EURO-YROKE is out of finals contention after Jesse Wardlaw and Tyanna Smith missed set shots in the dying stages of a heartbreaking one-point defeat to the Western Bulldogs.

Wardlaw and Smith were awarded free kicks inside the final 90 seconds but both failed to score as the Saints fell to a 5.6 (36) to 5.5 (35) defeat in Ballarat on Sunday.

BULLDOGS v SAINTS Full match coverage and stats

After a promising 3-0 start, Nick Dal Santo's side has lost six of its past seven games.

It means it will miss the top eight and is still searching for its first finals appearance after five seasons in the competition.

The Bulldogs are also well out of the hunt for a finals berth this year, but they have registered consecutive victories over the past two rounds after a horror 2-6 start.

Jessica Fitzgerald starred for the Dogs, celebrating her 50-game milestone with 26 disposals, six clearances and a goal.

Captain Deanna Berry also shone with 21 touches and five clearances. She also kicked one of the goals of the season with a brilliant snap from hard up against the boundary line under pressure from two opponents.

Nat Exon and Ashleigh Richards kicked two goals each for Euro-Yroke, which led throughout the first half and stretched its lead to 14 points early in the third quarter.

But the Bulldogs kicked the next three goals and led by one point at the 10-minute mark of the final term through a behind to Heidi Woodley, which was the final score of the game.

Wardlaw (18 disposals, 11 hitouts) impressed in the ruck and was gifted a chance to win the game through a free kick paid against Alice Edmonds.

She sprayed the shot badly from just inside 50 metres.

Euro-Yroke had one last chance when Elisabeth Georgostathis was penalised for deliberate out of bounds, but Smith put her shot out on the full and the Bulldogs hung on.

Berry beauty
Bulldogs captain Deanna Berry produced a moment of magic late in the first half. With her side trailing by eight points, Berry collected the ball after a stoppage deep in attack and snapped a stunning finish from a tight angle in a contender for the NAB AFLW Goal of the Year.

Saint makes long-awaited return
After a series of Achilles and leg injuries, Rebecca Ott made her return for the Saints on Sunday. In her first game in two years, the defender started the game forward. Ott looked dangerous at times and finished with four disposals and two marks.

Up next
The Saints will finish their campaign against Brisbane at RSEA Park next Sunday at 1.05pm AEDT. The Bulldogs wrap up their 2024 season away to Walyalup, also on Sunday, at 7.05pm AEDT.

WESTERN BULLDOGS          0.1     2.1     4.5     5.6 (36)
EURO-YROKE                      1.2     3.3     4.5     5.5 (35)

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: McKee, Hartwig, Fitzgerald, Carruthers, Berry
Euro-Yroke: Richards 2, Exon 2, McDonald

BEST 
Western Bulldogs: Fitzgerald, Berry, Pritchard, Carruthers, Edmonds
Euro-Yroke: Richards, Watson, Lambert, Wardlaw, McDonald

INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Nil
Euro-Yroke: Jakobsson (knee)

Reports: Nil

Crowd: 2,092 at Mars Stadium