Australian Football

Match Report

Saturday night's match between the Western Bulldogs and Geelong promised to be a blockbuster affair, with the fourth-placed Dogs and the second-placed Cats both with 9-3 records and both vying for top place on the ladder. Sadly, though, at least for Bulldogs and neutral fans, the match turned out to be a fizzer as Geelong took control of the match almost from the word go and dominated the match, save for a period in the third term, to win in a canter by 57 points. 

Jack Macrae had a chance to give the Bulldogs a great start inside the first minute, but his shot on the run from an acute angle was only a behind. That was to be the Dogs' last score for the next 24 minutes as Geelong went on the rampage in that period, kicking five goals, through Daniel Menzel (two), Patrick Dangerfield, Joel Selwood and Josh Caddy to jump to a 32-point lead. The Bulldogs finally regained some control of general play in the last five minutes of the quarter, but four shots at goal yielded only four behinds and they trailed by 28 points at the first change. 

The Bulldogs appeared to carry that momentum into the second quarter, and an early goal to Liam Picken cut the margin to 22 points after just one minute. Menzel responded for Geelong with his third, but the Dogs had the better of the next nine minutes. They could not put any scoreboard pressure on the Cats, though, and Jake Stringer, Lachie Hunter and Tory Dickson all missed shots at goal. When Geelong regained the momentum, it did not waste its chances, and Selwood, Steven Motlop (twice) and Jordan Murdoch all kicked accurately to set up a commanding 48-point half-time lead for the Cats. 

For the first time in the match, the Bulldogs applied sustained pressure on Geelong early in the third term, but a great long goal to Matt Suckling was followed but three more behinds to leave their score on a woeful 2.12 after 14 minutes. Tom Hawkins compounded the Dogs' pain a minute later with a goal to put the Cats 46 points ahead, despite having had just one more scoring shot. The Bulldogs came again, though and with Jack Redpath, Lin Jong and Mitch Wallis finally finding the big sticks, kicked three goals in a row to close the gap to 28 points. Picken appeared to add another major after that, but it was ruled that he had taken the ball just over the boundary line before his kick went through and Geelong was still ahead by 28 at three-quarter time. 

If the Dogs were to have a chance, they needed to kick the first goal of then final term but the Cats broke free out of the centre straight away, and surged forward to give an easy goal to Tom Hawkins. The Bulldogs attacked after that but could manage no more than a behind over the next seven minutes before a magnificent long goal from the boundary by Dangerfield put the Cats 41 points clear and settled the result once and for all. The Dogs defended dourly for the next 12 minutes, keeping Geelong scoreless, but could not score themselves. Eventually, it was Geelong that broke the drought, kicking three more late goals to bury the Dogs emphatically by 57 points. 

Dangerfield (37 touches) and Selwood (28 possessions and two goals) continued their phenomenal form for the Cats, and the two are now favourite and second-favourite respectively in Brownlow Medal betting. For the Dogs, Matt Suckling (26 possessions and a goal) played a fine game.

The top-of-the-ladder Cats will look to consolidate that place with a win over St Kilda at Docklands on Saturday night, while the Dogs will lick their wounds during their round-14 bye before facing another tough test, Sydney in Sydney, on Saturday week. 

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Redpath, Wallis, Picken, Suckling, Jong
Geelong: Menzel, Hawkins 4; Selwood, Motlop, Dangerfield 2; Caddy, Murdoch

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Western Bulldogs: Boyd, Suckling, Adams, Daniel, Macrae
Geelong: Dangerfield, Selwood, Henderson, Bartel, Enright, Motlop, Menzel

BEST - THE SUNDAY AGE
Western Bulldogs: Suckling, Macrae, Picken, Hunter
Geelong: Dangerfield, Selwood, Henderson, Enright, Menzel, Bartel

INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Jake Stringer (left hand)
Geelong: Cam Guthrie (illness) replaced in the selected side by Cory Gregson, Josh Caddy (medial ligament)

UMPIRES: Farmer, Dalgleish, Rosebury, Chamberlain

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Brian Taylor, Luke Darcy, Matthew Richardson, Cameron Ling