Western Bulldogs smack West Coast Eagles as crowds banned at Optus Stadium after Covid scare

A week in lockdown did nothing to stop the Western Bulldogs’ juggernaut as a Covid crowd ban cost West Coast Eagles dearly — on and off the field.

Jon Ralph and Brad Elborough

5 min read

June 27, 2021 - 9:54PM

News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

Marcus Bontempelli was at his brilliant best in the Bulldogs’ win. Picture: Getty Images

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Crowds were banned from Optus Stadium after another Covid scare as the West Coast Eagles were dominated by the Western Bulldogs in Perth on Sunday.

The game was set to go ahead with a strong crowd but it became the third game this season will to be played with only players, umpires and essential workers.

The Western derby and Fremantle’s clash against North Melbourne have already been played without crowds after a snap lockdown in Perth.

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Players were greeted by empty stands at Optus Oval. Picture: Getty Images

Now another case in the northern suburbs of Perth has cost the Eagles both crowd support and up to $1 million dollars in gate takings as the state used extreme caution to stifle any potential outbreak.

The Bulldogs had already spent the week in strict lockdown at the Joondalup Resort to ensure they were not at risk of spreading Covid to the WA community.

The confinement did not affect the Dogs, who dominated from start to finish in a 13.20 (98) to 6.7 (43) shellacking of the Eagles, sparked by another Brownlow-worthy performance from Marcus Bontempelli.

The decision to shut out the crowd was made by the WA state government after a physiotherapist who returned from NSW tested positive to Covid.

She is part of the Bondi Covid cluster and was in a Sydney Bondi cafe on June 19, then tested negative on June 21.

She tested positive to Covid on Saturday, forcing the WA government’s hand.

Fremantle is set to play Carlton next Saturday night at Optus Stadium, with fans attending that game in some doubt, given the weekend’s developments.

Marcus Bontempelli was at his brilliant best in the Bulldogs’ win. Picture: Getty Images

Amid all of the uncertainty, the Dogs are expected to land in Melbourne on Monday and be allowed to head home after passing Covid tests.

While Tullamarine Airport is a Covid hotspot, the Dogs are expected to be able to find a safe terminal to arrive at.

They can then begin to prepare for next week’s game against North Melbourne in the same manner as the other Victorian-based sides.

West Coast coach Adam Simpson said the Eagles had no issues with being on the road for multiple weeks, should the AFL rule an interstate hub is required to negotiate the nation’s Covid crisis.

“That doesn’t affect us at all,” Simpson said.

“For us to get anywhere this year, we’ve got to win anywhere, at any time, and we’ve got to play at our absolute best, especially against a side like the Bulldogs.

“We’re just not at that level.

“If it’s a few weeks on the road, we’ll do it. Honestly I think all those issues and challenges about how to handle it, they’re in the past. Just tell us what we’re doing, and we’ll do it.”

BRILLIANT BONT SPARKS BULLDOGS BELTING

The Western Bulldogs’ 55-point win over West Coast at Optus Stadium on Sunday can’t be underestimated in terms of this AFL season.

Lose, and the Dogs hold on to second spot on the ladder was extremely wobbly.

Win, which they ended up doing in style, and they would have fallen back into a group of sides eyeing off the advantage that top-two spot brings with it.

The 13.20 (98) to 6.7 (43) win looked ugly at times. But the 50,000-odd crowd was banned by the WA Government only three hours before bouncedown, while the Dogs were in a bus on the way to the game.

That regular noise that gets the Eagles moving when need it, wasn’t there when they started to gain some momentum in the third term.

Life is now a lot harder for West Coast, who would have been just one win off second spot with a win. Not being in the top four has eluded them for the past couple of seasons and now looks a difficult task again.

The mulleted one Bailey Smith continued his meteoric rise. Picture: AFL Photos/Getty Images

The Dogs captain, Marcus Bontempelli, made sure his team overcame their sloppy start against the Eagles.

Then, three goals in the final quarter from Aaron Naughton, sealed the result.

After celebrating a great win over Richmond at home, missing several key players, and having a bye to freshen up, the Eagles suffered their biggest ever loss at Optus Stadium since moving there in 2018.

The Dogs also kept them to their lowest score at the venue.

For the Dogs, it was their first win against West Coast at Optus Stadium and the first against the Eagles in Perth since the 2016 Elimination Final.

The Bulldogs went on to win the flag that season.

A shoulder injury to defender Ryan Gardner in the third quarter was the only concern for the Dogs.

Brad Sheppard was the Eagles’ best. Picture: Getty Images

GOOD KICKING IS GOOD FOOTY

The Bulldogs have trailed at quarter-time only once this season (in Round 11 loss to Melbourne) and led West Coast by 13 points at the first change.

But they should have had a matchwinning lead as early as that.

In the first term, they went into attack 17 times, compared to the Eagles eight and took six marks in goal kicking range.

They had 10 scoring shots to West Coast’s two, but led 2.8 to 1.1.

Josh Bruce and Bontempelli missed set shot chances they should have kicked. Bruce had 0.1 on the board, but he had two other shots from inside 50 that failed to score.

Ball magnet Jack Macrae found a mountain of it, as usual. Picture: AFL Photos/Getty Images

DOGS BRING THE BITE

The Bulldogs did take the intensity to the game.

One week after a devastating after-the-siren loss to Geelong and having spent a week in quarantine in Perth, the Dogs hunted the ball from the first bounce.

They went into the quarter-time huddle with 18 more contested possessions than the Eagles, led by Bontempelli, Bailey Smith, Jack Macrae and Lachie Hunter.

They set up many of their early scoring shots from the 12 turnovers they forced in their front half.

And Bontempelli and Tom Liberatore ensured their side were controlling clearances.

A first-ever goal to Riley Garcia sent the Bulldogs into rapture. Picture: Getty Images

BONT’S CLASS OF 2021

At halftime, the Eagles top three possession winners were defenders – Brad Sheppard, Josh Rotham and Tom Barrass, who was struggling with a rib-injury sustained in the first term.

The first two quarters were played in wet conditions and the Eagles ruckman, Nic Naitanui was their highest midfield possession winners, with 12.

Not-so the Bulldogs, with Bailey Smith (17 touches), Bontempelli (16) and Macrae (15) all getting plenty of it.

Bontempelli also had two goals to his name; the sixth time this season he has been a multiple goal kicker in a game. He finished with 29 touches (17 of them contested), 10 clearances and three goals.

Tim Kelly and Luke Shuey were returning from injury lay-offs and Elliot Yeo was playing his fourth game since being sidelined for an extended period.

The usual fluent ball-movement the Eagles show, especially at home, just wasn’t there.