THE Demons and the Bulldogs - it’s a rivalry that has stood the test of time, beginning almost 14 years ago.

In 2013, four years prior to the inaugural season of AFLW, the two clubs came together to begin their journey as pioneers of the competition.

On Saturday 29 June, the Demons and Dogs faced off in the first women’s exhibition match where the sides competed under the banners of AFL clubs.

The teams were filled with the best players from across the country, some of which are still shining on the AFLW stage today.

Melbourne fielded a team that included famous names such as Daisy Pearce (Melbourne premiership captain), Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne premiership captain) and Chelsea Randall (Adelaide premiership captain).

It was dubbed the Hampson-Hardeman Cup, named in honour of Bob Hampson and Lisa Hardeman, two pioneers of women’s football who developed the first women's championships in 1992.

In 2017, the AFL women’s competition was launched and once again, the Hampson-Hardeman Cup was up for grabs, but this time, for premiership points.

The teams looked a little bit different than previous years, with many players having gone to other inaugural clubs through the 2016 draft.  

Paxy Paxman and Ellie Blackburn surprisingly swapped teams, with Paxman playing for the Dees and Blackburn representing the Dogs. 

Melbourne took the bragging rights in that first official season, defeating the Western Bulldogs by 14 points.

Since that first game at the MCG in 2013, the two teams have met a total of 15 times across the 14 years, facing each other every year (sometimes biannually) excluding the 2024 season.

This Saturday night will mark the 16th instalment of the Hampson-Hardeman Cup.  

This year’s battle has an added layer of importance, as the two sides battle it out for a top four position on the eve of finals footy.   

The Dees currently hold bragging rights, having won 11 times across the 15 occasions. Will they continue to hold these bragging rights come Saturday?

Hampson-Hardeman Cup History
2013: Melbourne 8.5 (53) def. Western Bulldogs 3.3 (21)
2014: Western Bulldogs 4.2 (26) def. by Melbourne 10.12 (72)
2015: Melbourne 4.13 (37) def. Western Bulldogs 4.5 (29)
2015: Western Bulldogs 5.6 (36) def. by Melbourne 6.4 (40)
2016: Melbourne 3.3 (21) def. by Western Bulldogs 6.5 (41)
2016: Western Bulldogs 14.6 (90) def. Melbourne 7.9 (51)
2017*: Western Bulldogs 4.5 (29) def. by Melbourne 6.7 (43)
2018: Western Bulldogs 5.3 (33) def. Melbourne 4.7 (31)
2019: Western Bulldogs 6.2 (38) def. by Melbourne 5.9 (39)
2020: Western Bulldogs 2.0 (12) def. by Melbourne 4.8 (32)
2021: Western Bulldogs 6.1 (37) def Melbourne 2.12 (24)
2022: Western Bulldogs 3.4 (22) def. by Melbourne 6.10 (46)
2022: Western Bulldogs 1.3 (9) def. by Melbourne 10.13 (73)
2023: Melbourne 12.11 (83) def. Western Bulldogs 6.5 (41)
2025: Western Bulldogs 1.8 (14) def. by Melbourne 9.8 (62)
*Official AFLW competition established