DOGS HAVE THEIR DAY
Western Bulldogs break 62-year Premiership drought
THEY stuck it right up ’em.
Sixty-two years of pain was yesterday buried by two hours of football ecstasy to cap the best finals run this game has ever seen.
The Western Bulldogs’ second flag was euphorically delivered from seventh on the ladder, via two interstate finals, a catalogue of injuries and an immeasurable amount of desire, tenacity and togetherness.
That spirit shone brighter than ever in a grand final that shocked with its brutality and thrilled with its energy – all roared on by a crowd of 99,981 that created a near-constant, deafening noise.
Teddy Whitten would have been proud. Countless longsuffering past players and fans are.
The final siren didn’t just confirm a final score of 13.11 (89) to 10.7 (67), it unplugged an outpouring of emotion for a club that had become Australia’s team.
This was a victory to make the heart melt, completed by coach Luke Beveridge giving a crying Bob Murphy his medal on the dais.
In keeping with their season, the Bulldogs yesterday absorbed everything Josh Kennedy and the battle-hardened Swans could throw at them – and then struck with an irresistible last quarter that had you believing in destiny.
Beveridge’s band of gritty battlers led by four points at quarter-time, trailed by six at half-time and led by 10 at three-quarter time before overwhelming a side that normally does that itself.
It was absorbing stuff – the Dogs threatening to break clear twice during the first half and then the Swans doing the same with a four-goal burst in seven second quarter minutes as Kennedy and Tom Mitchell (26 touches and four goals between them in the second term) took hold of the midfield.
Kennedy had 22 touches in the first half alone. The Swans were on top in the middle (six centre clearances to two at half time) and were keeping the Dogs at arms length with an incredible 15 intercept marks at the main break – the most the Bulldogs had conceded in a half all year.
Heath Grundy and Dane Rampe – the latter silencing Jake Stringer – were ensuring groundball opportunities were slim, rendering the Dogs’ famed swarm mute.
But Liam Picken’s move from a wing to the forward line to combat this pair in the second half was vital. Jack Macrae had 11 third quarter touches, Jason Johannisen’s run only became more damaging and the Dogs won the third quarter 2.6 to 1.2.
The Bulldogs had the last nine inside 50s of that third term and the Swans’ dam wall was finally about to crack.
That Tom Boyd would announce himself on the biggest day of all to do so only served to make this game more dramatic.
With Picken (25 disposals and three goals), who was suddenly causing all manner of panic in the Swans defence, Boyd was suddenly worth every cent in the final half hour. The former No.1 draft pick would finish with 15 touches, a game-high six contested marks and 3.2.
Stringer had made mistakes, fumbled and been second to contests, but gathering Macrae’s handball one-handed, he snapped an arcing goal 10 minutes into the last quarter that lit a fire that would propel the Dogs home.
When Dale Morris ran down Lance Franklin from behind and Tom Boyd swooped to drill his third goal from inside the centre square it felt like the MCG was shaking.
Fifteen points with five minutes left, it was Picken who put the icing on this longawaited cake with the final goal.
After years of hellish wilderness, the Dogs were in heaven.