Essendon grind out win to go seventh in AFLW

Essendon regained a top eight AFLW spot after grinding their way to a 23-point win over a Western Bulldogs side which set some unwanted history at Whitten Oval.

The first AFLW match between the clubs was a dour mistake-ridden affair, with the Bombers notching a fourth straight win.

Essendon's 3.8 (26) to 0.3 (3) victory moved them up two places to seventh.

The Dogs became the first AFLW side to be held goalless three times in a season and recorded their lowest score for the second straight game, after recording just four points against the Kangaroos last Saturday.

With wind and fatigue from a condensed fixture schedule not helping, scores were at a premium, with Essendon gifted the first two goals of the game after receiving 50-metre off the ball free kicks.

As both sides played one or two spare defenders behind the ball, each struggled to create scoring opportunities.

Lack of accuracy in ball movement and the excess of defenders resulted in both defences snuffing out numerous raids by taking a lot of intercept marks, as the ball ping-ponged between the two arcs.

"It was a bit frantic at times and maybe not clean disposals here and there and probably our kicking wasn't quite on point," Bombers captain and former Bulldog Bonnie Toogood told Fox Footy.

"We weren't able to move the ball, particularly inside 50, how we were trying to, but sometimes you just grind those wins out.

"We won three games in nine days in the condensed fixture, and then to top this off I think it's four wins in 15 days. We'll take that any day off the week."

Essendon scored the only three points of the opening quarter, two of them rushed behinds.

The only goal of the first half came two minutes before halftime and it was a defensive error rather than a moment of attacking brilliance.

Stephanie Wales slotted the ball through from the goal square after a Bulldogs defensive indiscretion was heavily punished, setting up a 10-2 halftime lead.

There were meagre scoring pickings for the 4,000-plus crowd in the second half, with the Bombers adding just two points in the third quarter.

Essendon finally got some attacking flow in to their game In the final quarter, though Brooke Walker was the beneficiary of another Bulldogs indiscretion, goaling from close range.

Bess Keaney provided the only highlight of a forgettable game, with a drop punt from the pocket for her first goal in Bombers colours.

Georgia Nanscawen and Maddie Prespakis sparked the Bombers with their industry, collecting 29 and 27 touches respectively.