DEMOLITION DOGS
Slow start, decisive finish
THERE’S still a lot of fight in this Western Bulldogs team.
Down by four goals early in the second term against an unrelenting Hawthorn outfit who had kicked five of the first six goals, the Bulldogs needed to respond in order to avoid a big defeat and to their credit they did exactly that and some.
After Ned Reeves took the Hawks’ lead to 26 points three minutes into the second quarter, the Bulldogs demolished the Hawks, booting 13 unanswered goals in just over an hour for a 42 point win at Marvel Stadium.
Luke Beveridge’s side upped its pressure around the ground (58-54 tackles) and won at the coal-face in trademark style (40-31 clearances). The Hawks had no answers for the tidal wave of Bulldogs momentum.
Jack Macrae (31 disposals, six clearances) led the way while Tom Liberatore (30 disposals, eight tackles, 11 clearances), Josh Dunkley (27 disposals, two goals) and Marcus Bontempelli (26 disposals, seven clearances, seven tackles) helped.
Rhylee West and Aaron Naughton booted three each.
Naughton and Cody Weightman, who combined for ten goals last weekend, weren’t relied upon as the Dogs registered 12 individual goal-kickers.
The win, their fifth in the past six, takes the Bulldogs back into the eight and into sixth place on percentage.
However, the Dogs now gear up for six-straight games against sides between first and ninth on the ladder which will ultimately have decide their hopes of September action.
For the Hawks, there were good signs in bits, but they were unable to maintain it for the full four quarters. They kicked 11.3 in the bookend quarters and 1.8 in the second and third terms.
Mitch Lewis, hours after the club announced a new four-year deal, was the bright spark for the Hawks, booting four goals along with nine marks. Luke Breust chimed in with three.
BLANCK SLATE
JAMES Blanck became the latest in a long line of players to make the leap from the Box Hill production line into the senior team.
Blanck arrived on the senior list only earlier this month after being picked up in the mid-season draft.
He was the one of four players recruited from Box Hill City Oval to feature on Friday night alongside Jai Newcombe, Lachie Bramble and Ned Reeves. The key defender helped fill the chasm left by Sam Frost and Will Day absences due to injury and health and safety protocols.
Blanck got the monster task on Aaron Naughton from the onset and lost no admirers for his performance despite conceding three goals.
GO WEST
RHYLEE West put together easily the best showing in his 18-game career.
The son of Bulldogs legend Scott was brilliant, collecting a career-best 19 disposals and a personal-best 3.3.
He could easily have made more impact on the scoreboard had it not been for wayward goal-kicking.
7PM TIME-SLOT
SECTIONS of the football fraternity have long called for an earlier start to games on Friday night and they had their calls answered this week.
As a result of having a rare Friday doubleheader this round, the contest at Marvel Stadium started at 7pm, fifty minutes earlier than the traditional time slot but even earlier than the 7.25pm start-time that has become customary for games on a Saturday night.
Despite the early timeslot resulting in some fans entering as the first quarter was well under way, Marvel Stadium’s terraces were still relatively full by the time the contest was in full swing.