This week in AFL: Liz suffers her first ever real sporting disappointment, Steph laments that she’s not going to make it to any more Dockers games this season.

Steph and Liz attended Whitten Oval to see Bulldogs v Adelaide (23 v 48); Steph was very sad over Dockers v Lions (23 v 36); they have no opinions on Carlton v GWS (47 v 34) and definitely have no opinions on Collingwood v Dees (25 v 44), except to say that obviously the best teams in both of those matches won.

Liz:

• Being a Bulldogs fan means that sooner or later you have to get used to losing
• Food trucks: so great
• I don’t get this thing where people abuse the other side if they’re winning. Like, the Crows played really well. It was a fun game to watch, and, like, losing happens. Why chuck a tanty?
• And while I’m on the subject, “you play like a girl” is a lousy insult at the best of times, but … to shout it at a women’s AFL team … like, uh, can you hear yourself?
• Am I doing sports wrong?
• At some point, I will buy a women’s membership for the Doggies, I promise
• I’ve added The Outer Sanctum to my line-up of regular podcast listens, so that’s … a thing

Steph’s weekend in football:

• I’ve spent some time trying to make it work, but I just can’t: I won’t be able to see the Dockers play again this season.
• I did buy a Docker’s womens’ membership, though.
• Before I’ve done my Sydney membership, even!
• I can’t believe how terrible all the Sydney merch is, and how great the Freo merch is.
• I deserve this scarf. I should buy it, right? It’s just so beautiful and purple. Why can’t Sydney treat me this way?
• I super super love Heather Anderson’s pink hat, but it won’t make me support Adelaide or anything. (She has special permission to wear the non-regulation hat so it makes it easier for her mum, who’s vision-impaired, to spot her on the field. !!)
• Will Metro ever run extra trains for the womens’ footy? I assume not. It’s not like it’s a horse race or anything.

Round 3: Steph won’t be attending any games, sad face.

Your reading:

A Big-Hearted, Full-Throated Love Letter To The AFLW

First openly gay AFL player couple: “We’re proud, and proud of each other”

AFL Women’s and the Alternate Australia

A few weeks ago: “No one will watch the AFLW, women aren’t tough enough to play good football.”

Today, the front page of The Australian: