Australian Football

Match Report

The Western Bulldogs have recorded their fourth win of the 2013 season with a nail-biting four-point win over bottom-placed GWS at Manuka Oval in Canberra on Saturday afternoon. In a match that reflected the two teams' positions on the ladder (16th and 18th) the Bulldogs held sway over the Giants by virtue of a little bit of luck and perhaps making slightly fewer errors than their GWS counterparts.

Though the Giants led at each of the first three end-changes, the experience of Bulldogs players such as Daniel Giansiracusa and Will Minson was enough to see the Dogs fall over the line. The match was the subject of minor controversy when the timekeepers' clock malfunctioned shortly before quarter-time and manual timekeeping was performed for the remainder of the match.

The Dogs were led magnificently in defence by Michael Talia, playong just his ninth AFL match. He had 32 possessions and was rock-solid in the Bulldogs' back half. Adam Cooney (26 disposals) also played a fine game and Giansiracusa's three goals were pivotal to the outcome.

For GWS, Dylan Shiel (three goals and 25 touches) played one of the best matches of his 25-game career, while Jeremy Cameron (three goals) was again a focal point in the forward line. Devon Smith (24 possessions and two goals) was also very good.

The Giants remain winless after 15 rounds and, with games against Sydney, Essendon and Collingwood to come over the next three weeks, it's hard to see them winning soon. The Bulldogs jumped above St Kilda to 15th on the ladder with the win but will face a much tougher ask when they take on Essendon at Docklands next Sunday afternoon.

GOALS
GWS: Shiel, Cameron 3; O'hAilpin, Smith 2; Whitfield, Hoskin-Elliott
Western Bulldogs: Giansiracusa 3; Smith, Jones, Tutt 2; Dahlhaus, Stringer, Dickson, Wallis

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
GWS: Shiel, Scully, Smith, Whitfield, Treloar, Gilham, Haynes
Western Bulldogs: Talia, Griffen, Dahlhaus, Minson, Giansiracusa, Smith, Cooney

BEST - THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
GWS: Shiel, Smith, Scully, Whitfield
Western Bulldogs: Talia, Cooney, Griffen, Minson, Morris

COACHES' COMMENTS
Kevin Sheedy (GWS): Contested possessions we were down on, and that doesn't enable you to get it inside 50 enough. The had 20 more possessions inside 50 and there's a kick in it. We're just not getting it inside enough, and that's the disappointing part. Just a little bit experience from Giansiracusa and Minson in the last quarter probably tilted it their way.

Brendan McCartney (WB): We went from playing good footy one minute to ordinary footy the next. They were probably a bit the same. It's pretty obvious both clubs have got a long way to go. We know that and we're both trying to do it with a lot of young people, and young people have a way of going on the blink every now and then. That's what happened today in both teams.

INJURIES
GWS: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Johannisen (concussion/shoulder); Liberatore (cut head)

SUBSTITUTES
GWS: Rhys Palmer replaced Taylor Adams at three-quarter time
Western Bulldogs: Nathan Hrovat replaced Jason Johannisen (concussion) in the third quarter

UMPIRES: Wenn, Ryan, Leppard