Latest news with #EllieBlackburn
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bulldogs in double injury blow ahead of AFLW start
The Western Bulldogs will have to start their AFLW comeback without injured midfield duo Deanna Berry and Isabelle Pritchard. Just as former captain Ellie Blackburn prepares to make her long-awaited return from injury, her successor Berry will miss the opening three matches of the 12-round season after hurting her left hamstring. Pritchard, the club's reigning best and fairest winner, won't feature until round two after injuring the patella in her left knee. "During training, Pritch entered a contest and her left knee was forced into an awkward position," club physiotherapist Olivia Dawson said in a statement. Some tough news as Skip D Berry and Pritch have both sustained injuries to sideline them for the start of the season ❤️🩹Details: — WesternBulldogs AFLW (@BulldogsW) July 23, 2025 "De sustained a hamstring injury during a high-speed effort at training, with scans confirming the diagnosis and informing her recovery timeline." The Bulldogs will be out to make their first finals appearance since 2022 after winning only four of 11 games last year. Blackburn, named as one of the club's 25 greatest players of the last century, shapes as an essential figure for their chances this season after missing most of last season with a foot injury. Second-year coach Tamara Hyett's side will shake off the rust when they take on reigning premiers North Melbourne on Friday in a pre-season simulation, with the AFLW season to get underway on August 14.
Perth Now
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Blackburn's pride at inclusion among Bulldogs' greats
AFLW star Ellie Blackburn can't hide her emotion at being named one of the Western Bulldogs' greatest players of the last century. An elite group of 25 - featuring the likes of Ted Whitten, Doug Hawkins and modern champion Marcus Bontempelli - was honoured as part of the club's AFL/VFL centenary celebrations. A three-time All-Australian, five-time best-and-fairest winner and 2018 premiership captain, Blackburn was the only female player on the list. "It's pretty incredible to be acknowledged and recognised amongst the club's history in that form," Blackburn said. "I'm so proud to be in that position and really humbled by it. "It was one of those moments that I didn't expect to happen and caught me off guard a little bit. "But I've been quite emotional thinking about it and what it means to me and my loved ones as well. It's really special." Blackburn, 30, has recovered after missing most of last season with a foot injury and will be key to the Bulldogs' finals chances in 2025. "It was challenging in a different way, missing games for the first time in my career," Blackburn said. "To be back and ready to be playing footy, I'm just looking forward to getting out there in round one. It will be lots of fun. "You won't be able to wipe the smile off my face running out again." Melbourne visit the Bulldogs at Whitten Oval on August 16 in the two teams' season opener. The league's oldest rivalry - forged between the clubs with a series of exhibition matches before AFLW's 2017 inception - is back after a year off, after the fixture list didn't pit the two clubs against each other in 2024. Blackburn called on league officials to make the Hampson-Hardeman Cup fixture an annual event. "I'm very pleased it's back. It's part of women's footy," Blackburn said. "It's a long-standing tradition now between our two football clubs and two teams that really invested in women's footy right from the get-go. "It's one of those games that we do love having and I don't think necessarily just for our two teams and our clubs - it's for footy fans and women's footy fans in general. "It holds a special place for all of us."
