GEELONG has bounced back to form in emphatic fashion, holding the Western Bulldogs goalless in a 34-point VFLW victory at Whitten Oval.
The Cats restricted the Dogs to just six scoring shots for the contest – and just two after quarter time – as they held an opponent to no majors for the third time since entering the competition in 2017.
“We were really happy with our back six for the day,” coach Andrew Bruce.
“The Bulldogs came out quite strong in the first quarter, but our back six held up all day and were able to rebound really well.
“It was about opponent control and contested footy today, so we were happy to get that done for the majority of the day.”
Bruce says a strong week of training held the Cats, who fielded just two AFLW listed players, in good stead.
“We trained on GMHBA Stadium on Tuesday and out at Highton on Thursday, so it was a different week for us,” he said. “It was nice to have a change in environment (from Deakin Uni).
“And then to play up at Whitten (Oval), which was a new thing for us, the girls were excited for the week.
“They came out and played that way, which was fantastic.”
Midfielder Paige Sheppard was the standout performer for the Cats.
“For a small player, she’s nice and hard, and she uses the footy well and gets into really good positions,” Bruce said.
Returning ruck Olivia Fuller was also instrumental in the win, along with German defender Theresia Meissner, forward Claudia Gunjaca and AFLW listed Stephanie Williams, who kicked two goals.
Geelong will enjoy a break over the Easter weekend before returning to action with a trip to Casey Fields on April 10.
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GEELONG 1.0, 2.4, 4.6, 5.10 (40)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 0.4, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6 (6)
Goals: S. Williams 2, N. French, P. Sheppard, C. Gunjaca
Best: P. Sheppard, O. Fuller, T. Meissner, C. Gunjaca, T. Tatlock, S. Williams
