Australian Football

Match Report

The closest match of round three has seen the Western Bulldogs hold off a fast-finishing Richmond to record a thrilling two-point win, the Dogs first of 2014. The victory capped off a special day for the red, white and blue. Earlier the Dogs celebrated the launch of their standalone VFL team, known as the Footscray Bulldogs, with a thumping 117-point win against Richmond, also launching its own standalone reserves side, at the Dogs' spiritual home the Western Oval.

That win may have acted as an inspiration for the senior Bulldog team members, as they dominated the first half to lead by 37 points at the long break. The game started off perfectly for the Tigers with Trent Cotchin taking a clever mark and kicking a goal within the first minute. But the rest of then quarter was mostly one way traffic in the Bulldogs direction. The Tigers were clearing missing their injured skipper Brett Deledio and made things worse with some poor skill errors in the midfield. The Bulldogs capitalised with Liam Jones (2), Stewart Crameri and Adam Cooney to open up an 18-point lead in time-on of the first term.

The Dogs retained that lead at the first change and then, after an early goal to Richmond's Ben Griffiths, dominated true remainder of the second term, with goals to Shaun Higgins, Luke Dahlhaus, Lin Jong and Lachie Hunter giving them a six-goal lead at half time.

Several opportunities to put the game beyond doubt went begging for the Dogs early in the third term, with Ryan Griffen and Hunter missing easy shots at goal. The Tigers then began to turn things around. Goals to Ty Vickery and Nathan Gordon (playing his first game for the club) cut the margin to less than five goals. The Dogs appeared equal to the task, however and kicked two of the next three to lead by 34 at the 24-minute mark.

Then Jack Riewoldt, who had barely been seen for the entire match, stepped in to change the course of the match. He marked and goaled twice within a minute before Ricky Petterd kicked the Tigers' third in a row after a free kick and the margin was suddenly only 15 points at the final change of ends.

Riewoldt was at it again when the last quarter began, marking and goaling within the first two minutes and, when Dan Jackson kicked a goal two minute later, the Tigers had kicked five in a row and trailed by just three points. The remaining 25 minutes would be a huge test for the Bulldogs and they prepared for it by bring on their 'super sub', Daniel Giansiracusa. Within a minute, 'Gia' kicked a major to relieve the pressure for the Dogs. Jones added another at the 11-minute mark and it looked as though the Dogs had weathered the Tiger storm.

But Richmond came again. Vickery and Griffith goaled to cut the lead to under a goal once more before Stewart Crameri took a mark and kicked truly to take the margin back out to nine points. Still the Tigers would not lie down. A Shaun Grigg running goal made it a two point ball game before that man Riewoldt took a diving mark and goaled to give Richmond the lead with just three minutes remaining.

A heartbreaking loss loomed for the Dogs but a last foray forward saw the ball land next to Giansiracusa and Tiger Brandon Ellis. 'Gia' shaped to grab the ball but then tapped it instead. Ellis tackled him without the ball and the 'super sub' was rewarded with a free kick for holding. He kicked truly to return the lead to the Dogs who held on for a thrilling victory.

The Dogs, who have improved each week over the first three rounds, will head into their match against GWS next Saturday with confidence, while Richmond, 12th on the ladder with a 1-2 record, face what could be a season-defining match against Collingwood at the MCG on Friday night.

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Jones 3; Giansiracusa, Jong, Crameri 2; Cooney, Higgins, Dahlhaus, Hunter, Macrae, Stringer
Richmond: Riewoldt 4; Vickery, Griffiths 2; Cotchin, Martin, King, Petterd, Gordon, Jackson, Grigg

BEST - THE SUNDAY AGE
Western Bulldogs: Macrae, Boyd, Liberatore, Minson, Cooney, Murphy
Richmond: Cotchin, Riewoldt, Jackson, Thomas, Conca, Martin

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Western Bulldogs: Boyd, Macrae, Murphy, Morris, Liberatore, Minson
Richmond: Cotchin, Morris, Jackson, Conca, Ellis

INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Roughead (shoulder)
Richmond: Vlastuin (concussion)

SUBSTITUTES
Western Bulldogs: Jordan Roughead (shoulder) replaced at three-quarter time by Daniel Giansiracusa.
Richmond: Nick Vlastuin (concussion) replaced in the second quarter by Nathan Gordon.

UMPIRES: Fisher, Stevic, Harris

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Basil Zempilas, Hamish McLachlan, Tom Harley, Jude Bolton