Australian Football

Match Report

After surprisingly winning their first two matches of 2015, the Western Bulldogs have crashed back to earth with a thud at the hands of reigning premiers Hawthorn at York Park on Sunday afternoon. The Hawks, smarting from a two-point loss to Essendon a week earlier, put the Dogs to the sword after an even start, thrashing the inexperienced and injury-hit Pups by 70 points.

The Dogs were up against it even before the match started, with Matthew Boyd and Marcus Bontempelli late withdrawals through to injury. Their woes were compounded when lost key players Dale Morris and Mitch Wallis to further injuries in the same first-quarter incident. Despite this the Bulldogs started brightly and kicked the first two goals of the match via twin talls Tom Boyd and Will Minson. But the Hawks settled into their stride and did not allow the Bulldogs – who were kicking with a strong breeze – to add another major for the term, while kicking two of their own through Luke Breust and Jarryd Roughead.

When Hawthorn had use of that wind in the second term, it used it to full effect, particularly in the first 20 minutes, kicking seven goals to one to jump to a 44-point lead. The Dogs to their credit fought on late in the quarter, each side adding a further three majors. At the long break, it was the Hawks by 35 points, and Roughead had four goals.

The Dogs had the breeze in the third quarter but were unable to use it as effectively as Hawthorn, kicking 2.5 (the goals kicked by Boyd and Luke Dahlhaus), while Breust, Roughead and Sam Mitchell added majors for the Hawks, giving them a 37-point buffer at the last change of ends.

It was all Hawthorn in the last term as the Bulldogs, two players down, ran out of legs, managing only three behinds, and not troubling the scorers at all after the 11-minute mark. At the other end of the ground, the Hawks continued on their merry way, goals to Billy Hartung, Cyril Rioli, Jack Gunston and Roughead (his sixth and seventh) taking them to a final score of 19.13.127, 70 points ahead of the battle-scarred Doggies.

Best for the Hawks included skipper Luke Hodge, who had an amazing 44 possessions, Jordan Lewis (41 disposals and nine marks) and Roughead (seven goals and 28 touches), For the Dogs, Dahlhaus (29 disposals and five tackles), Lin Jong (23 possessions and six tackles) and Michael Talia (27 touches and seven marks) battled hard against the flow all afternoon.

Next up for the Hawks is a trip to the Adelaide Oval to take on Port Power, who fell only a couple of points short of Hawthorn in last year’s Preliminary Final, while the Bulldogs will have another tough assignment, hosting the undefeated Adelaide Crows at Docklands next Sunday.

GOALS
Hawthorn: Roughead 7; Breust, Hodge, Gunston 2; Mitchell, McEvoy, Birchall, Puopolo, Hartung, Rioli
Western Bulldogs: Boyd 3; Minson, Dahlhaus, Crameri, Honeychurch, Jong

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Hawthorn: Hodge, Lewis, Roughead, Birchall, Duryea, Smith
Western Bulldogs: Dahlhaus, Jong, Talia, Murphy, Boyd

INJURIES
Hawthorn: Bradley Hill (concussion) replaced in selected side by Billy Hartung
Western Bulldogs: Marcus Bontempelli (calf soreness) replaced in selected side by Nathan Hrovat, Mitch Wallis (back), Dale Morris (shoulder)

SUBSTITUTES
Hawthorn: Jed Anderson replaced Paul Puopolo in the fourth quarter
Western Bulldogs: Brett Goodes replaced Dale Morris in the second quarter

UMPIRES: Harris, Ryan, Mitchell 

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Anthony Hudson, Danny Frawley, Brad Johnson, Barry Hall