Western Bulldogs 5.2 6.6 9.9 13.12.90
North Melbourne 5.2 10.4 13.5 18.7.115
Goals
Western Bulldogs: Lloyd 3, English 2, Liberatore 2, Wallis, Bontempelli, Suckling, Naughton, Johannisen, Smith
North Melbourne: Brown 3, Larkey 3, Wood 3, Anderson 2, Zurhaar 2, Thomas 2, Cunnington, Davies-Uniacke
Alex Docherty's Best
Western Bulldogs: Dunkley, Lloyd, Bontempelli, Daniel, Smith, Liberatore
North Melbourne: Goldstein, Higgins, Wood, Cunnington, Brown, Thompson, Polec
Football can be a fickle game sometimes. And if I'm being brutally honest here, watching this football club that I have supported for over 20 years can be pretty fickle too. How damn frustrating is it to see this club show so much promise over the past month, yet wet the bed against bottom-four sides? Especially a side such as North Melbourne, that had basically sacked their coach less than 24 hours before the game.
Yes, the story surrounding this game – in case you haven't been paying attention – was the impending doom of North Melbourne coach Brad Scott, who had seen the Kangaroos win just twice in nine starts – after finishing ninth in 2018 – perhaps the writing had been on the wall earlier, but it was announced on the Friday that Scott would not be coaching the team in 2020, ending a decade-long reign at the helm. Whether or not he was going to stick around until the end of this season, wasn't revealed until game day.
This news was no doubt going to rile up the North Melbourne players – Scott said it himself pre-game that they were 'agitated' about this circus that was unravelling at the Roos. They say it was a 'mutual' decision, but I think that's a load of malarkey. What stinks is that the news broke out before the players knew first-hand. In the lead-up to this development, what was already an exciting rivalry in past years, was about to get another beauty of a chapter written in it.
Unfortunately, the Bulldogs fell short – 25 points short. I kind of feel agitated myself writing about this performance. Patches of this game were good, and then there were extended periods of this game that we made a side that was sitting 17th look like a damn finals contender – I think that's what pisses me off the most. Is it an attitude problem? I don't want it to be true, but I fear it is, because this is the third game this year that we have expected to win and it hasn't eventuated.
I expected North to come out firing and fire they did. It was a shootout in the first quarter, both teams kicking five goals each with the scores still deadlocked by the first break. North haven't exactly been a high-scoring side, ranked 12th in the league for scoring entering in round 10. Conceding five goals was already raising red flags. I like a high-scoring game as much as the next person, but this was worrying.
Surely enough, the Bulldogs allowed North to control the tempo of the game. A combination of poor decision making, bad skills, poor structures and some good play from the North players made it a 22-point half-time lead. A Jason Johannisen goal within the opening minute of the third term reduced the deficit to 16 points, but North went on to double the lead by the 23rd minute of the term. This is another thing that pisses me off – why does it take this mob when they're over five goals down to actually do something about it?
Late goals to Bailey Smith and one right on the three-quarter time siren to Tom Liberatore made things a bit interesting and a 20-point margin was gettable. It was as if something clicked when Bailey Smith started the run of goals. The Dogs dominated the opening 10 minutes of the final term, winning clearances at will and kicked
Tim English was absolutely manhandled in the ruck by Todd Goldstein, but the beauty of football is that you're never out of a contest. He comes up with two goals in a row to reduce the lead to eight points. Sam Lloyd puts the Doggies in front with two goals of his own and it was looking like a matter of how much they were going to run away with it. Patrick Lipinski has a shot on goal 40 metres out on a tough angle to make it a two-kick game but it was lucky enough to be punched through. This was the turning point of the contest.
The Lipinski miss was costly as North worked it the other end in a matter of seconds to give them back the lead through Ben Brown, who has caused the Bulldogs problems over the past four games. Full credit to North as they started a run of goals of their own. Jared Polec came up with a big-time goal to give them a seven-point lead. They won their first centre clearance in the 16th minute and that's huge for the momentum of the contest.
Caleb Daniel's game was impressive, but a kick in from the back line was horrible as he turned the ball back over and it resulted in a Nick Larkey goal to bump it up to 16 points. It was unravelling at the seams for the Bulldogs. Aaron Naughton tried to take on Marley Williams inside the Dogs forward 50 and got caught – virtually summing up his day. Bailey Dale drops a mark inside the centre square and it resulted in Larkey's third goal, essentially sealing the result.
You gotta give credit where it's due to North Melbourne, but this one hurts a lot as a supporter of this team. You gotta turn up for 120 minutes worth of footy and this team only turned up for maybe less than a half at best. Now sitting at 4-5 the Dogs face a really steep hill to climb as we approach the second half of the season, and it doesn't get any easier next week, having to travel to Perth to play the reigning premiers West Coast. Leading The Way
Another massive game from Josh Dunkley in the guts, recording 20 contested possessions, along with seven clearances, six marks and six tackles – finishing the day with 29 disposals all up. There were some ordinary days from the likes of Jack Macrae (22 disposals), Lachie Hunter (23) and Mitch Wallis (15), but an outstanding effort from Dunkley, who continues to show his worth in the middle. Tom Liberatore (23 disposals, eight tackles, five clearances and two goals) was also outstanding.
Sam Lloyd's influence in front of goal was also outstanding, kicking 3.3 from 16 disposals and three marks – easily the most threatening forward on the ground. Marcus Bontempelli (25 disposals, eight marks, five clearances, six inside 50s and one goal) was instrumental in the Bulldogs' comeback, but there were times throughout the game that he disappeared, but overall, a nice game from him. Bailey Smith (21 disposals, five marks, five tackles and a goal) continues to impress in his first year.
And whilst he had a horrendous turnover in that final quarter, Caleb Daniel's game off half back was again fantastic. He finished the game with 29 disposals, nine marks and seven rebound 50s. Regardless of whether or not he turns it over in a big moment of the game, I think he's required in the back half. There aren't many others in this team that can create run off half back like him.
The Opposition
Todd Goldstein absolutely monstered Tim English, not just in the hitouts, but around the ground as well. Check out these stats – 28 disposals, 57 hitouts, seven marks, six clearances, five inside 50s and three rebound 50s. That is a mammoth stat line and there is no question he was the man of the match – he was literally everywhere. Supported by the usual midfield stars in Ben Cunnington (29 disposals, eight clearances and five tackles) and Shaun Higgins (34 disposals, 10 inside 50s and five tackles)
Ben Brown got the better of Jackson Trengove up forward, kicking three goals from six marks and 11 disposals. There were also quite a few free kicks that Trengove gave away that he didn't need to. Brown had some good mates up forward as well. I like the look of Nick Larkey, who also kicked three goals from seven touches and Mason Wood, who is the definition of a hot and cold player, turned it on for three goals from 22 disposals and seven marks.
Jared Polec (21 disposals, four clearances and a goal) looked very good and perhaps starting to show why North were so keen in offering him big money to lure him away from Port Adelaide. Scott Thompson (16 disposals, six marks and seven rebound 50s) had a strong performance in defence, whilst I like the futures of Cam Zurhaar (two goals from 13 disposals and seven marks) and Tarryn Thomas (two goals from 12 disposals).