This column may upset some AFLW fans who are very loyal supporters of what can be a really exciting game, but a game we know is growing and developing.

I must preface by saying I am obviously very vocally against the condensed fixture that the women have been handed by the AFL to get an extra game in this season.

I don’t like it. I don’t think it’s fair to fans or players and I think it has impacted what we are seeing on the park.

However, while this season we have seen the best match of AFLW ever played, we have also now seen what could be the worst game of AFLW ever played.

That match was on Friday night, where only three goals were kicked. The Western Bulldogs were absolutely abysmal in their loss to Essendon and for the third time this season were left goalless. The chatter online from AFLW fans, understandably protective of the competition, was all about the condensed fixture and how that was the reason for the poor and below-acceptable standard of play. I disagree. The reason this match was bad was not because of the fixture. This match was bad because the Dogs are not a good side, can’t mark a ball and played a terrible and boring style of football where rather than trying to win, they tried not to lose. It’s just not a good style in any sport.

The fixture may have added to this, and I’ve spoken about the impact with injuries and fatigue. But ultimately, the Bulldogs marked the ball 40 times in the entire match and Essendon, who actually had a shorter turnaround, marked the ball 100 times with nearly 100 more possessions.

This is not new for the Dogs. I said similar in the opening rounds where the fixture could not yet have played a factor. In their opening match, for example, they only managed 19 marks for the entire match with 10 of those being intercept marks, meaning they took more marks from their opposition than they did their own teammates.

There was zero whinging about the fixture, just a get-on-with-it attitude that is necessary to win. I am a big supporter of the league and I’m an even big supporter of the women playing. But in order for this game to grow we need to be realistic and critical rather than grabbing on to the low-hanging fruit of blaming the fixture for what was a awful match of footy. I don’t want to be entirely negative, though. I think it is very important to note that while that match in isolation can only be described as terrible, and, if we’re being honest there are some teams, just like in the men’s competition, (hello North Melbourne or the Eagles) who are below the ideal standard, that doesn’t mean the product as a whole is awful.

The improvement of this league overall is there, the kids coming through are talented and the professionalism is lifting every year. So, as with everything, looking at the bigger picture always gives the much needed perspective to not want to pull your hair out.