THE WESTERN Bulldogs' AFLW rebuild has hit its first speed bump with an emphatic 63-point defeat to Greater Western Sydney.
Tam Hyett's tenure as Bulldogs coach started with a loss after the Giants slammed through nine unanswered goals to triumph 10.12 (72) to 1.3 (9) in windy conditions at Manuka Oval on Saturday.
Hyett, an assistant coach in Melbourne's 2022 women's premiership season, was handed the job of revamping the Bulldogs after last season's wooden spoon.
The club won only one game and it cost Nathan Burke his job after five seasons.
Meanwhile, Cam Bernasconi's Giants will cherish their biggest-ever victory after recording only two wins to finish 16th last year.
GIANTS v BULLDOGS Full match coverage and stats
Alyce Parker was outstanding in the GWS engine room and finished with one goal, 29 disposals and seven clearances to mark her 50th game.
Nicola Barr (29 touches), Zarlie Goldsworthy (four goals) and Eilish O'Dowd (two goals) also played starring roles.
For the visitors, former captain Ellie Blackburn (25 disposals, nine clearances) impressed while Alice Edmonds took 37 hitouts to the Giants' total of nine.
The new-look Bulldogs side featured four AFLW debutants in 2023, No.1 pick Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner, Brooke Barwick, Elaine Grigg and Cleo Buttifant and four club debutants in Lauren Ahrens (Gold Coast), Analea McKee (Brisbane), Ellie Gavalas (North Melbourne), Jasmyn Smith (Gold Coast).
O'Dowd produced a goal-of-the-year contender on debut within 15 seconds from the opening siren.
The Irish recruit won the tap against Edmonds and bolted straight through the corridor to open the scoring from inside 30 with her first disposal and set a new league record for the fastest goal scored.
The Bulldogs recorded just one point before the first break, with the hosts leading by eight points.
McKee hit the scoreboard in the second term for the only Bulldogs goal of the game, but Goldsworthy's goal restored the Giants' buffer after a 50m penalty was paid against Grigg for encroaching the mark.
GWS then kicked 5.6 to none to build a 44-point lead at third-quarter time.
The Bulldogs notched one more point in the final term to finish with their equal lowest-ever AFLW score.
Debutant's double delight
Irish Giants recruit Eilish O'Dowd wasted no time kicking her first goal, booting her maiden major within the first 15 seconds of the match. She followed it up with a second shortly after half-time. The Giants recruited O'Dowd for her speed and athleticism, and she certainly delivered in game one.
Good as Goldsworthy
She won the Rising Star last season, and Zarlie Goldsworthy continues to rise in 2024. The 19-year-old kicked four goals against the Dogs, showcasing her footy smarts and ability to find the ball off the back of a contest.
Ellie everywhere
She may no longer be the Bulldogs' captain, but Ellie Blackburn led from the front against the Giants. Blackburn picked up 25 disposals and a game-high nine clearances as she fought hard to keep the Bulldogs in the game. It's likely to be a difficult season for the rebuilding Bulldogs, and Blackburn's contributions will be crucial as the season wears on.
Up next
The Bulldogs will host Port Adelaide at the MCG on Friday night, while the Giants will travel to Melbourne to play Richmond at the Swinburne Centre on Sunday.
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 1.3 2.4 7.10 10.12 (72)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 0.1 1.2 1.2 1.3 (9)
GOALS
Greater Western Sydney: Goldsworthy 4, O'Dowd 2, Garnett 2, Parker, Evans
Western Bulldogs: McKee
BEST
Greater Western Sydney: Barr, Goldsworthy, Parker, Beeson
Western Bulldogs: Blackburn, Pritchard, Edmonds
INJURIES
Greater Western Sydney: Pauga (ribs)
Western Bulldogs: Nil
Crowd: 2,003 at Manuka Oval
