over the past six seasons.
Game details:
IKON Park
Friday 28 October, 6:10pm AEDT
Broadcast live on Channel 7, FOX Footy, AFLW app and Kayo.
Tickets can be purchased here.
