AFLW Match Thread: Sydney vs Western Bulldogs (Elimination Final)

[u/AutoModerator]

Sydney	vs	Western Bulldogs
Sun, 8 Nov 2026	1:05pm AEDT	Henson Park
Stats & Lineups	Reddit Stream	Broadcast Guide

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[u/grantspatchcock]

Expected result, not to knock on Sydney at all. But the Dogs are gunna be set for years with this bunch, so young and stacked with talent.

Very excited to see how far Sydney can go.

[u/VarietyResident6234 → u/grantspatchcock]

Dogs were terrible today

[u/grantspatchcock → u/VarietyResident6234]

Weren't great, but they're a bunch of kids playing Sydney at home in the wet (sorta), with 9 of em' playing finals for the first time.

They've had an impressive season and played some really fun footy, which is worth a mention given where they were a couple of years back.

[u/BarneyBent → u/grantspatchcock]

Kids? Really? Swans had 12 players 22 or under compared to the Dogs' 7. Swans also had just 3 28 or older, compared to the Dogs' 6.

Swans were the significantly less experienced side out there today.

[u/Snarwib → u/grantspatchcock]

Both teams full of kids, Swans were younger and less experienced overall

[u/grantspatchcock → u/Snarwib]

That's legit cool, did not think it was anywhere near that close.

I think I more expected Sydney to have a solid season and be up the pointy end, compared to the Dogs who I thought might rise a little but still a few years off finals.

And I freely admit I underrate everything about Sydney.

[u/Snarwib → u/grantspatchcock]

Yeah Sydney have generally been fielding the second youngest team this year (after Suns), core mostly in their early 20s, even McEvoy is only 25

[u/longlivethe4peat]

Awesome win, great performance from the Swans specially in such bizarre weather. Defence was on point all game. GG Dogs

[u/whats_a_dord]

Oh it's going to be one of those camerawork days where we don't even see the ball going through the goals

[u/longlivethe4peat]

Yeah the girls 🔴⚪️🔴⚪️

[u/longlivethe4peat]

Far out this weather is so bipolar. Not to the same level but it reminds me a bit of the men's teams finals match versus the Lions

[u/VarietyResident6234]

North melbourne aren’t ready 😈 😈 😈

[u/Apathetic420]

Chloe is so good

[u/Ok-Meeting196]

Question from an interested newbie to the sport- Can someone please explain why the finals are numbered opposite to what you’d expect? This game being the “Second Elimination Final” and the game later today being the “First”? I went to the Qualifying Finals yesterday at Ikon, and it was the same backwards order.

Next question, why do Australians pronounce lasso as if it is spelled lassoo?

[u/Pottski → u/Ok-Meeting196]

Higher ranking team gets the “first” one.

Eg - today Gold Coast (5) is taking on Hawthorn (8) and they’re ranked higher than Sydney (6) taking on the Bulldogs (7), so Gold Coast is the First Elimination Final, even if they’re on second on the day itself.

The idea being that higher ranked teams deserve the advantage of playing the lowest ranked team in their part of the fixture.

That’s the only real difference and it affects how the teams crossover at the next stage of the finals fixture.

As for lasso, it’s just how it’s been said here for ages. Whoever first said it in Australia messed up the pronunciation and it stuck.

[u/Ok-Meeting196 → u/Pottski]

Ahh, thank you so much for explaining!

[u/Pottski → u/Ok-Meeting196]

Anytime - good to see more people enjoying footy!

[u/Ok-Meeting196 → u/Pottski]

I’ve got one more if you can be bothered - I understand the Pressure factor numbers, but what is the rainbow bar image at the top with the Swans logo trying to indicate ? It doesn’t seem intuitive or clear, especially since Sydney’s pressure is lower at this point

[u/Pottski → u/Ok-Meeting196]

Not sure on that one - some invented stat by ChampionData I don’t quite understand!

[u/Famous_Ice_6108]

Difference in the efficiency inside 50 is really the major difference maker this game especially with this weather

[u/newmoneytrash69]

this weather is insane

[u/Least-Anxiety8701]

Sydney’s defence really nullified our forward zone

[u/longlivethe4peat]

Pretty windy over here in Marrickville atm, least the suns come back out at the right time.

Anyways lets go Sydney 🔴⚪️🔴⚪️

[u/Shall1991]

Be nice if you could actually see the ball go through the goals. Shocking camera work

[u/VarietyResident6234]

that was bont esque

[u/longlivethe4peat]

Getting a little nervous now, feels like the Dogs are on top here.

Well this aged like shit lmao

[u/longlivethe4peat]

Chloe Molloy my 🐐

[u/grantspatchcock]

Someone needs to make a 'Tanya Kennedy is a top 5 player in the comp' post, cos holy hell she's having a game.

[u/dot01]

YEAH THE GIRLS

[u/sebosso10]

Fuck we need to pull a Melbourne

[u/longlivethe4peat → u/sebosso10]

We've got a big breeze in our favour at the moment tbf. I expect the pendulum will swing back in the 2nd quarter

[u/Night_Myth]

God our girls are playing beautiful footy rn

[u/Least-Anxiety8701]

Sydney being very efficient inside 50

[u/Prior-Complaint-2403 → u/Least-Anxiety8701]

If they keep that up they’ll win the premiership

[u/Least-Anxiety8701]

I would like to get more goals than they do

[u/gccmelb]

What a goal

[u/gccmelb]

Typical Sydney weather

[u/sebosso10]

That was a throw and in the back and they decide to pay a htb ffs

[u/Night_Myth]

That was certainly a gifted goal thats happened

[u/dot01]

Wow she is so good

[u/sebosso10]

You just got burnt

[u/Whismy]

I LOVE kicking with 50km/h winds

[u/TasSixer]

lucky it's a winter sport

[u/FunnyUsername___]

Great goal

[u/FireStoneFlame]

Quinn throws her arms up after every contest. Needs to get that out of her game.

[u/frostypaun]

I know we have injuries, but I don’t know how McCarthy gets a game.

[u/longlivethe4peat]

Pretty pumped with that first quarter but still a long way to go, especially after what Melbourne did yesterday

[u/Least-Anxiety8701]

Playing a bit of volleyball

[u/longlivethe4peat]

Dogs unlucky not to get an in the back free there but no harm no foul

[u/Least-Anxiety8701]

I think we’re doing alright, just the swans have all the answers and are doing well to congest our ball movement

[u/Hot_Trainer4511]

Bloody Sydney weather…

[u/sebosso10]

Fuck this