Beveridge calls Dogs’ defence ‘inconsistent’, new AFL footy boss wants shorter matches

The Brisbane Lions have held firm to claim a fourth-straight win, defeating the Western Bulldogs 12.14 (86) to 12.4 (76) in a tough tussle at the Gabba.

The 10-point win – after holding off a late Bulldogs surge as Will Ashcroft kicked a goal on the siren – enhances the Lions’ prospects of a top-four finish and allows them to celebrate the occasion of midfielder Hugh McCluggage’s 200th AFL match in style.

Hugh McCluggage leaves the ground after his 200th game.Credit: AFL Photos

Defeat for the Bulldogs leaves them in a precarious position in the race for the finals, having now lost eight of the nine matches they’ve played against teams above them on the ladder.

Rhylee West kicked a game-high four goals for the Bulldogs while for the Lions Will Ashcroft had three majors and his brother Levi was one of three Lions, along with Kai Lohmann and Jarrod Berry, to kick two goals apiece.

Aaron Naughton had two for the visitors.

Lions midfielder Josh Dunkley was in top form against his former club, laying 14 tackles and recording 28 disposals while Bailey Dale’s 33 touches were the most for the Bulldogs.

With the Gabba surface slick after a storm whipped over the stadium before the match started, neither team could be separated in the first quarter.

The biggest talking point of the term was Lions veteran Dayne Zorko coming to the sideline after his left foot was stomped on. The 36-year-old returned shortly afterward after getting the sore foot strapped as the hosts held a narrow one-point lead at the first break.

Cam Rayner began the second term in damaging fashion, laying on an eye-catching tackle before snapping a goal to extend the hosts’ lead before Lohmann and Will Ashcroft pushed that margin past two goals for the first time in the match.

The home fans were left incensed when a Levi Ashcroft goal was ruled out for a throw in the build-up before Riley Garcia was the beneficiary of a free kick in the Bulldogs’ favour to get the margin back into single digits.

But Will Ashcroft’s second after a smart tap by Charlie Cameron ensured the Lions were up by 13 at the main break.

Midway through the third term the Lions had hit a game-high 22 point lead when Logan Morris converted but West’s third of the match shortly afterward kept the Dogs in the hunt.

Brisbane notched 24 inside 50s for the quarter to the Bulldogs’ eight, but both teams kicked three goals to keep the contest in the balance heading into the final term.

The Dogs threatened a boilover with three late goals to get within four points, but the Lions held firm with Will Ashcroft’s third major right on the siren sealing the win.

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The Brisbane Lions have held firm to claim a fourth-straight win, defeating the Western Bulldogs 12.14 (86) to 12.4 (76) in a tough tussle at the Gabba.

The 10-point win – after holding off a late Bulldogs surge as Will Ashcroft kicked a goal on the siren – enhances the Lions’ prospects of a top-four finish and allows them to celebrate the occasion of midfielder Hugh McCluggage’s 200th AFL match in style.

Hugh McCluggage leaves the ground after his 200th game.Credit: AFL Photos

Defeat for the Bulldogs leaves them in a precarious position in the race for the finals, having now lost eight of the nine matches they’ve played against teams above them on the ladder.

Rhylee West kicked a game-high four goals for the Bulldogs while for the Lions Will Ashcroft had three majors and his brother Levi was one of three Lions, along with Kai Lohmann and Jarrod Berry, to kick two goals apiece.

Aaron Naughton had two for the visitors.

Lions midfielder Josh Dunkley was in top form against his former club, laying 14 tackles and recording 28 disposals while Bailey Dale’s 33 touches were the most for the Bulldogs.

With the Gabba surface slick after a storm whipped over the stadium before the match started, neither team could be separated in the first quarter.

The biggest talking point of the term was Lions veteran Dayne Zorko coming to the sideline after his left foot was stomped on. The 36-year-old returned shortly afterward after getting the sore foot strapped as the hosts held a narrow one-point lead at the first break.

Cam Rayner began the second term in damaging fashion, laying on an eye-catching tackle before snapping a goal to extend the hosts’ lead before Lohmann and Will Ashcroft pushed that margin past two goals for the first time in the match.

The home fans were left incensed when a Levi Ashcroft goal was ruled out for a throw in the build-up before Riley Garcia was the beneficiary of a free kick in the Bulldogs’ favour to get the margin back into single digits.

But Will Ashcroft’s second after a smart tap by Charlie Cameron ensured the Lions were up by 13 at the main break.

Midway through the third term the Lions had hit a game-high 22 point lead when Logan Morris converted but West’s third of the match shortly afterward kept the Dogs in the hunt.

Brisbane notched 24 inside 50s for the quarter to the Bulldogs’ eight, but both teams kicked three goals to keep the contest in the balance heading into the final term.

The Dogs threatened a boilover with three late goals to get within four points, but the Lions held firm with Will Ashcroft’s third major right on the siren sealing the win.

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Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge knows his side can get close to the best sides in the competition but says they won’t go any further until their team defence lifts.

The Bulldogs again fell to a top-eight side on Friday night in their loss to the Brisbane Lions and Beveridge was disappointed with how his side defended the middle of the ground, and their team defence overall – calling it inconsistent.

Western Bulldogs senior coach Luke Beveridge.Credit: AFL Photos

“It’s a question with a pretty broad response – it can be different things,” Beveridge said post-game.

“It’s been another one where we’ve been beaten by just a couple of goals. I’m encouraged by the boys’ application. I could go through a whole lot of things and different aspects.

“One thing you need your group to be totally committed to [is to] defend contests and stoppage phases – you can’t do that inconsistently against the better sides and we’ve done that inconsistently against those sides.

“Our ability to score has been pretty good when we get it into the right hands, but we have to keep chipping away at our defence.”

When it came to the Lions, who had 64 inside 50s to 44 for the Bulldogs, Beveridge said his side let them enter the centre corridor too often.

“They came through the middle of the ground too often,” Beveridge said.

“We need to be able to defend those and that’s something we have to do better with our team defence. When they go through the middle it just opens everything up.

“We need to be more cohesive.”

Incoming AFL football boss Greg Swann has revealed he wants to cut the length of quarters and speed up the score review process after he gets his feet under his new desk at AFL House.

Swann ended his 25-year stint as a football club chief executive tonight as his Lions beat the Bulldogs, and he will now turn his attention to his new AFL role, which will include overseeing the ARC score review system, the umpires and many other areas of the game.

Lions skipper Harris Andrews and outgoing club CEO Greg Swann.Credit: AFL Photos

“I’ve said in the last few days that it is a great game, and it’s in good health, but I want to tweak some things,” Swann told Fox Footy.

“There are some things that are pretty evident. The game is too long, and we wait for too many people. Hopefully, we can get into that pretty quickly.

“Even waiting for ruckmen at a ball up – if there are blokes there then throw it up and get on with it as I think quarters are averaging 35 minutes now. It’s too long.”

Swann said changes to improve the ARC system could come about soon.

“Hopefully there is some technology around that will let us speed it up and even make it more accurate – there are some meetings around some new technology,” Swann admitted.

“Hopefully we can get that done.”

Lions veteran Dayne Zorko admits he is pretty sore and could have an injury after playing through a painful foot issue tonight.

Zorko said the injury was something he was able to play through tonight, but could be an issue in the days to come once his painkillers wear off.

Dayne Zorko of the Lions in action.Credit: AFL Photos

“I’m pretty sore, but it is good to get through,” Zorko told Fox Footy.

Zorko was coy about the injury but said it wasn’t just a situation where he had his foot stamped on.

“It could have been, but didn’t show symptoms like that,” Zorko said.

“We were able to tape it up and take a couple of painkillers and keep playing. To get through the game was nice – hopefully it will be OK.”

Zorko also took an accidental boot stud to the head, which left him with a nasty cut .

The Brisbane Lions almost paid for their wasteful ball use, but they have held on for a 10-point win over the Western Bulldogs in a result they could shape the top four and possibly bottom end of the eight as well.

The Lions are into the finals, according to Fox Footy, while the Bulldogs are still right on the edge of the top eight.

The Dogs got within four points with 70 seconds to play, but they couldn’t find that last goal.

Logan Morris and Cam Rayner of the Lions celebrate a goal.Credit: AFL Photos

The Lions have held on to beat the Bulldogs at the Gabba.

Charlie Cameron has shown his experience. He chipped it wide to Ashcroft, who kicked a goal just as the siren went.

West has kicked his fourth goal with 70 seconds left in the match.

The Dogs need one more goal to win this. Can they do it? Their finals hopes could well rest on this next 70 seconds.

Lions 80, Dogs 76 with 70 seconds to play.

Sam Darcy had a clumsy clash with Ryan Lester a few minutes ago as Darcy tried to shrug him away off the ball and appeared to collect him with his elbow.

Lester went to ground but played on and wasn’t called to the bench for a head injury assessment, so that could help Darcy, but the incident will get some attention from the match review officer.

Lions skipper Harris Andrews clashes with Bulldogs star Sam Darcy.Credit: AFL Photos

The Dogs can’t afford to lose Darcy again after he was out with injury for a large chunk of the season.

Lions 79, Dogs 70 with three mins to play.