Australian Football

Match Report

The runaway train that is the Western Bulldogs ploughed through Port Adelaide at Docklands Stadium on Saturday afternoon, steamrolling the Power by 64 points after conceding the first three goals of the match, to move into the top four. This match was tipped to be a free-flowing affair and for the Bulldogs, it was, but after the first 10 minutes it was anything but for the Power, who managed just six goals after the initial onslaught as the Dogs crushed the life and hope out of them from half way through the first term. 

Anyone who saw the first 15 minutes on TV and then switched off would have been forgiven for thinking it was Port that would win by more than 10 goals. The Power dominated the clearances and general play early and had three goals on the board - to Jay Schulz, Justin Westhoff and Chad Wingard - before the Dogs even looked like scoring. The Bulldogs managed to stem the tide half way through the term and a mark and goal to Jarrad Grant got them moving scoreboard-wise. Jake Stringer followed up with his first soon after and the deficit was back to a manageable seven points at quarter time. 

With the tide having turned late in the first term, the Western Bulldogs took complete control in the second. Stringer had kicked his second and third within two and a half minutes of the start of the quarter, and Tory Dickson stretched the lead to seven points with his first five minutes later. The Dogs dominated general play in the next 10 minutes but could not convert that to scoreboard pressure, each side kicking a behind. But a tap and snap goal from Marcus Bontempelli broke the dam wall, with Dickson adding two more and Mitch Wallis one in the next five minutes. The Dogs had suddenly kicked clear and led by 38 at the half. 

A mark and goal to Patrick Ryder gave Port brief hope early in the third term but the Dogs piled on the next three through Stewart Crameri, Caleb Daniel and Crameri again to put the Bulldogs a whopping 52 points clear. Matt White and Wingard kicked late majors for Port but the difference was still 42 points at 'orange time'. 

Jack Redpath crashed through a pack and marked to kick off the last term, his goal putting the Dogs 48 points clear. Travis Boak responded for the Power but the Dogs put their foot down after that, adding four more goals through Liam Picken, Redpath, Crameri and Redpath again to take the lead beyond 10 goals. Port fought on to kick two of the last four goals but the final margin of 64 was indicative of the gulf between the two sides. 

Wallis (28 disposals and four tackles) was magnificent for the Dogs, with stand-in skipper Matthew Boyd (32 touches) and Stringer (four goals) also excellent. Port's best included Brad Ebert (20 possessions, six marks) and Wingard (15 touches, two goals). 

The win lifted the Bulldogs into the top four. They will take on Melbourne at Docklands next Sunday. Port, now 10 points out of the top eight with its finals hopes all but extinguished, will host GWS at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday. 

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Redpath, Stringer 4; Dickson, Crameri 3; Grant, Wallis, Bontempelli, Daniel, Picken
Port Adelaide: Wingard, Schulz 2; Westhoff, Ryder, White, Boak, Gray

BEST - THEAGE.COM.AU
Western Bulldogs: Wallis, Bontempelli, Biggs, Boyd, Stringer, Hunter, Macrae
Port Adelaide: Gray, Boak, Ebert, Wingard

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Western Bulldogs: Wallis, Stringer, Dickson, Boyd, Dahlhaus, Macrae, Grant
Port Adelaide: Wingard, Ebert, Broadbent, Hartlett

INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Stringer (ankle, arm)
Port Adelaide: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Western Bulldogs: Bailey Dale replaced Tory Dickson in the fourth quarter.
Port Adelaide: Sam Colquhoun replaced Matthew Lobbe in the third quarter.

UMPIRES: Findlay, Ryan, Mitchell

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Dwayne Russell, Gerard Healy, Tony Shaw, Barry Hall