Two more special reasons to celebrate Essendon’s crunch AFLW clash with Carlton.
As the Bombers look to secure a spot in the finals from Saturday night’s game at IKON Park, two club favourites in Ellyse Gamble and Bess Keaney will each line up for their 50th games at senior level.
The pair have taken unique journeys through the AFLW system en route to the 50-game milestone, where they’ve established themselves as important leaders at multiple clubs.
On one hand, Gamble has been in the league since its inception in 2017, having been an inaugural player with the Western Bulldogs and spending the first six seasons of her career there for a total of 24 games.
Gamble would join teammate Bonnie Toogood at the Bombers ahead of their first year in the AFLW competition in 2022, quickly locking down a spot as an integral defender within the Dons' line-up under Senior Coach Natalie Wood and playing six games for her first campaign in the new colours.
In the last two years, the 27-year-old Gamble has proven her on-ground reliability by featuring in nearly every game and has even been shuffled to different positions - in a three-week stretch this season, Gamble booted five goals as a makeshift key forward, highlighting her growing versatility.
For junior hockey player Keaney, a delayed journey into the elite level has gone from strength to strength in the past five seasons.
The 32-year-old was scouted by the SUNS ahead of the 2021 campaign and taken as a mature-aged player - Keaney wasted no time in embedding herself as a key figure within that program, her professionalism and leadership notable from the outset.
Cementing herself on the half-back flank, Keaney provided a cool head for Gold Coast's back six until the end of 2023, where she eventually decided to join her lifelong club of support in the Bombers.
Named into the leadership group in her first season with the club, the impact of Keaney at the NEC Hangar has been clear to see, moving up to the wing and bringing her typical week-to-week consistency.
Across all 10 games this year, Keaney's averaging 14 disposals and five tackles per game, adding a new layer to a Bombers side that has enjoyed a strong run in the second half of 2024.
The duo's milestones come at an important time for the Dons, who'll be hopeful of securing a spot in the finals when their matchup with the Blues kicks off from IKON Park at 7:15pm on Saturday night.
