Brisbane v Western Bulldogs: Eric Hipwood bags big goal haul to spearhead Lions’ win over Dogs
Brisbane v Western Bulldogs might have been billed as a battle of two contenders, but one side enhanced its status as genuine premiership fancies. For the other, the effort left more questions than answers.
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Luke Beveridge quickly needs to get the Bulldogs’ bite back or the team many predicted to be the frontrunners of the competition before the season began will continue to be also-rans this year.
It was billed as a battle of two of the contenders at the Gabba on Saturday night, but while Brisbane showed why that title well and truly suits them, the Dogs demonstrated why they are in danger of being pretenders as the Lions ran out 24-point winners.
On top in the clearances but toothless with their scoring in recent weeks, the Bulldogs weren’t at the races for both against Brisbane and the Lions feasted on this – especially in the second term.
The Lions again were frustratingly inaccurate in front of goals, kicking 12 behinds but it didn’t matter as they smashed the Bulldogs in every other area to return to winning ways.
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Beveridge says his “immature” side needs to “maintain the rage” for the entire game, after the Dogs again fell down to a top four opposition.
“I think we became pretty paranoid and reactive in there after they were coming in clean,” he said.
“We got on the backfoot and we have to learn from that, because it’s a situation where you can’t lose the voltage in your feet … they just had the better of us.”
The loss to Brisbane follows losses to ladder leading Port Adelaide and reigning premiers Richmond.
Beveridge said his side had played “six pretty good quarters” against the Power and Lions.
“And two diabolic ones that have cost us both games,” he said.
“So that’s where we sit, we are immature.
“We are not able to drive for the 90 or 100 minutes that the game requires at the moment.
“And we are honest with that, our players are beating themselves up about it at the moment.
“It is my duty and our inspiration to support them and drive them, and sometimes be a little bit hard on them, to find a four-quarter outlook which we have been unable to find.”
LIONS SWEAT ON CAMERON INJURY
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan is hopeful a knee injury by star small forward Charlie Cameron will be “nothing major” as the flag contenders now get a much-deserved break.
Cameron drew gasps from an 11,061 Gabba crowd in the fourth quarter on Saturday night when he appeared to have hurt his knee in the Lions’ convincing win over the Western Bulldogs.
Cameron, who recently signed a new deal at Brisbane to stay until 2025, looked to be in serious pain but was able to run off and eventually return to the field.
Post game he had ice on it and Fagan said he was hopeful it wasn’t a serious injury.
“It’s like a bang on the ground more than any structural damage, but we’ll have to wait and see on that one,” he said.
“It‘s too early to tell.
“They said it was Charlie. I thought ‘right, ok, that doesn’t look too good’.
“When you’re coaching you just stay in the game and you worry about that later, but hopefully I think it’s nothing major.”
The Lions bounced back from a loss to Richmond last time out with an inspired second quarter term, blitzing the Bulldogs in the centre of the park.
Brownlow Medal fancy Lachie Neale had seven centre clearances, which summed up the Lions’ dominance in the middle of the ground, and Fagan said the effort his players put in was incredible given their recent taxing efforts.
“The great part about the win was that I’m not sure if people know but we have played the most number of games over the last couple of days, we have played four games in 13 days,” he said.
“To have two four-day breaks in a row and come out and play like that against a really good opposition I’m really proud because we were a little bit tired by the effort.”
While Neale and other midfielders Dayne Zorko and Jarryd Lyons had fine games around the ball, key forward Eric Hipwood made this dominance count on the scoreboard – finishing with five goals.
“I was pleased for him because I felt like for the last two or three weeks he has been working really hard and not getting much scoreboard result as a forward,” Fagan said.
“So swings and roundabouts it came his way and he completed all his shots … he got a reward.”
ELECTRIFYING ERIC
The pre-match attention was on the Dogs’ returning key forward Aaron Naughton and the firepower he could give Beveridge’s side, but Hipwood stole the show.
Extremely talented but equally inconsistent, Hipwood has a couple of games each season where he looks like one of the competition’s best and this was one of these games.
With Alex Keath on the returning Daniel McStay, Hipwood was on youngster Ryan Gardner and gave the young Bulldogs pup a night he won’t want to remember any time soon.
Often summing up the Lions inaccurate kicking in front of goal, Hipwood finished with five goals and if he can produce more of this then watch out for Brisbane.
CLEARANCE CONCERNS
If one stat summed up this game it was the clearances.
It was 8-8 after an equal opening term, but from the second onwards the Lions absolutely mauled the Bulldogs with the final count being 36 to 27 in their favour.
The Bulldogs’ midfield trinity of Jack Macrae (40 disposals, one goal), Marcus Bontempelli (30) and Josh Dunkley (18) are considered to be one of the league’s best, but Brisbane showed its midfield can take it to and beat the elite.
Lachie Neale (36 disposals, one goal) was everywhere, Dayne Zorko (24 disposals, nine tackles) was damaging and Jarryd Lyons (26 disposals, seven score involvements) was instrumental in the Lions’ second-quarter blitz.
AH CHEE WOWEE
The only negative on the night for Brisbane was Charlie Cameron hurting his knee – he did return – but Callum Ah Chee showed he might be able to provide the x-factor if the Lions star spends any time out
Swung forward from half back in the loss to Richmond after Cam Rayner went down with a hamstring injury the Gold Coast recruit showed a little bit that night – on Saturday night he lit up the Gabba.
His first mark and goal in the opener were impressive, the second will be in the running for the season’s best grab.
Launching himself into the side of the Dogs’ Ryan Gardner, Ah Chee soared above the pack of defenders to take the stunning grab and show the Lions fans they have recruited one.
SCOREBOARD
BRISBANE 3.4, 9.8, 13.10, 14.12 (96)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 3.1, 5.2, 8.2, 11.6 (72)
GOALS
Lions: Hipwood 5, Bailey, Ah Chee, McCluggage 2, Neale, Robinson, McStay
Bulldogs: Wallis 3, Lloyd 2, Bruce, Bontempelli, Macrae, Lipinski, Dale, Naughton
SIMEON THOMAS-WILSON’S BEST
Lions: Neale, Zorko, Hipwood, Lyons, McLuggage, Bailey
Bulldogs: Macrae, Bontempelli, English, Wallis
SIMEON THOMAS-WILSON’S VOTES
3 – Lachie Neale (Lions)
2 – Jack Macrae (Bulldogs)
1 -Dayne Zorko (Lions)
INJURIES
Lions: Charlie Cameron (knee)
CROWD
11,061 at the Gabba
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