AFL 2021 as it happened: Western Bulldogs smash Essendon to set up clash with Brisbane Lions

Obviously this could all change. But here’s the AFL’s plan as it stands:

Friday, September 3
Second semi-final – Geelong v GWS at Optus Stadium, 7:50pm AEST/5:50pm AWST.

Saturday, September 4
First semi-final – Brisbane Lions v Western Bulldogs, the Gabba, start time to be confirmed.

Friday, September 10
First preliminary final – Melbourne v winner of second semi-final (Geelong v GWS) at Optus Stadium, 7:50pm AEST/5:50pm AWST.

Saturday, September 11
Second preliminary final – Port Adelaide v winner of first semi-final (Brisbane Lions v Western Bulldogs), at Adelaide Oval, 7:40pm AEST/7:10pm ACST.

A ripping game this afternoon. Thanks for following along.

We will be back for the Geelong v GWS and Lions v Dogs semi-finals next weekend.

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Six thousand, two hundred and three days. And counting. The wait will continue for at least another year for Essendon, whose finals win drought will extend to 18 years and whose season is over after being outclassed by the Western Bulldogs in a drenched Launceston on Sunday.

The Dogs, having slipped out of the top four with a late-season capitulation, still have the chance to again defy the odds and win a premiership from an elimination final. The road ahead is arduous and circuitous though, via Brisbane, Adelaide and almost certainly Perth.

Luke Beveridge’s side withstood an early period of ascendancy from the Bombers, with the Dogs grinding their way to a narrow half-time lead by virtue of neater finishing in front of goal.

Read the full match report here.

The Bulldogs were too good for the Bombers.Credit: AFL Photos

Luke Beveridge says the Dogs haven’t been far off a performance like the win today, despite losing their last three matches.

We played some teams whose form in the back of the year ... has been pretty solid.

Our guys have been applying themselves and just been a fraction off establishing our best. 

Darcy Parish got off the chain a bit and I thought our midfield did an enormous job to reign that in.

He said there was pressure on the Dogs because they had not won a final since 2016.

They [defenders] were enormous and there were some really open forward 50 opportunities for Essendon. They stood up extremely well.

It goes hand in hand with what the midfield were able to do and the willingness of our forward line to compete ... and keep the ball in our area. 

We scored by stealth at times and that’s great in a finals game.

We made the call [to bring Josh Schache in late] and really pleased with Josh’s output ... he [Zaine Cordy, who was out with illness] is OK ... but I am not one to take risks with someone who is off-colour.

The coach said ruckman Stefan Martin would play only in an emergency given he has lost so much footy.

Beveridge speaks to his players during the elimination final win.Credit: Getty Images

Caleb Daniel says a back-to-basics approach helped the Bulldogs turn the game in their favour in the second half.

He told 3AW the Bulldogs tried to play dry-weather footy in the first half but “after half-time it was really just get back to basics”.

Caleb Daniel gets a kick away in the wet.Credit: AFL Photos

Luke Beveridge made some late changes just before the game, with Zaine Cordy out due to illness. He also brought in Josh Schache and made Jason Johannisen with medical sub.
Schache kicked two goals and had 12 touches.

“He really played a great game, he’s a very versatile player now,” Daniel said of Schache, who has spent some time in defence in recent weeks.

But the Bulldogs’ leading goalscorer was Cody Weightman, who kicked four goals from four free kicks.

“He really buzzes around, he’s always energetic,” Daniel said. “When he’s playing some good footy it’s really exciting for us.”

He had no idea where the Bulldogs were heading next. The Dogs are due to play the Lions in a semi-final next Saturday at the Gabba, but Daniel didn’t know if they’d return to Melbourne, stay in Tasmania or go straight to Queensland.

Bomber coach Ben Rutten says the Dogs worked better at ground level once the conditions got wet.

Our work in particular through that first half was pretty good. The game was looking the way we wanted it.

The second half the Bulldogs really played the conditions a fraction better or suited their personnel a little bit more than us. 

We struggled to create any opportunities in that second half.

He praised Darcy Parish, who was awesome today.

He has been so reliable for us all season ... the way he has fronted up. He has grown in so many areas in his game. 

Really looking forward to seeing what sort of player he can grow into ... there’s another level there for him.

Rutten said the finals experience for the team, plus the work they did to get there, was valuable for his young side.

It is [important]. Absolutely we came here to win ... but unfortunately we weren’t able to get the result we wanted.

We understand it will all happen in a linear fashion ... we understand there will be bumps along the way and tonight is one of those. 

The way they have all attacked it, progressed and grown over the course of the season has been really impressive ... but we are not where we want to be.

Success for us this year was not always going to be about the scoreboard ... [we wanted to] build a strong sustainable footy club again that is competing at the top of the ladder for premierships.

The Bombers coach added that Nick Hind was flat. He missed the game because he had visited a COVID-19 exposure site in Altona.

Rutten also said the Bombers would likely use their first pick in the draft over trading for an established player.

Bombers coach Ben Rutten.Credit: Getty Images

A lot gets made of this stat. It isn’t good, but this Essendon group could conceivably win a final next year if their growth is anywhere near what it has been this season. No one expected them to make finals this year.

How do you feel about it, Essendon fans? Let us know in the comments.

Obviously this could all change. But here’s the AFL’s plan as it stands:

Friday, September 3
Second semi-final – Geelong v GWS at Optus Stadium, 7:50pm AEST/5:50pm AWST.

Saturday, September 4
First semi-final – Brisbane Lions v Western Bulldogs, the Gabba, start time to be confirmed.

Friday, September 10
First preliminary final – Melbourne v winner of second semi-final (Geelong v GWS) at Optus Stadium, 7:50pm AEST/5:50pm AWST.

Saturday, September 11
Second preliminary final – Port Adelaide v winner of first semi-final (Brisbane Lions v Western Bulldogs), at Adelaide Oval, 7:40pm AEST/7:10pm ACST.

Bulldogs: Weightman, Liberatore, Macrae, Bontempelli, Keath, Treloar, Dale, Naughton

Essendon: Parish, Draper, Merrett, Ridley, Heppell

Cody Weightman of the Bulldogs is congratulated by Adam Treloar.Credit: Getty Images

The Western Bulldogs’ three-match losing streak is over in the elimination final.

FT WB 13.7.85 ESS 4.12.36.

They kept the Bombers goalless in the second half. The last side to do that in a final was Geelong in 1956.

Luke Beveridge’s men go on to play Brisbane next week in a semi-final at the Gabba on Saturday. Their stuttering season is alive.

Brisbane are definitely gettable for the Dogs. Most pleasing for Dogs fans would be the way their midfield bounced back from an uncharacteristically poor month.

Cody Weightman of the Bulldogs celebrates kicking a goal.Credit: Getty Images

From an AFL press release just now on Toby Greene’s contact with an umpire on Saturday:

“Toby Greene, GWS Giants, has been charged with intentional umpire contact against umpire Matt Stevic, during the third quarter of the elimination final between the Sydney Swans and GWS Giants, played at UTAS Stadium on Saturday, August 28, 2021.

“In summary, he has been referred directly to the tribunal and cannot accept an early plea.

“Based on the available evidence, the incident was assessed as intentional umpire contact. The incident was classified as a direct referral to the tribunal and the player cannot accept an early plea.”

Click here to read the full story

Toby Greene and the umpire “bump” during the elimination final.