Australian Football

Match Report

The opening game for the weekend would be the sole Saturday afternoon fixture with the Northern Derby between the Bulldogs and the Roosters at the X-Convenience Oval in Elizabeth. It was back in Round 4 that the Dogs had their last victory in what was probably their most complete four-quarter effort this season when they beat the Roosters by seven points at Prospect Oval. Since then the Dogs have limped from one disaster to the next, but the Roosters have not done much better with their last win coming in Round 2. Both came off second best in the split round from the last fortnight but one losing streak was going to come to an end. 

Shockingly it was the Roosters having a belter of a first term, they would go into the quarter-time huddle with a 20-point lead after a goal-fest that had the scoreboard reading 8.3 to 5.1. The Dogs' second quarter was riddled with horrid shooting on goal, but the lead was cut back to 14 points by the long break after they scored 2.7 to 2.1. Centrals would keep coming when play resumed in the third quarter and almost tied up the scores at the final change, but would be five points adrift when the three quarter-time siren sounded after they scored 3.3 to the Roosters' two goals. But to the dismay of the Dogs faithful, their team coughed up a horrid final term and the Roosters would climb out of the negative zone for a 28-point win after they scored 5.1 to 1.2. 

Aidan Tropiano was named North's best afield, while the Dogs named Justin Hoskin as their best.