West Coast scores brave win against Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium

THE Western Bulldogs teased all day. Eventually they were tamed. Soon, the premier could be turfed from the finals race, writes SAM LANDSBERGER.

Lewis Jetta breaks the Marcus Bontempelli tackle. Picture: Michael Klein

THE Western Bulldogs teased all day.

Eventually they were tamed. Soon, the premier could be turfed, with dates against three of the ladder’s top four to come.

MATCH CENTRE: FULL STATS AND SUPERCOACH

Saturday’s attempt at The Great Escape against West Coast and bungled it at the final hurdle.

A week after playing their Get Out of Jail Free card, surviving a late scare against North Melbourne, they were left heartbroken by a team that has traditionally played without heart on the road.

And a week after the Eagles placed their season in dangerous territory with a rare home defeat, they shirked their woeful road record to restore stability and credibility.

Lewis Jetta breaks away from Marcus Bontempelli. Picture: Michael Klein

This was a classic eight-point game, decided West Coast’s way by seven points.

That wasn’t the only apt adage. They say big players don’t get smaller as games progress, and game-saving marks by Nathan Vardy, Drew Petrie and a dazzler by Jeremy McGovern at full-back clinched the win.

The travelling team lead by 29 points early in the last quarter and one point late in the last quarter.

Vardy then kicked the winner from a goal-line stoppage, a rare deep entry triggered by two free kicks which Wayne Carey dubbed “very iffy”.

It was an interesting day for the whistleblowers.

They oddly denied Jack Macrae an advantage goal in the first quarter and frustrated the Etihad Stadium crowd with a range of confusing holding the ball calls.

Marcus Bontempelli couldn’t find a way to lift the Dogs to victory. Picture: Michael Klein

Mitch Honeychurch missed a chance to mark inside 50m in the first term when an umpire collided with him, adding to the frustration felt in the outer.

Before Vardy’s major, Jake Stringer had The Great Escape on track.

Even Eagles coach Adam Simpson conceded his team appeared “destined to lose” as Stringer intercepted a Tom Barrass chip in the last quarter and goaled with just his fourth kick for the day.

The Eagles had previously held on for about five scoreless minutes as Sam Mitchell was off the field having his face taped to stem bleeding from a deep cut to his lip.

But when Mitchell returned, it was him in Barrass’s sights when Stringer swooped.

West Coast was without Will Schofield, Matt Priddis, Scott Lycett, Mark LeCras, Josh Kennedy and Shannon Hurn from last season’s 47-point elimination final loss to the Dogs.

The Eagles then lost two defenders in the third quarter, baking the victory in bravery.

West Coast altered its travel routine on Friday, training in the morning to try to simulate home preparation, and got the same result as when they hosted the Dogs two months ago.

Nathan Vardy was huge in the dying minutes.

It was a frustrating day reflective of a frustrating season for the Dogs. Halfway through the third quarter they had Easton Wood down on his intercept game, Matthew Suckling and Jason Johannisen down on run and Tory Dickson and Stringer down on potency.

Yet they were down by just 10 points.

But when Jordan Roughead’s errant kick in the backline trickled out of bounds and Dom Sheed snapped an easy stoppage goal, the Eagles surged.

Dogs coach Lue Beveridge spun the magnets like a fidget spinner last season. This time the movements were less effective.

Andrew Gaff runs down Lachie Hunter. Picture: Michael Klein

Both sides kicked inaccurately, but it is the losers it will sting. Tom Campbell wasted two set-shots, Bailey Dale butchered an easy running goal to start the final term and Caleb Daniel and Marcus Bontempelli missed running shots at opposite ends of the third term.

Frustratingly, the Dogs started every with quarter assertion. It wasn’t at the manic levels of last September, and it also wasn’t rewarded on the scoreboard.

The energy was also diluted with lethargy as every quarter, excluding the last quarter, wore on.

Now they face a fight to save a season that is wearing out.

SAM LANDSBERGER’S BEST

Western Bulldogs: Hunter, Dale, Bontempelli, Cordy, Dahlhaus, Biggs, Macrae, Daniel, Redpath

West Coast: Gaff, Mackenzie, Darling, Petrie, Sheed, Hutchings, Mitchell, Shuey

Where to now for Bob Murphy and the Dogs?

Originally published as West Coast scores brave win against Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium