Australian Football

Match Report

Essendon has defeated the Western Bulldogs by 31 points in a highly entertaining match at Docklands stadium on Saturday afternoon. While the game's result and margin were probably not unexpected by most but the way the match played out was far from the script that many would have written prior to its commencement.

The match began in a fashion that would not have surprised most pundits, with the Bombers getting on top early, their run and superior skill allowed then to kick the first six goals of the match and establish a 37-point lead at the 24-minute mark of the first quarter. But from that moment on, the Bulldogs worked their way back into the game, firstly by stemming the Essendon scoring flow, and secondly by converting their contested possession advantage into scores of their own.

By quarter time, the margin had been reduced to 20 points and in the second term the two teams both kicked three goals, allowing Essendon to maintain the best part of a four-goal advantage at the long break.

It was in the third quarter that the Dogs really got going. With Luke Dahlhaus and Daniel Giansiracusa both livewires up forward, they slammed on six goals to the Dons' four and the margin at the final change was just 13 points.

The Bulldogs relentless attack continued throughout much of the last quarter, and three times the lead was cut to under two goals. The Dogs had a couple of chances to bring the margin back to one goal, but a baffling umpiring decision, in which an obvious free-kick advantage wasn't paid and a "poster" from Dahlhaus prevented that from occurring at any stage.

Essendon settled in the last few minutes, kicking the final three goals to run out winners by 31 points but the Dogs lost know fans with their efforts and look to be making genuine progress under second-year coach Brent McCartney.

Things won't get any easier for the Dogs in round 17. Sitting in 15th place, with four wins from 15 games, they will take on top team Hawthorn at York Park next Saturday. The Bombers will travel to the Sydney Showground to meet GWS on the same day.

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Dahlhaus 3; Jones, Giansiracusa 2; Smith, Grant, Liberatore, Stevens, Tutt, Minson, Goodes
Essendon: Winderlich 4; Dempsey 3; Melksham, Heppell, Bellchambers 2; Carlisle, Goddard, Ryder, Myers, Stanton

BEST - THE AGE
Western Bulldogs: Liberatore, Murphy, Cooney, Stevens, Goodes, Dahlhaus
Essendon: Heppell, Winderlich, Dempsey, Hibberd, Goddard, Pears, Stanton

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Western Bulldogs: Liberatore, Hrovat, Cooney, Murphy, Jones
Essendon: Winderlich, Heppell, Fletcher, Goddard, Hibberd, Dempsey

INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Smith (right knee)
Essendon: Zaharakis (hip/back)

SUBSTITUTES
Western Bulldogs: Lachie Hunter replaced Mitch Wallis in the third quarter.
Essendon: Nick O'Brien replaced David Zaharakis in the third quarter.

Umpires: Burgess, Findlay, Armstrong