It was only fitting that Brooke Lochland kicked the goal that put the Western Bulldogs into its first AFL Women’s grand final.
As she had done all season, the goal sneak somehow found space in a crowded forward line, received a handball over the top from Jenna Bruton and snapped truly from the top of the goal square at the Geelong Road end to wrench back the lead with a little over a minute to go.
The Bulldogs held on desperately in the dying seconds for a thrilling two-point win over Melbourne in a winner-takes-all final round encounter at the Whitten Oval on Saturday night.
Emotions poured out from both sides, with tears of joy from the Bulldogs players and of disappointment from the Demons.
Lochland, who has enjoyed a break-out year as a forward, has excited Bulldogs fans with her dynamic attacking play this season.
She kicked a league record-breaking haul of seven goals in a game against Carlton and topped the AFLW goalkicking.
Bulldogs coach Paul Groves did not actually see the goal that got the Bulldogs into the grand final, but was thrilled to find out that it was Lochland who kicked it.
“I didn’t really see it properly because I was down on the bench,” Groves said.
“I’m just rapt for her because the last few weeks they’ve [opposition teams] put a lot of work into her because she’s playing so well and it actually gets her one clear in the goalkicking.”
In a low-scoring scrap, it was the Western Bulldogs’ home ground knowledge that came to the fore. The Bulldogs defended for their life into the wind at the Barkly Street end and played with their usual flair going the other way. They were not in front on the scoreboard at quarter-time, but they had the game where they wanted it, having restricted Melbourne to one goal with a three-goal wind in the first term.
Aided by the breeze in the second, the Bulldogs kicked away to a game-high 13-point lead, with goals to Emma Kearney, Brennan and Deanna Berry.
Melbourne managed a late goal through Karen Paxman to trim their deficit to seven at half-time.
Katherine Smith kicked the only goal of the third term for Melbourne, but her side was wasteful with the wind, kicking 1.6.
The last quarter was a fight to the death.
Monique Conti turned a lucky free kick into a goal and one-point advantage for the Bulldogs, before Kate Hore wrestled back the lead for the Demons.
With time ticking down, the Bulldogs needed to find one more goal to finish as minor premiers, and it was Lochland who answered the call.
The Bulldogs will face Brisbane Lions in the grand final at Ikon Park on Saturday at 12.35pm.
Groves wants supporters to turn out in big numbers.
“We want to be filling it with as many Western Bulldogs people, past players, fans, members, supporters, or just someone that has jumped on us because they don’t have a women’s team to support, we want you,” he said.
