Where and when: Mineral Resources Park, Saturday, October 28, 2:05pm

TV: Live on 7plus, Fox Footy, Kayo and the AFL and AFLW Live Official apps.

Last time we met: West Coast 3.5 (23) def. by Bulldogs 8.7 (55) at Mineral Resources Park, round nine, season seven.

It was a slow start for the Eagles when they last faced the Bulldogs, with a goalless first half setting the home side up for a tough fightback against the determined visitors. The Bulldogs took control of the game with their ferocious tackling and pressure around the contest, their class and firepower too much for West Coast to withstand. Captain Emma Swanson led the way for her side, finishing with a game-high 28 disposals, 12 contested possessions and eight clearances. Belinda Smith (23 disposals) and Bella Lewis (22, one goal) also worked hard around the ground, while there was a lot to like from youngsters Charlie Thomas and Courtney Rowley.

What it means for the Eagles: Coming into this game on the back of an incredible four-point upset win over Essendon last week, West Coast will look to back up their outstanding performance in front of their home fans on Saturday. A win on Saturday will mark the most successful season for the Eagles since entering the AFLW competition, and consecutive wins will be a historic milestone for the club. After a disappointing first half of the season, West Coast will want to finish strongly, and defeating the Bulldogs would deliver a big boost for the team on the run home.

The stat: Experienced Eagles forward Kellie Gibson is having an excellent campaign in front of goals, already surpassing her previous best season (seven goals in 2019), by booting eight majors with two games still remaining.  

Oppo in focus: Bulldogs midfielder Ellie Blackburn comes into this game following an impressive performance in last round’s 57-point loss to the Sydney Swans, finishing with 30 disposals and nine tackles. In a tough year for the Bulldogs, Blackburn is currently averaging 25.8 touches a game, sitting inside the top-10 ball-winners in the league.

It’s a big week for: The whole team.

Last weekend’s four-point win over the Bombers could one day be looked back on as a watershed moment for the developing Eagles side. After a challenging week off-field, the players came together as a team and played their hearts out, showing the league what they’re capable of, and that their best football is very good. If the team can harness that energy again on Saturday, they will be hard to beat.

Big call: For the first time in the Eagles’ five-season history, the team will record back-to-back victories and take the four points against the Bulldogs.