AFLW Round 1 – Western Bulldogs v Fremantle: Goal kicking with emotion

Sunday, 4 February 2018
4:35 pm (2:35 pm Osaka)
Whitten Oval, Melbourne

 

By Yoshi Imagawa

 

While Bulldog girls were playing for the first time in 2018, I had my first footy training in my life. Without storytelling of my footy training, I would not be able to write this unique match report.

 

Yoshi at the Osaka Dingoes training

 

It was also the first training for the mighty Dingoes in 2018. At four degrees with sunny and windy conditions, three Australians and four Japanese players turned up at Nambanomiyaato Park, the south east of central Osaka on Sunday afternoon.

 

While Aussies have been playing footy for decades, three other Japanese guys have rugby backgrounds, like some (many?) AFLW players have different backgrounds including hockey, basketball and netball.

 

As our player coach, Matt described after the training, I have a different background. Having a passion for the sport and writing about it brought me into footy, even I have less (nearly no) experience playing it.

 

The three other Japanese players had even less experience in footy. We started with running, and then bouncing, marking, tackling and kicking were on the program.

 

Bouncing was so hard because I had never had touched an the oval ball. I just need more experience.

 

I had a fear of being hit by a footy. On Friday, my eye sights got funny in the evening with contact lenses. Attempting to wear off after work, but I ended up scratching the left eye as I thought it still had the lenses. So I had to wear glasses at the training.

 

Marking was better. I took four or five marks. Matt told us where to mark – basically above the head level, but can be on your chest for comfort by hugging the ball.

 

Kicking was another hard part for me. Hitting the bottom of the footy with my left foot around the shoelace was totally new. And stretching the right leg high was hard.

 

Matt told me that players kicked the ball with emotion. But my emotions were not delivered into my right leg or foot properly. I need to gain physical communication skills.

 

At the end of the training, experienced Aussies were generous to me allowing me to take the ball. I am planning to do my own kicking practice but have to find a good place in Kyoto.

 

 

Daughters of the ‘Scray on the footy field

 

Sunny Melbourne seemed friendly for the home team, but the game started with tough contests and ball was moving back and forth.

 

Bulldogs had some opportunities to break the tight contests at their forward line, but Dockers had strong back line with intercept marking.

 

Eventually our skipper Katie Brennan took a mark inside 50 and snatched a goal. Holding a ball with making a W with both hands, she shot easily from the left side of forward pocket with her right foot.

 

I sensed her kicking with passion and enthusiasm of playing more games this year (she only played two matches due to the injury last year). And she would send non-verbal message with the goal, “I am the top Doggie girl!”

 

Brennan’s hunger continued. Her second goal was scored from close to the right boundary line. She ran and made two steps to shot (in the way Matt instructed at my training) with expressing her emotion wanting to contribute to the Bulldogs much more this year. Leigh Montagna commented that she kicked a goal beautifully.

 

Then ‘Scray girls had selfless play inside 50 and another star Bulldogs, Ellie Blackburn snatched a goal in the first quarter. With two behinds, Dogs led by 20 points at the first break.

 

It didn’t take long to have another Katie show on the goal square at the second quarter. Brennan ran and grabbed the footy in the goal pocket and kicked easily.

 

The Western Bulldogs dominated early in the second quarter, but slowed down in the late quarter. Tough contests were laid on the ground. But Fremantle were scoreless in the second quarter too.

 

Dockers started docking goal loads at the third quarter. O’Sullivan kicking the footy and Lavell took a mark inside 50. With a straight angle, a job has been done easily. It was their first score.

 

O’Sullivan made a long kick from 50 metres out, but it reached outside the goal line. Caulfield got the ball and played on. Ernst grabbed the footy defending but was tackled by a few Dockers. Fremantle were awarded with a free kick and Lavell scored her second goal for the day.

 

With 5:30 remaining on the clock, Sharp made a turn over just on the 50-metre line and kicked the ball. It moved towards the goal posts and seemed to touch. The goal umpire just raised an arm. But having been reviewed, it was a goal.

 

Like in Osaka, Whitten Oval witnessed their home team’s flags swinging so fast. Windy conditions helped the visitor scoring goals the Fox Footy commentators said.

At the last quarter, Toogood was handballed by the tackled teammate Huntington and snatched a goal easily inside 50. Her excitement of playing footy seemed to be included in her first AFLW game.

 

Her surname was the talking point on the television live coverage. She’s got a great one indeed and well done as a first game player (she is a former netballer and recorded 8 possessions on Sunday).

 

Toogood took a mark later and Bulldogs snarled. But bang! The 18-year-old Bannister hit the shoulder and head. Sadly she was stretchered off and “Daughters of the West” was sang by Scray girl supporters.

 

Then minutes later, Bulldogs were awarded a free kick and O’Connor kicked a beautiful goal from 45 metres out. Her thoughts towards her injured teammate to be ok.

 

It was a good game to watch the replay in the following two days. Chasing the ball was what I was impressed with.

 

Playing footy brings me more knowledge of the sport and it improves my writing too. Sunday afternoon was good for both the Dingoes and the Bulldogs. Let’s keep goodness for both of us! Once again we are sharing the same time to play and train next week.

 

Other footy news

 

Memorable AFLW was played in south east Asia on Saturday, 20 January. Thanks to great help by Hayley Leary from Malaysian Warriors Women’s team and Peter Kokke, I wrote an article for the World Footy News during the week. I hope you enjoy my match report.

 

Later at night, I happened to talk to Australian blokes back in Kyoto. We talked about AFL and my involvement in the Dingoes and footy writing. They were amazed by my writing in English. I need to think about the talk while kicking the footy to encourage myself to get the six points.

 

WESTERN BULLDOGS     3.2     5.4     5.6     7.7 (49)
FREMANTLE                         0.0     0.0    3.3     3.5 (23)

 

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Brennan 3, Blackburn, Lochland, Toogood, O’Connor
Fremantle: Lavell 2, Sharp

 

BEST
Western Bulldogs: Blackburn, Brennan, Kearney, Lochland, Lamb, Utri
Fremantle: Donnellan, Hooker, Lavell, Miller

 

OUR VOTES
3. Brennan (WBU); 2. Blackburn (WBU); 1. Lavell (FRE)

 

Umpires: Guy, Young, Burns

Official crowd: 8,500