Australian Football

Match Report

There would be just two Saturday afternoon matches for the weekend, the first of which sends us up north to the X-Convenience Oval in Elizabeth where the Bulldogs took on the Redlegs. In both games last season, the Bulldogs did mount considerable challenges but didn't come away with the points in either. The Redlegs emerged victorious by 21 points in Round 7 at The Parade, then by a point at the Ponderosa in Round 17. The Bulldogs were down by just five points at the final change at Norwood, but not even the Redlegs' inaccuracy would stop them claiming the points, keeping the Dogs to one goal while kicking three of their own. A more tense encounter followed at Goodman Road, down by two goals at three quarter-time it was the Dogs' final term inaccuracy that robbed them of victory in the end. From last week's games, the Dogs were unlucky not to have nicked the result from the Tigers at home, but the Redlegs still have a nought in the win column thanks to the Crows. The Bulldogs' biggest issue has been their players' inability to back themselves in front of goal and it showed early as the Redlegs kicked to a surprise 10-point lead come quarter-time with the scoreboard reading 3.1 to 1.3. But then it was the Redlegs' who were having their own goal-scoring problems in the second term, adding just three behinds as the Dogs cut the gap back down to a point by the long break with their two goals. Let me tell you right now, this game was as ugly as they came. Both teams made some absolutely baffling skill errors, in fact, one local footy journo hit the nail on the head when he said that playing the Benny Hill theme music wouldn't have been too out of place for what was going on out on the field of play. Norwood looked to have turned a corner after the half-time break as they scored 2.1 after 11 minutes, but then the Dogs answered back and took the lead by the final change. They kicked 4.2 unanswered, overturning that deficit to their favour. At three quarter-time, it was the home side by 13 points. The visitors didn't give up the fight, but the final term was far from a spectacle with much of the aforementioned stuff-ups most present in this quarter. It would come down to one last kick, after the 'Legs held the Dogs to 1.2 and kicked 2.3 of their own it was a one-goal gap when a Redlegs mark just prior to the siren occured. The resulting kick missed the mark, Centrals victorious by just five points and continuing the premiership hangover. Harry Grant was named best for the Doggies, with 30 disposals, nine clearances and eight tackles. Norwood named Nik Rokahr as their best with 28 disposals, five marks and four tackles.