Dogs in Moorabbin
We finally made it to see the Western Bulldogs just before the regular season ended. We played the Saints out at Moorabbin Oval (I'm like the ABC, I don't acknowledge naming rights sponsors).
As a dual team household, this was not our first AFLW attendance of 2025, having been to Arden Street to see the Blues pay their respects to the unbeatable North.
I really like going to the daggy outer bayside suburbs. They have a nice vibe. Moorabbin Oval is tucked amongst houses so those of us who caught the train there have to wind through quiet streets to get to the venue. It was also our first really warm day of the season and it was good to be outdoors.
We got there just on the siren and spent most of the first quarter fighting with Ticketmaster's website in our efforts to buy tickets. A helpful member of the ground staff pointed us to the ticket box instead. That was also slow, because once you have paid for your ticket they send you a Ticketmaster link and everyone stands at the ticket box waiting for the SMS to arrive before walking to the gate. And then it takes ages to get past the gate because their readers can't read a phone screen in the sun.
I felt really sorry for the staff who were just as frustrated as everyone else, and I wish the AFL and Ticketmaster fiery deaths for forcing this nonsense upon us all. Shout out to the old bloke in front of us who just said "I'm 80" and made them give him a paper ticket.
Anyway, let's not let this ruin a good day.
One of the nice things about the AFLW is the suburban grounds. You can stand right on the boundary fence, or sit on the grass, and feel close to the game. The crowd of nearly 3000 was big enough to be lively. There was also a very healthy turnout of Dogs fans and we were rewarded with a strong win to end the season.
(For the record: Saints 4.3 27 vs Dogs 10.12 72.)
Another thing I really enjoy about the AFLW is the gameplay. It's less of a kicks-and-marks game compared to the men's which means there are a lot more tackles and handballs. It's pretty rough. The players are very nimble and can get out of tight situations to keep the play moving. So even with more tackles it's not at all stop-and-start.
Of course, the other great thing about the AFLW is that its gender and sexuality non-conformity is baked in, and it really shows not only in the players but in who turns up to watch. After the game finished we had an enjoyable chat with a queer superfan who info-dumped on us amazingly.
The other really wholesome moment: a kid came up to us and said, "'scuse me, can I have your empty cans?" I hope he ended up with a good haul and enough container deposits to buy something cool.
The Dogs are now done for the year and seem to be set up for a good season in 2026. We're all in with the Blues.
