AFL Round 6 Western Bulldogs v Adelaide: All the news, action and fallout from Ballarat

Sitting 6-0 twelve months ago, training injuries and setbacks are holding the Bulldogs back. But Luke Beveridge is keeping the faith.

Sam Landsberger

@samlandsberger

8 min read

April 24, 2022 - 5:57PM

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Staying in Daylesford, Adelaide twice got lost on its way to Ballarat.

“The bus pulled into the wrong hotel when we arrived. The bus also then came to the ground and came in the wrong gate,” coach Matthew Nicks said.

But it was the Western Bulldogs who drove home from Mars Stadium feeling disorientated.

Frustratingly for premiership coach Luke Beveridge, it’ll take more than a Melways to get back on track.

The club set out to finish top four for the first time in 12 years.

But at 2-4 have lost their way. They would probably have to peel off 14 wins from their final 16 games to earn the double chance.

In a city where some pan for gold Beveridge might’ve been tempted to pan his players.

He didn’t. Instead Beveridge pined for optimism.

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The Western Bulldogs have never played finals footy the year after reaching a Grand Final. Will history repeat again in 2022? Picture: Getty Images.

“We’ve got to stay positive,” he said.

“We’ve got some challenges on our hands in various shapes and forms.

“(But) it’s too early in the piece to reconsider anything at all. Some of the guys are reasonably new to it.

“Robbie McComb (debuted) today, Lachie McNeil, Jamarra (Ugle-Hagan), Anthony Scott. They’re really capable players and we feel like they’ve got bright futures.

“We’ve just got to convince them through education and their teammates that we can still be one of the better teams.

“The next tier are not quite ready. So we’ve got to continue to nurture and develop the boys who are in side until we get one or two back.”

The Dogs have never played finals the year after reaching the Grand Final.

Twelve months ago they were 6-0 with a percentage of 175.3. Back then they were also healthy.

The Dogs are sitting with a 2-4 record and struggling with injury woes, including ruckman Tim English (right). Picture: Getty Images.

Ruckman Tim English (hamstring), fullback Alex Keath (hamstring) and full-forward Josh Bruce (knee) are unavailable.

English and Keath have soft-tissue tears. So to do Laitham Vandermeer (hamstring) and Jason Johannisen (calf).

Keath and Johannisen have suffered setbacks in their rehab and will miss several more weeks.

Training injuries are usually confined to collision injuries – but that is where English went down.

“Tim English got a corkie in his leg and he bled a little bit,” Beveridge explained.

“He trained for the whole session and his last kick of the session he felt his hamstring a bit.

“He came in and reported that it just didn’t feel right. We believe it probably happened from an original bleed in the previous match that he hadn’t really paid much attention to.”

Beveridge said training loads weren’t an issue, but the spread of soft-tissues was worth looking into.

“We’ve had a few more soft tissues this year,” he said.

“It’s our speedy players. Guys like JJ and Laitham Vandermeer, these are the guys that are quite vulnerable because of the way they’re wired and they’re built.

“We haven’t got a lot of players to call on at the moment.”

Substitute Rhylee West sat on the bench for the Crows clash, but could have made an impact. Picture: Getty Images.

Ironically, the Dogs probably could’ve done with an injury on Saturday.

Little Rhylee West, the unused substitute, might’ve injected a bit of life into what was at stages a lifeless performance.

It was a different defeat to recent weeks.

In the previous month the Dogs had won the inside 50m count by 10.8 per game.

But they went home kicking themselves against Carlton and Richmond, with their own inaccuracy to blame.

Against the Crows they lost the count 58-43.

“It’s a considerable inside 50m differential loss that we’re not normally faced with,” Beveridge said.

Troubles completing plays suddenly became problems creating chances.

Usually the Crows score from stoppages. On Mars they scored from turnovers because aerially the Crows were unstoppable.

Beveridge described impassable ruckman Reilly O’Brien as a “big leviathan” as the Crows pulled in 26 intercept marks, six belonging to Tom Doedee.

He spent 40 minutes on Marcus Bontempelli as the key to the Dogs’ midfield started as a key forward.

“For a team to take 26 intercept marks, I don’t think that’s ever happened to our team,” Beveridge said.

The timing and positioning of Adelaide’s back six was impeccable.

Both clubs played an extra at stoppages as it turned into a claustrophobic contest.

“We felt like they strangled us and didn’t let us play with any fluency,” Beveridge said.

But the Dogs’ handball retention rate of 89.8 per cent was ranked No.1 in the AFL and so the Crows were happy to hijack their space.

Chayce Jones cooled Bailey Smith and Ben Keays caught fire.

Was Adelaide’s plan to turn this into a fight?

“My words it was,” Nicks said.

The Crows won the fight and are 3-3. Meanwhile the Dogs are left fighting for their season.

CAR CRASH TRAGEDY ROCKS DOGS AS CROWS PULL OFF UPSET

Mitch Wallis withdrew from Saturday’s loss against Adelaide after his pregnant wife Emily horrifically lost her mother to a fatal car crash last week.

It was a traumatic week for the Western Bulldogs, with development coach Travis Varcoe also mourning the loss of his mother and best-and-fairest winner Lachie Hunter (mental health) stepping away from the club.

The Wallis tragedy occurred when Mitch’s mother-in-law was struck by a car as a pedestrian in North Melbourne.

Premiership coach Luke Beveridge said Emily Wallis was a week overdue with their second child.

Mitch Wallis’ mother-in-law tragically passed away from a car crash. Picture: Michael Klein

It was a traumatic week for the Bulldogs. Michael Klein

They welcomed daughter Charlotte into the world in June, 2020.

“It’s been a challenging week for the club,” Beveridge said on Saturday.

“Em’s mum got hit by a car last weekend. She passed away on Thursday, and Emily’s a week overdue.

“Your football club is like a second home, and everyone feels that and is really emotional around what’s happening with Mitch and Emily and their families.

“We’re just hoping that everything goes smoothly over the next week or so with Emily.”

Wallis, 29, had played the previous three matches as the substitute.

Tex wins it in Ballarat as Crows take another scalp

— Dylan Bolch

The Adelaide Crows are building something under head coach Matthew Nicks and fans have plenty of things to be excited about.

The Crows secured an upset win over the Dogs in Ballarat, pinching a one-point victory to move to 3-3 in 2022.

It was not the fast-paced, dynamic football that the Crows have made their brand under Nicks, but rather a blustery, low-scoring and ugly affair.

With many experts expecting the Crows to struggle in 2022, Nicks’ side has now taken the scalps of Port Adelaide, Richmond and the Western Bulldogs.

Question marks still surround Luke Beveridge’s troops, who are yet to reach the heights of 2022 and are left languishing at 2-4, but with all the talent and experience to bounce back soon.

Taylor Walker celebrates his 500th AFL goal with Lachlan Murphy and Josh Rachele. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

The Crows started the better of the two sides, dominating the territory battle early.

The Dogs could not get their hands on the footy with the Crows controlling the inside 50s in the opening stages, before the Dogs eased themselves into the game through some of their big-name midfielders.

Bailey Smith (29 disposals), Jack Macrae (25) and Josh Dunkley (28) were all immense at the contest, while Tom Liberatore (33) was also enormous.

With in-form big man Tim English ruled out due to a hamstring injury suffered at training, Adelaide’s ruck Reilly O’Brien took full advantage of a matchup against Bulldogs veteran Stefan Martin.

O’Brien had 18 disposals and 49 hit-outs and completely dominated the battle with Martin.

O’Brien and forward duo Taylor Walker (three goals) and Lachlan Gollant were a strong presence down the line, halting numerous Bulldogs advances and ruling the airways.

However, the Crows were unable to capitalise on their inside 50 dominance with a poor conversion rate keeping the Bulldogs in the contest.

Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli spent more time forward in Ballarat, as Beveridge gave the keys to engine room to the likes of Smith and Dunkley.

The final five minutes was intense, with Adelaide missing numerous opportunities to get back in front and the Dogs unable to put them away.

The match needed a leader to step up and that came in the form of veteran Walker.

With the Crows plagued by the goalkicking yips, Walker stepped up when it mattered most and nailed his set shot to give the Crows the lead in the dying stages.

Adelaide take on the Giants next weekend while the Bulldogs face a must-win clash against the out-of-sorts Bombers.

Jordan Dawson takes a spectacular mark in Ballarat. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

DAWSON TAKES TO THE SKIES

Adelaide recruit Jordan Dawson put his nomination in for Mark of the Year, with a spectacular grab over Lachie McNeil on centre wing.

Dawson had serious hang time, as he plucked an intercept mark during the second quarter.

The former Swan has been one of the recruits of the year so far and his composure under pressure and laser-like kicking was an asset for the Crows in difficult conditions.

Dawson amassed 18 disposals and eight marks, operating at 77% kicking efficiency.

GET UP THERE JORDAN DAWSON!#ImLovinIt | #AFLDogsCrows pic.twitter.com/DyecLyJgmH
— AFL (@AFL) April 23, 2022

SCHACH ATTACK

What is Josh Schache’s best position? While he is yet to really nail himself in Beveridge’s best 22 every week, the flexibility the former Lion provides allows the Dogs coaching staff to spin the magnets when required.

Schache started the game in defence but also had an impact when thrown forward, crumbing late in the third quarter to get the Dogs back within a kick.

A soccer kick off the deck in the goalsquare reduced the margin to just four points with less than 12 minutes left on the clock, too.

There is room for the Dogs to play Schache at either end of the ground and, if he can cement his spot in the 22, continuity might just be what he needs to finally reignite his AFL career.

Josh Schache booted two late goals for the Bulldogs. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

BUTTS CLAMPS DOWN

Adelaide’s young key defender Jordon Butts held his own against one of the best key forwards in the competition in Aaron Naughton.

Naughton’s contested marking and agility when the ball hits the ground was quelled brilliantly by Butts.

The key dog was restricted to just two goals and eight possessions and Butts taking the chocolates was a key factor in the Crows win.

TEX 500

After missing the first three weeks of the 2022 season, Taylor Walker has not wasted any time in making up for it. Walker has booted 12 goals in three weeks and his leadership and efforts forward of centre give the Crows a real focal point moving forward.

The former captain also became member 61 of the 500 career goals club, when he snuck in a set shot from 20 metres out early in the fourth quarter.

He iced the game with a clutch set shot with just two minutes to go as the Adelaide fans speckled throughout Mars Stadium went nuts.

Inside bulls Ben Keays (33 disposals) and Rory Laird (30 disposals, 11 tackles) were the key contributors in the midfield for the Crows.