Western Bulldogs pressure smothered West Coast and delivered emotional win
BOB Murphy wanted a pack mentality and he got it. The Western Bulldogs hunted as if they were wild dogs on the plains of the Serengeti, writes Mark Robinson.
Mark Robinson
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THE result was emotional.
The operation was blue collar.
This win for the ages, as many observers are calling it, came on the back of quick hands and work ethic.
Coach Luke Beveridge won’t get caught up in all the accolades, that he’s a coaching genius and that his players are the most resolute and determined group since the ’54 heroes.
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They won a game football. Impressively so. But the planning for next week started on Friday.
Still, what a performance.
Injured skipper Bob Murphy wanted a pack mentality and he got it. His teammates hunted as if they were wild dogs on the plains of the Serengeti and the West Coast Eagles soon enough could smell blood. Their own.
There are many facets to pressure and a willingness to compete - tacking, contested ball and pressure acts - and the Bulldogs exacted them all.
Indication of application came with the Bulldogs’ smothering in the first half.
Smothering is the poor cousin in the pressure-act family, but it requires a level of courage which is underrated.
The Bulldogs recorded eight smothers in the first half, which was their second most in a game this season. It added another layer of their in-your-face attitude.
Clay Smith took it another level in the third quarter when he attempted to smother Will Schofield. Smith ran with the flight and knowing he couldn’t mark it, he tried to smother Schofield as he was set to mark it. It was a free kick but the unconditional attack at the contest was evident.
He’s a beauty Smith. Later in the third quarter, he pressured Sharrod Welligham so much that Wellingham kicked across goal and out of bounds on the full. That was Rioli worthy for forward-half pressure.
The Bulldogs led by four goals at half-time, but it felt like seven goals. Smother after smother thwarted West Coast attacks and while they don’t get the commentary they are as important as a chase-down tackle.
The running sheet was:
First quarter: 4th minute: Morris on LeCras; 6th minute: Suckling on Cripps; 24th minute: Stringer on Cripps.
Second quarter: 1st minute: Roughead on Hutchings; 3rd minute: Daniel on Gaff; 8th minute: Dunkley on Masten; 15th minute: Biggs on Hill; 19th minute: Dunkley on Sheppard.
All potential attacking moves stopped by the Eagles.
That first-half pressure was demonic. The Bulldogs applied 46 tackles, their equal most for the season, and their pressure factor in the first half was 194, also highest for the season.
They were called sexy by AFL boss Gillon McLachlan earlier this season, but they don’t play sexy, tantalising footy. They play dirty, rough sexy footy.
The Eagles would be flattened by the manner in which in they wilted.
For the second consecutive final, they didn’t handle the heat from the opposition.
Coach Adam Simpson didn’t play the “bye” card and he couldn’t. The talk of losing momentum is rubbish. Who says momentum only lasts a week, anyhow. They had it and they lost it because the Dogs beat it out of them.
The pressure made Jack Darling wince on the wing in a marking contest. Compare Smith’s action to Darling’s. One was uncompromising and the other was self-preserving.
The pressure stopped Luke Shuey being an influence. Described him as poor on Thursday night and it was too harsh.
He was ineffectual. He had six kicks and 22 handballs, worked hard, won clearances, but the trademark burst and link-up out of stoppages was not there. He played a Matt Priddis type of game, but the Eagles needed run and carry game to dissolve the Bulldogs’ swarm.
Question marks hang over several players.
Elliott Yeo was poor in last year’s Grand Final and arguably worse on Thursday night. Dom Sheed is young and it will be a learning caper. Jamie Cripps was poor. Josh Hill the same. Wellingham was lacklustre. And Mark LeCras’ season was summed up on Thursday night, flashy without authority.
Simpson said his team was found wanting. His summer will be spent finding answers.
Beveridge had the answers after the Round 23 defeat to Fremantle.
‘’They (his players) were shaken up a little bit two weeks ago,’’ he said, ‘’I thought Fremantle were very, very good, they were back to some of their pressure and maybe that was good for us this week.’’
Daniel, Dahlhaus, Picken, Hunter, Dunkley, Macrae, Libba responded on the ground and one of the most maligned players in the AFL, Tom Boyd, responded in the air and on the ground.
Analyse the Dogs and there were winners everywhere, not least Zaine Cordy the forward who reined in the influence of Jeremy McGovern the backman.
As much as the win was glorious — on the road, five changes, poor record at Subiaco — the groundswell of backslapping must be parked.
The blue collar in these Bulldogs surely means they won’t get ahead of themselves.
FIVE THINGS I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO
1. BUDDY IN SEPTEMBER. This time last year, we worried whether we’d see the big fella play footy again because of personal issues. Arguably, he is in the form of his career.
2. AND THERE’S STEVIE J. He won’t say it, but he’s hell bent on making Geelong think they made a mistake. It starts this weekend for him and hopefully ends in three weeks’ time on Grand Final day.
3. ALIIR ALIIR. He has handled the pressure of the home-and-away season, but finals is a different thing. He needs to stand tall against either Lobb, Cameron or Patton.
4. KANGAROOS ON THE ROAD. Will they have watched the Dogs at Subiaco? You betcha. They stopped Phar Lap with weight and the Roos can stop the Crows with their pressure. Of course, Boomer has to play a blinder.
5. EDDIE BETTS. Love the superstars in September and Eddie is in that realm. He kicks five and the Crows are heading to Sydney next weekend.
Originally published as Western Bulldogs pressure smothered West Coast and delivered emotional win
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