Western Bulldogs eliminate Hawthorn with stunning semi-final win, Hawks’ four-peat hopes dashed

THE king is dead, long live the king. For when the end came for this goliath of a football team, it came quickly — thanks to a Bulldogs side that didn’t dally over the guillotine.

The Bulldogs celebrate after the final siren. Picture: Scott Barbour/AFL Media/Getty Image

STRAIGHT sets.

The two words you never thought you’d associate with Hawthorn.

Alas the king is dead, long live the king. For this goliath of a football team, when the end came, it came quickly — delivered by a Western Bulldogs side who didn’t dally over the guillotine when it had the chance.

The Bulldogs ran the Hawks ragged in the end — the exuberance of youth blowing the Hawks away in a semi-final that signalled an emphatic changing of the guard.

A Hawks unit up for so long, was hunted to every corner of the MCG in the second half by a relentless, hungry challenger.

When the curtain came down on Hawthorn’s season, the final score was 16.11 (107) to 12.12 (84). The Dogs players embraced; the Hawks stood stunned.

This incredible Hawthorn reign of dominance — the last three flags, the last four grand finals and the last five preliminary finals — has finally come to a close.

Western Bulldogs veteran Matthew Boyd had 19 disposals. Picture: George Salpigtidis

The Bulldogs inflicted it with an incredible coalface dominance, obliterating Hawthorn in contested ball (+50) and clearances (+8) to a level that eventually overwhelmed Alastair Clarkson’s men. They had 12 more inside 50s, the Dogs.

Yet Hawthorn was in control of this battle at quarter-time and led by as many as 23 points half way through the second term.

PLAYER RATINGS: BONT BRILLIANT, LEWIS LACKING

GAME-CHANGER: 40 MINUTES THAT SET DOGS APART

ANALYSIS: DOGS EXORCISE DEMONS TO DELIVER KNOCKOUT

The Bulldogs were drowning in mistakes, both around the ground and in front of goal. No side feasts on opposition errors like Hawthorn and five of the Hawks’ first six goals came directly from Dogs turnovers.

But if the Dogs mistakes kept coming in the first hour, so did they. They had blundered 1.5 in the first quarter, with first Tory Dickson (1.3) battling the yips, but the signs of life remained.

It was the sitter of a miss by Luke Breust in the second quarter that would prove the pivotal moment. Breust’s shot 18 minutes into the second quarter would have given the Hawks a 27-point lead, but instead the tide turned spectacularly.

Liam Picken’s incredible second quarter (nine disposals, three clearances and two inside 50s)- highlighted by a mark in the face of oncoming traffic that saw him poleaxed — also lit the spark for the second consecutive week. Suddenly, the Dogs were swarming. They had eight of the last nine scoring shots of the first half and while they trailed by a point at the main break, they smelt blood.

Cue a withering six-goal third quarter burst that rocked the Hawks to their core.

Costly Hawthorn misses to Jack Gunston, Isaac Smith and Liam Shiels to start the second half, were followed by an unstoppable Dogs charge. Jordan Roughead pushed forward to expose Ben McEvoy, Picken was in everything and when Jake Stringer finally caught fire, the game was theirs. When Marcus Bontempelli waltzed into the goalsquare to make it six unanswered, Bulldogs fans were in dreamland.

He was superb, Bontempelli. A picture of poise, efficiency and maturity, his performance was franked by Jack Macrae’s 39 possessions, Picken’s grunt, Stringer’s magic and Tom Liberatore’s hands when the game was hottest in the first hour.

Western Bulldogs’ Tory Dickson kicked 0.3 in the first half. Picture: George Salpigtidis

Hawthorn had no time, no space, no nothing. The Bulldogs pressure that crippled West Coast, last night strangled the best kicking side the game has seen.

A Luke Hodge handball in the last quarter that was chopped off by Bontempelli who set up a Dickson goal perhaps summed up the match. Jordan Lewis had 10 possessions, incredibly only four after quarter-time. Sam Mitchell wasn’t tagged, but had little influence and Cyril Rioli wasn’t allowed to ignite.

The Bulldogs haven’t just delivered two finals wins, they’ve delivered two finals thrashings.

They are on the greatest ride football can offer — a finals fairytale. Next stop, western Sydney.

WESTERN BULLDOGS 1.5 6.10 12.11 16.11 (107)

HAWTHORN 3.4 7.5 8.9 12.12 (84)

GOALS

Western Bulldogs: Stringer 3, Picken 3, Smith 2, Bontempelli 2, Daniel, Wood, Dunkley, Roughead, Dickson, McLean

Hawthorn: Hodge 2, Shiels 2, Hill, Rioli, Fitzpatrick, Gunston, Sicily, Breust, Puopolo, Burgoyne

BEST

Western Bulldogs: Bontempelli, Picken, Macrae, Dunkley, Dahlhaus, Liberatore, Smith

Hawthorn: Burgoyne, Shiels, Hodge, McEvoy

VOTES

3. Marcus Bontempelli (WB)

Others had bigger numbers; none had a bigger influence. Cool, calm and collected with 27 touches, eight clearances and two goals.

2. Liam Picken (WB)

Inspirational. For the second week in a row he lit the spark in the second term. Does everything. Three goals, clearances, marks, grunt.

1. Jack Macrae (WB)

Aren’t you supposed to struggle second game back? Thirty-nine touches — 13 contested. Wow.

Umpires: Chris Donlon, Matt Stevic, Mathew Nicholls.

Official Crowd: 87,823 at MCG.

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