Australian Football

Match Report

If one were to bestow a film title on Sunday's match between the Western Bulldogs and Essendon, it would surely be 'Fast and Furious'. The game - crucial to both sides' top eight chances - was played a breakneck speed, something the Bombers have been doing for much of this year but has been foreign territory for the Bulldogs in recent months. There were those who thought that if that game was played in such a manner, the Bulldogs would have no chance.

They were wrong. The Bulldogs relished the chance to return to the style of football that saw their dramatic rise up the ladder in 2015, and more than matched Essendon in a game that many commentators described as the match of the season. The Dogs eventually prevailed by 30 points, but the final margin in no way tells the tale. While the Bulldogs did have the edge for most of the match, the result was by no means certain until the game's final few minutes.

Indeed, with under four minutes on the clock, the margin was only six points, before a final Bulldog burst of four goals in three minutes settled the result. Prior to those last three minutes, Essendon had been more than gallant and at times looked like getting on top themselves. But ultimately they made more errors at vital times in front of goal than the Dogs, and that proved to be the difference, a fact reflected in the final score - 19.13 to 13.19.

The first eight minutes of the match saw the Bombers dominate, with goals to Darcy Parish, David Zaharakis and Joe Daniher, who by this stage had taken two towering marks and looked likely to dominate. But as annoyed as the Western Bulldogs' coaching staff and fans may have been by such as start, they would not have panicked. This would go on to become the third consecutive week in which the Dogs have given up the first three majors of the match before ultimately winning.

Lukas Webb, a late inclusion for an ill Mitch Honeychurch, settled the Dogs with his first goal at the nine-minute mark, and although the Dons got the next major through the ever-dangerous Daniher after another strong mark, the Bulldogs dominated the remainder of the opening term, shutting off Essendon's avenues to goal while Tory Dickson, Jason Johannisen (a surprise player on the forward line), Dickson again and Webb once more all added majors. By quarter time, the Bulldogs had reined in the deficit to lead by five points.

A strong mark and goal to Johannisen saw the Dogs extend the lead to 12 points five minutes into the second term, but behinds to Zach Merrett and Dyson Heppell followed by a third major to Daniher had the Dons back within four points. But the Bulldogs came again through Travis Cloke, returning to senior football for the first time since taking a break from the game with mental health issues, snapped an 'impossible' goal from the boundary.

Daniher kept the Bombers in touch with his fourth at the 11-minute mark, but a mark and long goal from Matt Suckling from outside 50 once again saw the Bulldogs out to an 11-point lead. The Dogs then had chances to blow the game open but Marcus Bontempelli, Dickson and Roughead all missed gettable shots. Momentum shifted after that, a goal to Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti cutting the margin to eight points before Essendon took its turn to be wasteful, Parish, Cale Hooker and Daniher all kicking behinds. At the half, the Dogs led by five as they had at quarter time.

That man Joe Daniher put his stamp on the game once more at the start of the second half, taking another strong mark and goaling to give the Bombers a one-point lead. But Dickson, courtesy of a brilliant pass from Bontempelli, kicked his third a few minutes later and the Bulldogs were back in front. The Dogs added two more through Lachie Hunter and captain Bob Murphy and threatened to break away, but majors to Orazio Fantasia and Travis Colyer had the Dons back within a point early in time on.

Johannisen and Hooker traded goals, the margin still only a point 27 minutes into the quarter but a burst of three goals in the dying stages of the term, one each to Tom Liberatore, Bontempelli and Roughead, suddenly saw the Bulldogs ahead by 19 points as the sides swapped ends for the last time.

Trailing by more than three goals heading into the final term, Essendon made all the play for the 15 minutes, as the Bulldogs appeared to go into their shells. The Dons had several early chances to make inroads, but Hooker missed a very easy shot and they added two more behinds before Daniher marked yet again and kicked his sixth, reducing the margin to 10 points. The Dogs added two behinds of their own to make the difference an even two goals but when Fantasia bounced one through from a snap on the cusp of time on, the Bombers were within six points.

An arm-wrestle ensued over the next three minutes before Bontempelli was caught high in a marking contest and received a free kick in front of goal. He calmly slotted the major to extend the lead to 12. That sparked a final surge from the Dogs, with Caleb Daniel, Johannisen and Toby McLean all kicking goals in quick succession as the Bulldogs winning margin jumped out to 30 points, an unfair reflection on the titanic struggle that had gone before.

For the Bulldogs, Shane Biggs (11 marks, 29 disposals) was back to his best on the half-back line, as too was Roughead (22 hitouts, 19 possessions) with his influence all over the ground, while Bontempelli (23 touches, two goals) generated many of the Dogs' scoring opportunities. Essendon also had many good players, Daniher the standout with 11 marks and six goals, while Michael Hurley (13 marks, 30 disposals) gave the Bombers great drive from defence.

The result leaves the Bulldogs with 10 wins, equal sixth with the Swans but ninth on the ladder because of an inferior percentage, and the Dons with nine, one place behind the Dogs on the ladder but still with a better percentage. With both sides still very much in the hunt for the finals, they each have 'should win' games coming up in round 20, the Bulldogs to meet bottom-placed Brisbane at the Gabba on Saturday and Essendon to take on Carlton (second-last) at the MCG on Sunday. If other results go their way, wins in those two matches could see both sides in the top eight this time next week.

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Johannisen 4; Dickson 3; Webb, Bontempelli 2; Murphy, Roughead, Suckling, Hunter, Liberatore, Cloke, Daniel, McLean
Essendon: Daniher 6; Fantasia 2; Zaharakis, Parish, Colyer, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Hooker

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Western Bulldogs: Biggs, Johanissen, Bontempelli, Roughead, Hunter, Liberatore
Essendon: Daniher, Hurley, Zaharakis, Heppell, Parish

BEST - THE AGE
Western Bulldogs: Roughead, Bontempelli, Johannisen, Biggs, Macrae, Hunter, Dickson
Essendon: Daniher, Hurley, Zaharakis, Heppell, Parish, Hartley

INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Nil
Essendon: Nil

UMPIRES: Hosking, Ryan, Mitchell

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