No quarter given as tough Bulldogs hold of Suns
It wasn't pretty for the Western Bulldogs, but this season, wins don't have to be.
It wasn't pretty for the Western Bulldogs, but this season, wins don't have to be.
The Dogs were pushed by Gold Coast on Thursday night in tough conditions,
especially in the dying stages when the young Suns peppered the goals, but held on by five
points.
It was a tough slog for the visitors, but the 7.9 (51) to 6.10 (46) triumph gave them a crucial four points.
Hayden Crozier and Caleb Daniel starred in defence for the Dogs, while Marcus Bontempelli,
Easton Wood and Jack Macrae were all massive when it mattered in a tense last quarter.
Touk Miller thrived in the wet for the home side and relished the tough contest.
Hayden Crozier, Bailey Williams, Caleb Daniel and Jason Johannisen racked up the disposals in the back half for the visitors.
However, their opponents at different stages, Suns forwards Alex Sexton and Izak Rankine, booted all three of Gold Coast’s majors at halftime.
It begs the question: did the Suns’ scoreboard hits hurt the effectiveness of the Bulldogs?
In a low-scoring affair, Sexton added a third after the long break, before Johannisen got one back thanks to a Rankine 50m penalty.
It might be a case of both teams being happy with the output of their players, but with the four competition points, the Bulldogs came out on top.
After the Bulldogs butchered the footy by foot in the opening term, Gold Coast seized the momentum of the clash in the second quarter.
They had plenty of ball, looked sharp around the contest, and generally out-ran the Dogs.
They just couldn’t capitalise.
The Suns dominated the inside 50 count 16-6 but managed only one goal.
A late Patrick Lipinski snap didn’t just hurt Stuart Dew’s men, it erased their narrow lead and handed it to the Dogs.
As a young side with plenty of exciting talent and a ton of maturing to do, it will be another valuable lesson learned.
Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has swung a host of players through his forward set-up, but the lack of potency is becoming a worry.
Josh Bruce, Matt Suckling, Cody Weightman and the returning Bill Gowers had zero impact.
The Bulldogs’ first four goals coming from Bailey Smith, Tom Liberatore and Patrick Lipinski, and defender Jason Johannisen.
Marcus Bontempelli started deep and looked the most dangerous, but as good as he is, the skipper doesn’t have a clone.
The winners managed to squeeze out a valuable win, but with some huge tests to come against some serious contenders, Beveridge needs to find a combination that has some synergy.
Tim English had a breakout month heading into Round 8 and the Suns clearly came in with a strategic plan to nullify the ruckman.
Known for his mobility and quality skills for a big man, English averaged 20.7 possessions in his past four matches.
Setting up behind the footy, the Bulldog used his mobility to perfection.
But Gold Coast co-captain Jarrod Witts and his coaches had done their homework.
Rather than leave English to do as he pleased as a loose man, Witts plonked himself next to his opponent, even if it meant his midfielders had to do the ruck work at times.
NCA Newswire
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