Brisbane Lions cop massive Fagan spray in Western Bulldogs loss
Chris Fagan bemoaned his players’ inability to stand up in their disappointing 16 point loss to the Bulldogs in Ballarat. Literally and metaphorically, writes Andrew Hamilton.
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Chris Fagan bemoaned his players’ inability to stand up in their disappointing 16 point loss to the Bulldogs in Ballarat.
Literally and metaphorically.
Fagan gave his side one of the biggest sprays of his tenure at the club at three quarter time after the Bulldogs turned the game on its head by completely outmuscling a Lions side that suddenly lost the will for the contest after a strong first half.
And you can imagine he gave them another dressing down after the 13.14 (92) to 11.10 (76) victory as their hopes of a fightback disintegrated as they struggled to handle the greasy conditions and began to drop balls and lose their footing where the surefooted Dogs didn’t.
The Lions looked in complete control of the game early but were wasteful with their inside fifty entries and once again dreadful in front of goal.
Charlie Cameron and Dan McStay have had the goal kicking yips this season and this week Eric Hipwood was the worst culprit, booting 0.5 in the first half before bagging a couple of second-half goals.
The Dogs had troubles in attack also with man of the moment Aaron Naughton, who kicked five goals against Richmond last week, well beaten by Harris Andrews in the first half.
But his first goal, on the siren, gave the Bulldogs the lead despite Brisbane’s field dominance.
It gave the Dogs added bite in the third quarter and their attack on the footy lifted, which Fagan declared was the defining period of the game.
“I thought we played poorly in the third quarter,’’ he said.
“They won the clearances they won the contested possessions, they won the clearances they were just a little bit harder and fiercer than us for that period of time.”
Fagan also said the Bulldogs played smarter by keeping receivers to work in tandem with their inside players where the Lions were too keen to get on the outside.
That was the telling quarter,’’ he said.
“I just thought they supported their bloke winning the ball a bit better than we did at times too.’’
Brisbane had a chance to claw their way back into the contest in the final term after addressing their contested ball shortcomings but the standard of the game dropped away badly.
Whether it was the light drizzle that came periodically or maybe poor drainage - the spilled balls and players slipping over, which had been evident all day, became an epidemic in that final term.
“We need to talk about footwear, we slipped over a lot today,’’ Fagan said.
“We certainly went to ground a lot more than they did and it proved costly.
“Whether it was guys going to ground or guys slipping it is the same difference, it is going to ground.
“I’m not sure our footwear was right, blokes who don’t normally fall over were falling over.’’
WESTERN BULLDOGS 3.1 7.4 11.12 13.14 (92)
BRISBANE 4.4 6.8 8.9 11.10 (76)
GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Naughton 3, Richards 2, Lloyd 2, Hayes, Wallis, Bontempelli, Macrae, Suckling, Dunkley
Brisbane: Robinson 3, Hipwood 2, Zorko 2, Neale, Berry, McCluggage, McStay
BEST
Western Bulldogs: Dunkley, Bontempelli, Naughton, Macrae, Hunter, Trengrove, Johannisen
Brisbane: Robinson, Neale, McCluggage, Hipwood, Zorko
INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: English (soreness) replaced by Roberts
Brisbane: Bailey (left hamstring), Berry (right eye)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Hosking, Findlay, Dore
Official crowd: 9039 at Mars Stadium
Scott Gullan’s votes: 3. Josh Dunkley (Western Bulldogs), 2. Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs) 1. Aaron Naughton (Western Bulldogs)
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