Rugged Bulldogs put bite on Swans

WESTERN Bulldogs have worn their Thor-inspired guernseys and they brought the hammer down in a stunning first half against Sydney before hanging on for a 17point win at Marvel Stadium.

The Swans trailed by a game-high 40 points shortly after halftime and were still 32 points in arrears at three-quarter time before they slashed the margin to just four points with five minutes remaining.

But the courageous Bulldogs found a way to wrest the momentum as Marcus Bontempelli and Sam Lloyd kicked the last two goals in a pulsating 11.16 (82) to 9.11 (65) win in front of 32,303 fans on Saturday night.

Bontempelli was brilliant for the Dogs with 29 possessions and his vital late goal, with Jack Macrae and Tom Liberatore, in his first game back from a knee reconstruction, important with 32 and 28 touches respectively. Luke Beveridge stuck with rising star Aaron Naughton in attack and the versatile tall repaid his coach with three goals in an influential display. Swans star Isaac Heeney had a superhero moment in the opening minute of the game when he took a contender for mark of the year, but the visitors managed just one goal for the half.

Heeney, last year’s mark of the year winner, leapt on to the back of Bailey Williams and completed a spectacular grab and then booted his side’s lone goal before the long break.

The rampant Dogs took control and stormed to a 33point half-time lead before the almost-inevitable Sydney challenge came.

Bulldogs 4.5 6.8 9.14 11.16 (82) def Swans 1.2 1.5 5.6 9.11 (65). Best - Bulldogs: Naughton, Bontempelli, Liberatore, Wallis, Macrae, Hunter. Swans: Lloyd, Jones, McVeigh, Sinclair, Kennedy, Papley.

Goals - Bulldogs: Naughton 3, Gowers 2, Lloyd 2, Richards, Duryea, Schache, Bontempelli. Swans: Reid 2, Heeney 2, Blakey, Hayward, Mills, Papley, Franklin. Umpires: Ryan, O’Gorman, Brown.