Western Bulldogs closing in on first ever AFL minor premiership

The Western Bulldogs’ win over Adelaide on Saturday moved them even closer to winning their inaugural AFL minor premiership.

The Western Bulldogs look set to finish in the top two on the AFL ladder for the first time since 1998. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)

The Western Bulldogs have made the most of the tricky conditions at a windswept Mars Stadium to blow past Adelaide in a 49-point win that strengthens their grip on top spot.

With three more rounds to play, the Bulldogs are closing in on the first VFL/AFL minor premiership in their 96-year history.

Bailey Dale and Caleb Daniel starred across half-back for the Dogs who led at every change on their way to a comfortable 15.15 (105) to 8.8 (56) win in Ballarat on Saturday afternoon.

Bailey Smith, Jack Macrae and Tom Liberatore did the heavy lifting around the stoppages in a midfield that was a class above.

On a tough day for forwards Josh Bruce, Jason Johannisen and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan each booted two goals.

“By and large, I felt like we approached the game with the intensity level that we needed to,” Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said.

“Probably the first half-a-dozen minutes Adelaide jumped us a little bit with their intensity, but I felt after that we were pretty consistent.

“I thought it was a pretty even spread of contributions from the boys.”

Rory Sloane, Paul Seedsman and Rory Laird were prominent for Adelaide, but the jump in class after last week’s win against Hawthorn was too great for the Crows to overcome.

The Bulldogs led by two goals at quarter time and only increased their lead from there. Pic: Michael Klein

Good toss to win

With a strong wind blowing to the city end of the venue that is more exposed to the elements than most, it was one of the few occasions where winning the toss was actually significant.

Sloane did just that and kicked with the wind, but after his side booted the first two goals of the day, through Elliott Himmelberg and Tom Lynch, the Bulldogs finished the opening term strongly to lead by 12 points at quarter-time.

Beep beep

With fans locked out of the match due to Covid restrictions, some enterprising Dogs supporters watched the game from cars parked up against the boundary fence at the city end. Car horns were enthusiastically tooted following goals in the second term as the Dogs took over use of the wind and made their move.

Where the Dogs were able to run the ball effectively into the breeze, the Crows broke down in transition from defence to attack, managing to go inside 50 on just five occasions to the Bulldogs’ 19.

Luke Beveridge’s men didn’t take full advantage, but a four-goals-to-one quarter put them up by 35 points at the main break.

Windblown

Adelaide needed to make inroads into that margin with the wind in the third term, but the Dogs restricted them to just one goal, Himmelberg with his second.

In a sign of just how difficult it was to score against the breeze, Johannisen punched a low, hard ball from a set shot at the other end that swung wildly from left to right but squeezed through for his side’s only major of the quarter that maintained a 35-point advantage at the last change.

Too late, Tex

Josh Schache helped keep Taylor Walker to just one kick in the first half, but the former skipper bobbed up with two goals in the final term.

Lachie Murphy made it back-to-back majors after Walker’s first, but the Dogs quickly reasserted their control.

Marcus Bontempelli didn’t have his usual influence, but he booted a superb goal from long range as his side rattled home with four goals in a row to improve to a 15-4 record.

“Unfortunately, we played a side that had just a little bit too much class for us in and around the contest,” Crows coach Matthew Nicks said.

“I thought we brought some great energy early.

“We had the advantage of going with that strong wind first and had our opportunities, but probably didn’t capitalise.

“They capitalised on all of our mistakes.”

Smith (R) was among the Dogs’ most vital contributors on Saturday afternoon. Pic: Michael Klein

Matthew Nicks has reassured Adelaide fans his battling team isn’t as far off success as it might seem after the Western Bulldogs handed out the latest in a string of harsh lessons with a 49-point thumping.

The Crows acquitted themselves well in last week’s win over fellow strugglers Hawthorn, but many of the problems that have dogged them through a disappointing campaign re-emerged in a 15.15 (105) to 8.8 (56) loss to the top-of-the-table Bulldogs in Ballarat on Saturday afternoon.

“What a great team for us to learn from … a team that we aspire to be,” Nicks said.

“We’ll be there sooner rather than later, I have no doubt.

“It’s amazing how close you can be and yet in some of these games you feel like you’re a long way from it … we’ll be there in time.

“We’re going to continue to look at players in the draft to build on our group, we’re going to continue to develop our players to compete.

“Today was a great example (for us), we played a team who plays exactly that (aggressive) style of footy.

“We played the top-of-the-table team, we played in conditions that forced the game into more of a contest with the wind going across to one side of the ground it challenged both teams with ball movement.

“We were beaten by a better side but there will be enough growth from this game and some really good learnings going forward.

“We’re in a bit of pain because our guys are out there to win games of footy, but from a coaching point of view we’ll learn a lot.”

Despite first use of a strong wind, the Crows trailed by 12 points at the first break and fell behind by 35 at half-time as they were repeatedly forced into costly mistakes by the ferocious Dogs.

Rory Sloane, Paul Seedsman and Rory Laird were prominent through the middle, but the Bulldogs were a class above when comparing midfield units.

The blustery conditions made it a tough day for forwards, but key tall Elliott Himmelberg, playing just his sixth game in a stop-start campaign, impressed with some strong overhead marks and two goals.

“If you talk about some of the growth out of the game (he) was definitely one of them,” Nicks said.

“We gave him an opportunity and I thought he made the most of it.

“I thought he looked quite dangerous in the air, which is good. It’s nice to see him hit his straps.

“It’s one of those things with Himmer and our forward line, we need to give him and them more opportunity.”

Nicks flagged the return of rested boom youngster Riley Thilthorpe in next week’s Showdown clash with Port Adelaide as he continues the search for his best forward mix.

Defender Chayce Jones is unlikely to face the Power after finishing the game on the bench with a badly corked quad.

BULLDOGS 5.3 9.9 10.11 15.15 (105)

CROWS 3.3 4.4 5.6 8.8 (56)

PHELAN’S BEST BULLDOGS: Dale, Smith, Daniel, Macrae, Liberatore, Johannisen, Schache. CROWS: Sloane, Seedsman, Doedee, Keays, Smith, Laird.

GOALS BULLDOGS: Bruce 2, Ugle-Hagan 2, Johannisen 2, Daniel, English, Dale, Weightman, Garcia, Hunter, Liberatore, Naughton, Bontempelli. CROWS: Himmelberg 2, Walker 2, Rowe, Lynch, Fogarty, Murphy.

INJURIES BULLDOGS: Scott (knee). CROWS: Jones (thigh), Himmelberg (knee).

UMPIRES Fisher, O’Gorman, Meredith

MARS STADIUM

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

JASON PHELAN’S VOTES

3 B Dale (WB)

2 B Smith (WB)

1 C Daniel (WB)