St Kilda stuns Western Bulldogs and possibly ended their finals hopes
All the gains the Western Bulldogs have made in recent weeks have evaporated after they were rocked by a first-quarter St Kilda onslaught they should have seen coming.
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What a waste.
Thirty minutes is all it took Western Bulldogs to extinguish any realistic hope of playing finals for the first time since glorious 2016.
After fighting hard the past month to win three on the bounce, the Dogs walked out of the blocks and paid the price.
Everyone that walked into Marvel Stadium knew St Kilda would come out full of bluster following Alan Richardson's departure.
Maybe not the Bulldogs.
It looked so promising, too, for the Dogs after Tory Dickson booted the first of his four goals inside the first minute.
St Kilda piled on the next six in breathtaking fashion to set up the 27-point victory.
Re-committed Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge will rue the match because for prolonged periods after quarter-time his team called the shots.
The Dogs, who had enough chances to win, will go into Round 19 languishing in 12th place on the ladder — a game and big percentage outside the eight — with games against Fremantle (H), Brisbane (A), Essendon (A), GWS Giants (A) and Adelaide (H) to come.
Season Over.
WESTERN BUTCHERS
Two bungled marks, seconds apart, in front of St Kilda's goals epitomised the Bulldogs’ afternoon.
Jack Macrae spilt the first, then Jason Johannisen followed suit.
The result? A sweet snap from Saints debutant Doulton Langlands for a goal.
If Macrae could take a mulligan for Sunday he would, not only for the mark, but the other four errors as well, Johannisen the same.
Timid kicks and ugly handballs gifted St Kilda territory and possession.
The Saints, to their credit, were good enough to cash in on the scoreboard, too, piling on 11 goals almost untouched in the first half, save for a short-lived Bulldogs burst early in the second quarter.
SMALL MERCY
The form of Bailey Dale will fill the heart of Bulldogs fans with forward-midfielder booting five majors in a supreme individual performance.
Dale, 22, who missed out on the 2016 premiership, burst onto the scene early in his career but looked to go astray before yesterday’s breakout effort.
Tory Dickson (four goals) and Sam Lloyd (two) kept the Dogs within striking distance too but St Kilda had too many answers when it mattered most.
SHACKY SCHACHE
Josh Schache can't take a trick.
The 199cm loomed, if only briefly, as a potential matchwinner yesterday at Marvel Stadium, after a slow start, kicking one goal and setting up another, only then to hobble to the bench in a daze after a heavy knock.
A shame, too, for the former No.2 draft pick desperate for continuity, not only for development but confidence.
BEVO NOT GIVING UP ON FINALS DREAM
Frustrated Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge lamented “really ordinary’’ turnovers and skill errors magnified under St Kilda’s “level of intensity’’ and pressure.
But Beveridge, who praised the Bulldogs’ willingness to “claw back” the margin, has not given up on the September dream.
“You have to stand up when you’re put under pressure. You have to use the ball well and we didn’t,” Beveridge said.
“We succumbed to some intensity.
“People will look back on the season for us and look at teams we beat and teams that we didn’t and people might scratch their heads.
“The profiles of the teams that go out there are pretty similar and it is a mindset aspect that you have to be right on song with every week.
“It’s a missed opportunity to be a step closer to the eight, but we’re still in the hunt, we’ve got five (games) to go … we’ll give ourselves a chance this week.”
The Bulldogs must iron out fundamental mistakes that handed St Kilda possession.
Jack Macrae struggled early and Jason Johannisen wilted under some close checking from Saints workhorse Jack Newnes.
“We gave them about four goals from just missing teammates who were out, the handballs were on,” Beveridge said.
“We gave them the footy and couldn’t defend it unfortunately … they forced that a little bit with their pressure, so credit to them. We’ve got to pick ourselves up now and focus on Fremantle next week.’’
Beveridge confirmed Josh Schache (concussion) would be monitored this week following a head knock.
SCOREBOARD
ST KILDA 6.5 11.6 13.9 17.14 (116)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 1.0 4.5 10.5 14.5 (89)
GOALS
St Kilda: Lonie 4, Membrey 4, Clark 2, Billings 2, Parker, Newnes, Gresham, Langlands, Bruce
Western Bulldogs: Dale 5, Dickson 4, Lloyd 2, Schache, English, R.Smith
BEST
St Kilda: Clark, Lonie, Billings, Gresham, Membrey
Western Bulldogs: Crozier, Wood, Bontempelli, Dunkley, Macrae
INJURIES
St Kilda: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Schache (concussion)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Ryan, Heffernan, Mollison
Official crowd: 21,705 at Marvel Stadium
VOTES
3. Hunter Clark (StK)
2. Jack Lonie (StK)
1. Hayden Crozier (WB)
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