Hawthorn continued its winning ways in the 2025 AFLW competition, defeating the Western Bulldogs by four points in a hard-fought contest.
However, the victory came at a cost as the Hawks' injury list continues to grow, with Najwa Allen the lasted Hawk to be added.
Heading into Saturday night's clash, both teams entered off the back of victories.
The Hawks were yet to hit the attacking heights of last season, while the Bulldogs looked sharp in their last start outing.
The Bulldogs burst out of the gates, with Rylie Wilcox kicking the only goal of the opening quarter with the Bulldogs keeping Hawthorn scoreless.
The Dogs applied relentless pressure throughout the contest, stifling the Hawks' usual attacking flow and dominating around the ground, outnumbering the Hawks around congestion.
After the quarter-time break, Hawthorn began to utilise the more spacious expanses of Whitten Oval, showing glimpses of the run-and-gun style that took the AFLW by storm last season.
The Hawks opened their account through Mackenzie Eardley, who benefited from a 50-metre penalty, before Casey Sheriff capitalised on a loose ball in the forward half to give Hawthorn the lead at the main break.
The third quarter saw both teams struggle to maintain momentum as the contest's intensity increased.
The Hawks managed the only two points for the term, failing to capitalise on their opportunities inside 50.
The last quarter delivered a nail-biting finish as the Bulldogs threw everything at the Hawks in an attempt to reclaim the lead.
Last-ditch defensive efforts from Jenna Richardson, Tamara Smith, and Emily Everist helped the Hawks cling to their narrow advantage and maintain their perfect 3-0 start to the season.
The Hawks would consider themselves fortunate to escape with the four points, as the Bulldogs dominated key statistics including territory, possessions, clearances, and inside 50s.
Hawthorn's defence kept them in the contest, withstanding 31 inside 50 entries as the Bulldogs maintained wave after wave of attacking pressure.
Jenna Richardson shone brightly in her first game back for the season, forming an impenetrable wall in defence and intercepting the Bulldogs at every opportunity.
Richardson finished with six intercepts from 16 disposals and eight marks, including a decisive grab in the final quarter that helped secure victory.
Richardson received excellent support from Tamara Smith, who tackled relentlessly throughout the clash, throwing her body at every contest and neutralising the Dogs' dangerous forwards, finishing the match with 15 disposals, 10 intercepts and seven tackles in an impressive showing.
Former skipper Tilly Lucas-Rodd continued their excellent early-season form, amassing 23 disposals and nine intercepts from half-back.
With Alice Edmonds winning hitouts and the Bulldogs' midfield speed causing problems, influential ruck Lucy Wales stepped up for the Hawks when they needed it most.
Wales used her work rate and stoppage craft to help get the ball moving forward, collecting 15 disposals, seven clearances, and seven tackles in a performance that highlighted why she's considered a rising star of the AFLW.
While the Hawks now sit undefeated and level with the competition's best including North Melbourne, they're struggling to recapture the attacking flair that saw them rocket up the ladder last year and make finals for the first time in their history.
The Hawks' attacking struggles are concerning, but their mounting injury list presents a more immediate worry.
Premiership defender Najwa Allen sat out most of the second half with a hamstring injury that will sideline her for an extended period.
Allen's injury sees her join Jasmine Fleming, Aileen Gilroy, Kristy Stratton, and Ainslie Kemp on the unavailable list for the Hawks' next game in Cairns.
This leaves coach Daniel Webster and his panel with significant selection headaches as they attempt to cover for the quality of players missing.
The fourth-placed Hawks will look to make it four wins from four starts this week when they take their home game to Cazaly Stadium in Cairns against the 14th-placed Saints.
