AFL round 20 news: Western Bulldogs press top four claims after dismantling Sydney Swans

The Western Bulldogs have played the top three sides in the past three weeks and have three wins, but Luke Beveridge isn’t looking any further ahead than next week.

Knocking off the top three teams in consecutive weeks would be cause for most to celebrate.

But Luke Beveridge remains cautious about going off too soon after the Western Bulldogs moved into the top eight for the first time since round six.

This comes after the Bulldogs completely dominated the Sydney Swans in a one-sided 39-point hammering, their biggest success after wins over Carlton and Geelong.

Beveridge said the scars of years past are still present, but believes they have evolved to turn themselves into a contender.

“It’s still really tight (the finals race),” he said.

“Our experience over the last couple of years in particular has been a bit fragile at this time of year.

“We’ve dropped a game or two where we just haven’t been on our mettle.

“We’re a different version of ourselves this year. We’ve evolved throughout the year into a team that’s playing their roles extremely well.

“There’s an evenness. There’s a brilliance through the team and there’s boys capable of doing the really exciting things in the game.

“But there’s a real blend of evenness throughout the lines.”

The win over Sydney moves them into eighth spot and with their superior percentage to all but Sydney and Brisbane, a top four finish isn’t off the cards just yet.

Beveridge isn’t focusing on anything beyond their next game though, a clash with the Demons who are fighting to keep their own season alive after going down narrowly to GWS.

“With four games left we can only look towards Melbourne on Friday night who will be a huge challenge for us on a really short turnaround for us,” he said.

“We’ve got to recover well.”

Something they’ll be looking to replicate against Melbourne is their defensive prowess that was on full display with strong games from their back six, including the returning Liam Jones.

“With Rory (Lobb) and Buku (Khamis) playing with Jonesy, they’re three players who can really intercept the ball in the air,” he said.

“I thought Nick Coffield played his best game for the club and he had an outstanding intercept game.

“It’s encouraging. The boys are repelling some forays from the opposition and it means that our team can anticipate that a little bit more.”

Meanwhile, disappointed was the only word that came to mind for John Longmire as the Swans faced their harshest reality check of the season.

They found themselves on the wrong end of a 39-point drubbing at the hands of the Western Bulldogs at the SCG.

And it would’ve been more had the visitors not put the cue in the rack towards the back end of the final term.

“We’ve been competitive for the entire season and we weren’t today,” Longmire said.

“It was a really disappointing performance.”

The Swans found themselves behind the eight-ball with a shocking first quarter that saw them outscored 35-1, going on to score just 14 points by the main change.

It was the first time they’ve been dominated so thoroughly across the board, with the Bulldogs recording 27 more contested possessions and 12 more clearances.

They were unable to generate any meaningful attack throughout the afternoon, and Longmire said it’s an area they need to fix ahead of a tough run home.

“The loose ball gets, we were dominated there and dominated aerially,” he said.

“In the air we just couldn’t even up those contests. You’re going to get beaten a couple of times, but it happened too often.

“We were beaten aerially, then we were beaten on the ground particularly with the loose ball gets that put ourselves under pressure.

“You have to compete and win your contests.

“We’re playing teams that are in good form, so we need to get back to that really quickly.

In a crucial boost for their clash with Port Adelaide on Saturday, Longmire said he expects James Rowbottom to return from injury.

“Rowbottom we’re hopeful should play next week,” he said.

“He’s been one of our good midfielders around the hunt. We had a couple of blokes that did a good job in there but we didn’t have enough impact in that part of the ground.

“It would’ve been handy to have him, but you have to deal with losses of personnel and still compete at a high level.”

BULLDOGS PRESS TOP FOUR CLAIMS

A defensive masterclass has not only ignited the Western Bulldogs’ finals hopes, but has them right in the frame for a top four finish.

Off the back of big wins over Carlton and Geelong, the Bulldogs claimed their biggest scalp of the season with a 39-point thrashing of the Swans at the SCG.

With windy conditions sweeping through Sydney, the Bulldogs weren’t fazed as they completely dominated the opening term to open up a 34-point margin.

Everyone knew the Swans would hit back, and when they posted two goals in a row to start the second the momentum had swung as the fans became involved for the first time of the afternoon.

The cheers would prove fleeting however as the defence of the Bulldogs clamped down and they were able to respond with two majors of their own to extend the margin at the main change.

Liam Jones was a big inclusion and he anchored the defensive line with five intercept marks in the first half as the usually potent attack of Sydney was completely stifled.

The Swans were restricted to just 13 first half points, their third-lowest ever total at the SCG, and helped lay the platform for the Bulldogs to run out 12.15 (87) to 7.6 (48) winners.

Sydney kicked the last three goals of the game to add some respectability to the scoreline, but it was well and truly the day of the Bulldogs.

Aaron Naughton and Tom McCartin during the Bulldogs’ big win. Picture: Phil Hillyard.

SHEER DOMINANCE FROM DOGS

There’s no other word to describe the first quarter of the Western Bulldogs than dominant.

Sydney had just one scoring shot in the opening term, while the Bulldogs dominated the inside 50 count 20-7.

The home side looked shell shocked as the Bulldogs came out of the blocks with an intensity that has teams in the top eight looking over their shoulders.

JAMMARA’S NOT SO DRY JULY

Jamarra Ugle-Hagan kept his hot goalscoring run intact to record four goals over the last three weeks.

It’s the way and moments that are most important, as he twice halted the runs of the Swans as they desperately tried to ignite a comeback.

They cut the margin to 24 midway in the second before he was able to step up and lead a flurry before halftime, and again the Swans had two goals in a row in the third quarter, only for Ugle-Hagan to pounce on a loose ball in the forward 50 to snap a key goal.

Jamara Ugle-Hagan celebrates kicking a goal against the Swans. Picture: Phil Hillyard.

CRACKS STARTING TO APPEAR?

We’ve seen the Swans defeated in 2024, but they haven’t been dismantled in such a fashion as the Bulldogs dished out.

Their four previous losses came by a combined margin of 10 points.

They’ve now lost four of their past five games and both Brisbane and Fremantle are hot on their tails in the race for the minor premiership.

With a trip to Port Adelaide and a return home to face a hungry Collingwood, they need to snap out of their rut and fast.

INJURIES TAKING THEIR TOLL

Lewis Mellican became the latest Swan to join the injury ward after coming off midway through the second quarter with a hamstring concern, while Will Hayward also came off in the final term.

With four rounds of the regular season remaining, Sydney is currently without Justin McInerney, James Rowbottom, Dane Rampe and Tom Papley, who could be out for up to six weeks.

With a top-two spot still not wrapped up just yet and a few big games on the run home, it’s not an ideal situation for the competition favourites.

Lewis Melican was subbed off with a hamstring concern. Picture: Phil Hillyard.