Australian Football

Match Report

In a match which belied their positions on the ladder (14th and 18th), the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda played a highly entraining game at Docklands stadium on Sunday afternoon, with the Dogs withstanding a late Saints challenge to win by 23 points. The match, St Kilda's last home game of 2014, was billed as a Lenny Hayes tribute, with Hayes having two weeks earlier announced that this would be his last season. But after Jack Newnes got the Saints off to a great start with a goal inside the first two minutes, the Bulldogs spent much of the remainder spoiling the party for the thousands of fans who came wearing their "I love Lenny" t-shirts produced especially for the game.

The Dogs kicked the next three goals and went on to score seven for the quarter to establish a 27-point lead at the first break. To their credit to Saints fought on over the next three quarters to outscore the Dogs by three points, but they were left to rue their slow start. Brief hope for St Kilda fans came in the last quarter when the Saints, trailing by 36 points at the 18-minute mark, strung together four consecutive goals to get to within 11 points with a couple of minutes to play. But the Bulldogs steadied and late goals to Sam Darley and Stewart Crameri saw the Doggies home.

Veteran Adam Cooney was back to his Brownlow-winning best for the Dogs, collecting 25 touches and kicking three goals, while Shaun Higgins (26 disposals, three tackles) was also very good and Jake Stringer earned a Rising Star nomination with a four-goal performance. Best for the Saints were David Armitage (22 disposals, five marks), Jack Steven (20 possessions and a goal) and James Gwilt, who relished a move to the forward line and kicked three goals. 

With neither side set to feature in September, these two developing teams will look for strong performances in the last three rounds of the year to give fans hope for the future. The Bulldogs will play North Melbourne, Sydney and GWS in their last three matches, while St Kilda will take on Sydney, Richmond and Adelaide.

GOALS
St Kilda: Gwilt 3; Newnes, Gilbert, Bruce, Steven, Riewoldt, Curren, Ross, Schneider, Hayes, Murdoch, Weller, Billings
Western Bulldogs: Stringer 4; Cooney 3; Crameri 3; Campbell, Picken, Hrovat, Bontempelli, Higgins, Stevens, Macrae, Darley

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Western Bulldogs: Cooney, Higgins, Stringer, Murphy, Darley, Griffen
St Kilda: Armitage, Gwilt, Ross, Steven, Gilbert, Hayes

BEST - THEAGE.COM.AU
Western Bulldogs: Cooney, Higgins, Stringer, Griffen, Crameri
St Kilda: Armitage, Gwilt, Steven, Ross, Montagna

INJURIES
St Kilda: Bruce (lower leg), Billings (hamstring)
Western Bulldogs: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
St Kilda: Josh Bruce (lower leg) substituted out for Brodie Murdoch in the third quarter
Western Bulldogs: Nathan Hrovat substituted out for Lachie Hunter in the fourth quarter

UMPIRES: Fleer, Leppard, Harris

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Dennis Cometti, Hamish McLachlan, Cameron Ling, Jude Bolton