THE WESTERN Bulldogs have confirmed that star forward Bonnie Toogood wants to play for inaugural AFLW team Essendon.

AFL.com.au's Riley Beveridge first revealed that Toogood was looking to change clubs, and in a statement on Wednesday the Bulldogs said that Toogood had informed the club of her intentions.

Toogood led the Dogs' goalkicking tally this season and stood strong in attack, despite playing largely as a standalone key forward target after fellow tall forward Isabel Huntington went down with an ACL injury.

Bonnie Toogood handballs against Gold Coast in R3, 2022. Picture: Getty Images

"It’s obviously a very disappointing and unexpected outcome for us to lose a player and person of Bonnie’s calibre, especially considering the extensive amount of time and investment we have put into her football and personal development over her career with us," Western Bulldogs general manager of women’s football Debbie Lee told the club's website.

"Our focus remains on building a strong playing list which will give us the best chance to achieve on-field success in the coming years."

Toogood was signed as a rookie in 2017 and has since played 37 games, including the Dogs' 2018 premiership, kicking 29 goals in the process.

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The Bombers were excited to bring the experienced Bulldog to the club to help develop a young team.

"Bonnie is a versatile forward who will bring a wealth of experience and leadership to our team," Essendon AFLW contract manager Georgia Harvey said.

"She is a player who has a lot of potential and we look forward to continuing her development at our football club. Bonnie will be an integral part of our team."

Last week Huntington requested a trade to GWS, while high profile expansion targets Ellie Blackburn and Kirsty Lamb confirmed they would be staying with the Dogs for season seven.