Marcus Bontempelli typically dominant in Western Bulldogs’ JLT win over Hawthorn
WESTERN Bulldogs star Bontempelli was typically brilliant, while skipper Easton Wood will play in a new position in 2018. The Dogs got the spoils against Hawthorn but both teams would have been pleased with what they saw.
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BULLDOGS captain Easton Wood will be a forward in 2018, with assistant coach Daniel Giansiracusa confident the premiership defender will make a successful transition from defence.
Wood has been training as a forward this summer and had his first taste in attack against Hawthorn in Ballarat on Saturday as the Bulldogs triumphed by 22 points.
He didn’t get a touch until late in the second term and kicked a single goal, but Giansiracusa said the positional change was genuine and the club was keen to develop Wood into a genuine swingman.
SUPERCOACH: EVERY SCORE FROM DOGS V HAWKS
“‘Bevo’ especially likes swingmen in his team. We’ve probably been looking for one,” Giansiracusa said.
“He’s the captain, so he’s going to do everything right, and he always does wherever he plays. But he’s a pretty powerful and quick player so he’s going to put defences on edge as well.
“He hasn’t played there much so he’s going to continue to learn. It will take time.
“But the good thing he’s spoken to us about is the things he’s learned from playing against the best forwards in the competition; he’s now trying to put those in place as a forward.
“This was his first crack at it against not our defenders, but he’s excited by it.
“He didn’t take much persuading, he was really happy to go at it ... he can be a real threat for us.”
Giansiracusa said key forward Tom Boyd would be considered for inclusion in the club’s next pre-season game against Collingwood on Saturday in Moe, but he didn’t appear overly confident he would play.
SCHACHE THINGS UP
The Dogs kept their star recruit on ice until the third term. The only early look fans got was when he walked on at the quarter-time break with coach Luke Beveridge, who gave him a pat on the back, before he went for a kick to kick with Liam Picken.
He was let loose in the third and was in the ruck early. His best moment came when he won the tap and the ball was gathered by Bontempelli, but Schache didn’t stop and admire his work.
As Bontempelli delivered the ball to Jason Johannisen on the wing, Schache dashed into the attacking 50 and when Johannisen eyed his options and kicked, it was Schache who took the mark on the goal square, jogging into an open goal.
He finished with just the two touches and that goal.
LIBBA
So much talk this will be Libba’s year. Former Bulldog Adam Cooney said on radio pre-match the 25-year-old needs to find “that passion, that hunger” and he went some way to showing it.
He worked hard and went hard when he was on the ball and he kicked a goal in the third term.
He finished with 18 touches, including eight contested. He had six clearances and five tackles.
Liberatore also showed his caring side, giving James Sicily a cuddle, a kind word and a tap on the head after the Hawk gave away a free kick.
BONTIFUL AGAIN
All business hairdo, all business Bont.
He showed his typical one-touch magic, whether a scoop off the ground when he went into the midfield, or a pinpoint pass. His strong mark against Burgoyne just on 50m now a trademark.
Bontempelli also almost kicked a ripper on his left from just outside 50 after he stole the ball from Isaac Smith in the centre square.
THE SUPERCOACH
Bulldogs defender Aaron Naughton is a lock. One of his five marks was an intercept that started a forward push for the Bulldogs which eventuated in a goal. He had 13 touches at 92 per cent efficiency.
PICKEN TOUGH AS NAILS
Veteran Liam Picken was stretchered from the ground late in the third term after he as knocked out. Picken went up in a pack in the Bulldogs forward 50 but banged into the back of teammate josh Dunkley before his head crashed hard into the turf.
Giansiracusa said Picken was walking around after the match and would be monitored throughout the week.
“He doesn’t know any other way, Picko, he’s just full on and wants to make a contest,” he said.
“We’ll assess him throughout the week, hopefully he’s all OK, at least he was up and about after it.”
IS THIS THE ERA OF O’MEARA?
The jury is still out if we’ll see the best of talented yet injury plagued Jaeger O’Meara. He has the smarts and early in the game looked damaging in the centre.
He had five touches at 100 per cent efficiency in the first term.
O’Meara appeared to have less game time in the second half and finished with 16 touches. One radio commentator questioned if he’ll become an accumulator rather than a devastating game breaker.
JARMAN IMPEY
New arrival Jarman Impey proved his pace is going to be an asset for the Hawks.
At one stage he was about to break the play open with a dashing run off half-back only for the umpire to say he ran too far just before he took his second bounce.
He burned of Bulldog Jason Johannisen on the wing in the opening term and kept running to set up Luke Breust who snapped for a behind
He looked good on the wing and up forward.
Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson said Impey and Cyril Rioli would form a powerful forward combination this season.
“He’s going to be pretty electric for us,” Clarkson said.
“He’ll provide a pretty potent forward line when Cyril returns and with ‘Poppy’ (Paul Puopolo) and Lukey Breust.”
PRECISION HAWKS
The Hawks will be damaging on the rebound. Several times the ball went from one end to the other in a flash.
The text book play Clarko will surely use as a blue print was when James Sicily collected the ball just outside defensive 50 and hit Jaeger O’Meara on the chest on the wing. Impey was waiting for the hand off and his deep kick fell goal side of Jack Gunston. Even though Gunston didn’t take the mark, he still converted.
FIRST KICK WONDER
Rookie Oliver Hanrahan will remember his first kick as a Hawk. He sat on the bench for the first term but four minutes into the second he collected a quick handball from Liam Shiels and snapped on his right for a goal.
He had the chance for another score midway through the second, but couldn’t control the ball.
The 19-year-old showed plenty, with a quick handball out to a running Isaac Smith resulting in a goal.
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