Fremantle’s season is hanging by a thread after the Western Bulldogs exacted retribution for being bundled out of finals last year, winning at Optus Stadium by 49 points.
Neither side had set the world alight going into the round six opener, but the Dockers have now slumped to 2-4 with a daunting trip to Brisbane next weekend threatening to put a substantial dent in their quest to return to finals.
Cody Weightman celebrates a goal, as the Dogs overwhelmed the Dockers in Perth.Credit: Getty Images
The Dogs failed to maintain the rage in the second half of their elimination final last year, but learnt the lessons from that loss to well and truly earn Friday night’s win, opening the floodgates in the final term to win comfortably in the end.
They laid 20 tackles inside their forward-50, more than double their season average of nine going into the clash, which provided the foundation for 14 more scoring shots.
Across the park, they had more match-winners.
Skipper Marcus Bontempelli led the lot, followed closely by Tom Liberatore and Adam Treloar in the midfield, Tim English in the ruck, and winger Bailey Williams (three goals).
The Bulldogs’ record now sits at 3-3, their defeats at the hands of the Demons, Saints and Power, and wins over three of last year’s finalists in Brisbane, Richmond and now Fremantle.
Games against Hawthorn and GWS Giants in the next fortnight bode well for Luke Beveridge’s men, who appear to have struck a better balance with their talls and smalls in attack since demoting Sam Darcy to the reserves.
But questions will continue to rage about whether Justin Longmuir can alter Fremantle’s game plan which looks more and more obsolete by the week.
Cold reception
Rory Lobb’s return to Optus Stadium wasn’t lost on his former teammates, who made it clear how they felt about his decision to move from Fremantle to the Western Bulldogs in the off-season.
Rory Lobb was the centre of attention throughout the match.Credit: Getty Images
Alex Pearce was the first to bump Lobb, and it turned into a mini melee before the first bounce, as Jack Macrae led the defence of his new teammate before Jordan Clark threw Lobb to the ground.
While Lobb didn’t have high numbers, he played his role as a leading half-forward. He took a strong contested mark at halfback in the first quarter to relieve some pressure for the Dogs, and kicked a goal in the second that silenced the boos which followed him throughout the evening.
Lobb finished with 11 kicks and a handball, six marks and 1.3.
Kicking at goal
It’s funny how often the easy is made to look hard and the hard is made to look easy, not just in footy but in many sports.
That summed up the Bulldogs’ first half. They sprayed 3.7 in the opening term, missing a number of relatively simple opportunities, and when Cody Weightman pulled a set shot from straight in front early in the second, it looked like the yips contagion had spread through the team.
But Bailey Williams defied the trend, selling candy to Caleb Serong before slotting a lovely goal on the run from a tight angle to finally give the Dogs some reward for their efforts.
The Western Bulldogs proved too good for the Dockers. .Credit: Getty Images
And the margin was extended to a then game-high 25 points when Aaron Naughton got the next goal, nailing a set shot from the opposite pocket on the wrong side for a left-footer.
The weight of numbers told in the end, with 3.7 at quarter-time turning into 17.16 by the final siren.
Icing on the cake
From start to finish, it was clear who the most influential person on the ground was - Dogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli.
But when he took a big contested mark and kicked his second goal, with less than 10 minutes left on the clock, it sealed the complete captain’s performance.
He finished with 31 disposals, 10 tackles, eight clearances and two goals, and, little doubt, three Brownlow votes.
FREMANTLE 3.1 6.2 9.6 10.9 (69)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 3.7 8.9 12.11 17.16 (118)
GOALS: Fremantle: Sturt 2, Frederick 2, Walters, Jackson, Schultz, O’Meara, Darcy, Amiss
Western Bulldogs: Naughton 3, Williams 3, Bontempelli 2, Treloar 2, Lobb, Weightman, English, Liberatore, Daniel, Scott, McNeil
BEST: Fremantle: Darcy, Serong, Ryan, Brayshaw. Bulldogs: Bontempelli, Liberatore, Treloar, Williams, English