ST KILDA'S season has gone from bad to worse, serving up its worst performance of 2026, kicking just one point with 90 seconds left on the clock to remain anchored on the bottom of the ladder.
It was a day of negative football, starkly juxtaposing the trend of the AFLW this year, as the Western Bulldogs' inaccurate showing in attack marginally lightening the blow, finishing with a 3.13 (31) to 0.1 (1) scoreline at Mars Stadium in Ballarat.
BULLDOGS v SAINTS Full match coverage and stats
The conditions made things tough, bitingly cold and sideways rain sweeping through, but not bad enough to justify St Kilda's impotence. The Bulldogs adapted to the slippery deck, willing to engage one percenters, kick the ball off the deck and gain ground at all costs.
Isabelle Pritchard (35 disposals, six clearances) was outstanding through the middle once again, as was Alice Edmonds (19 disposals, 29 hitouts) through the ruck, while a permanent role in the midfield suited former defender Cleo Buttifant, who kicked her first career goal to open proceedings.
Meanwhile the Saints struggled to win any sense of control.
They were unable to make anything of the momentum gathered in a more encouraging performance last week, too often handing the ball back to the Dogs under pressure, which they then turned into attack. The contested possession count was telling, with the Bulldogs winning the count 128-84 despite wet conditions which called for a willingness to get busy in the contest.
It was by virtue of the Bulldogs' elite pressure and territory game, unsurprisingly led by Elaine Grigg (seven tackles) and Edmonds (six). But it did take some time for them to kick into gear and start getting busy on the scoreboard. An inaccurate first term was somewhat rectified in the second, but they will certainly have rued their missed opportunities.
Play was trapped on the Bulldogs' forward flank for the duration of the third quarter, as the Dogs trapped St Kilda tight up on the boundary, but couldn't generate productive shots on goal themselves.
Jesse Tawhiao-Wardlaw came up into the ruck to try and get involved in the play, and Charlotte Baskaran worked off the half back line to try and generate some rebound.
Up next
The Saints will return home to face Collingwood at RSEA Park on Saturday afternoon.
WESTERN BULLDOGSÂ Â Â Â 1.5 Â Â 3.9 Â Â 3.11 Â 3.13 (31)
ST KILDAÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 0.0 Â Â 0.0 Â Â 0.0 Â Â 0.1 (1)
GOALSÂ
Western Bulldogs: Buttifant, Hartwig, Wilcox
St Kilda: Nil
BESTÂ
Western Bulldogs: Pritchard, Edmonds, Wilcox, Grigg, Cann
St Kilda: Watson, Louvel-Finn, Smith
INJURIESÂ
Western Bulldogs: Nil
St Kilda: Gee (right shoulder), Forbes (right knee)
Crowd: 1602 at Mars Stadium
