Australian Football

Match Report

The Western Bulldogs have bounced back from a disappointing loss to West Coast last week to end North Melbourne's seven-game winning streak and assure themselves of a place in the finals for the first time since 2010. The Dogs led by 11 points after an unexpectedly dour first three quarters but exploded in the last term, a seven-goal burst enabling them to record a 23-point win and consolidate sixth place on the ladder. Despite the loss, the Kangaroos are also assured of a place in the eight and it's quite possible that these two teams could meet again in an Elimination Final within a fortnight.

Defences were on top early in the match and neither side managed a goal until the 12-minute mark, when Drew Petrie marked strongly and converted to give North a five-point lead. The next 12 minutes saw the teams trade behinds once more before a Bulldog ruckman scrambled a major from near the goal-square to level the scores. Robin Nahas and Petrie added behinds late in the term and North led 1.5 to 1.3 at the first change. 

Scoring was again at a premium early in the second quarter, with neither side scoring in the first five minutes. Brent Harvey broke the drought with a goal for the Kangaroos and when Petrie followed up with his second at the nine-minute mark, it was North by 16 points and the Dogs looked in danger of losing touch. But they turned things around completely over the next 15 minutes and goals to Marcus Bontempelli, Mitch Honeychurch, Tory Dickson and Jake Stringer saw them take a nine-point lead into the main break. 

A strong mark and goal to Jason Johannisen saw the Bulldogs extend their lead to 15 points early in the third term but North hit back with majors to Shaun Higgins and Jarrad Waite and the margin was just three points at the eight-minute mark. The Dogs then dominated the next 15 minutes but could add only five behinds before Stewart Crameri was taken high and goaled from the subsequent free kick to give the Dogs a 14-point lead and some breathing space. North added three behinds of their own to close out the term and it was the Dogs by 11 when they turned for home. 

Higgins opened the final tern with his second to cut the difference to just five points but the Bulldogs went into overdrive over the next seven minutes, and goals to Liam Picken, Honeychurch and Johannisen blew the margin out to 23 points. But the Kangaroos came again and a three-goal burst saw them suddenly back within five after 13 minutes. But the Western Bulldogs were up for the challenge and responded once more with goals to Shane Biggs, Dickson, Crameri and Biggs again to extend he margin beyond five goals before a late goal to Petrie reduced the final difference to 23 points in the Dogs' favour.

Best for the Dogs included Lachie Hunter (33 touches, eight marks) and Jack Macrae (30 possessions, seven tackles), while North's better players included Robbie Tarrant (14 marks, 24 touches) and Todd Goldstein (54 hitouts, 15 possessions).

Both sides could finish anywhere between fifth and eight depending on the results of several round 23 matches. The Bulldogs will travel to the Gabba to take on Brisbane on Saturday, while North will meet fifth-placed Richmond at Docklands the night before.

GOALS
North Melbourne: Waite, Higgins, Petrie 3; Harvey
Western Bulldogs: Dickson, Crameri, Honeychurch, Johannisen, Biggs 2; Stringer, Roughead, Picken, Bontempelli

BEST - THE AGE
North Melbourne: Goldstein, Tarrant, Swallow, Petrie, Harvey, Macmillan, Atley
Western Bulldogs: Hunter, Bontempelli, Wallis, Dahlhaus, Macrae, Stringer, Morris, Boyd

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
North Melbourne: Tarrant, Higgins, Goldstein, Macmillan, Swallow, Waite
Western Bulldogs: Hunter, Macrae, Bontempelli, Dahlhaus, Wallis, Boyd, Biggs, Picken 

INJURIES
North Melbourne: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
North Melbourne: Sam Gibson replaced Lachie Hansen in the third quarter.
Western Bulldogs: Zaine Cordy replaced Jarrad Grant at three-quarter time.

UMPIRES: Dalgleish, Rosebury, Findlay

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Dwayne Russell, Jason Dunstall, Jonathan Brown, David King