Western Bulldogs defeat St Kilda 124-64

All the pressure was on the Bulldogs, who delivered on Thursday night with a comprehensive win over St Kilda at Marvel Stadium.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 18: Aaron Naughton of the Bulldogs celebrates after scoring a goal during the round six AFL match between St Kilda Saints and Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium, on April 18, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Besieged Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge couldn’t have received a more emphatic show of support from his players as they romped to a 60-point win over St Kilda at Marvel Stadium.

After a week where criticism came from all directions on his use of senior players, and particularly his ongoing refusal to play Aaron Naughton in defence, the ever-stubborn Beveridge stuck to his guns and was richly rewarded on Thursday night.

Naughton was rampant with 6.0, Bailey Dale was electric after he was put on blast with a stint in the substitute vest the week before, and a Libba-less midfield spectacularly buried St Kilda’s on-ball division as the margin blew out to 78 points late in the third term.

Liberatore wasn’t the only key absence – the Bulldogs were also without Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, but structurally looked none the worse for it as Naughton doubled his season goal tally in a commanding performance.

The Bulldogs dominated the Saints. Pic: Michael Klein

He launched himself at everything in the air and marked more and more impressively as the game went on, the best of them a towering grab midway through the third term before he slotted his sixth.

Skipper Marcus Bontempelli looked off-colour but remarkably finished with three goals from 24 disposals as a listless St Kilda was smashed in every facet of the game.

Adding injury to insult for the Saints was a hamstring injury to substitute Dan Butler, who cut a forlorn figure on the bench after struggling to get going this season due to ankle issues.

POWER OF THE DOG

The Bulldogs looked red-hot from the start, and it was the seasoned players pushed to the fringes early this season who led the way.

Bailey Dale sizzled across halfback with full confidence in his foot skills after his relegation to the sub role the previous week, and Rory Lobb was a big presence in the air and on the ground.

But it was Aaron Naughton and Cody Weightman who were rewarded with three goals apiece, Weightman providing the highlight of the quarter when he roved a Naughton marking contest with perfect timing and dribbled home a finish from 40m out running at full pelt towards the boundary.

“We haven’t seen the Dogs play this well, this cohesively, for a long period of time,” Gerard Healy said on SEN.

Aaron Naughton was the star of the show. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

GROUNDED AND DANGEROUS

The cohesion of the Bulldogs forward line with Rory Lobb instead of Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (not selected for personal reasons) will be a talking point during the week, but a big part of their heightened threat was Cody Weightman’s positioning at ground level.

Weightman did not add to the three goals he kicked in a flurry during the first term, but his discipline not to fly and let the three tall forwards do the aerial work gave the Bulldogs more leg speed on the deck and helped them benefit from repeat stoppages.

MACRAE SEIZES CHANCE

Luke Beveridge said during the week he was focused fleshing out the Bulldogs’ midfield depth, so it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when Ed Richards and Riley Garcia were used in Tom Liberatore’s place rather than Jack Macrae early in the game.

Richards didn’t win a heap of the football but used it well, while Garcia’s pressure was impressive, but Macrae eventually got his look and produced his best performance since 2022.

The 29-year-old had the second-most clearances for the Dogs with five as he racked up 30 disposals and kicked a goal rotating between the centre and half-forward.

Dropped to the sub role, Ryley Sanders gathered five touches on a wing in the final term and could play more minutes in the VFL on Saturday with a nine-day break before the round 7 clash against Fremantle.

SCOREBOARD

SAINTS 1.0, 4.3, 5.7, 9.10 (64)

BULLDOGS 7.1, 12.4, 17.6, 19.10 (124)

BOURKE’S BEST Saints: Hill, Windhager, Ross, Bonner. Bulldogs: Dale, Naughton, Treloar, Jones, Johannisen, Macrae, English, Weightman.

GOALS Saints: Membrey 3, Caminiti, Jones, Garcia, Wilson, Owens, Sharman. Bulldogs: Naughton 6, Weightman 3, Bontempelli 3, Darcy, Dale, Treloar, West, English, Gallagher, Macrae.

UMPIRES Findlay, Gavine, Nicholls, Power

INJURIES Saints: Butler (hamstring). Bulldogs: Gallagher (corked quad).

CROWD 26,719 at Marvel Stadium

BOURKE’S VOTES

3. Bailey Dale (WB)

2. Aaron Naughton (WB)

1. Adam Treloar (WB)

Originally published as Western Bulldogs defeat St Kilda 124-64