Western Bulldogs 5.2 9.6 11.9 15.13.103 Carlton 2.1 6.3 10.9 15.10.100
Goals
Western Bulldogs: Lloyd 3, Lipinski 2, Dickson 2, English 2, McLean, Dunkley, Gardner, Suckling, Smith, Naughton Carlton: C.Curnow 7, Cuningham 2, Murphy, McGovern, Kreuzer, Dow, Thomas, McKay
Alex Docherty’s Best
Western Bulldogs: Dunkley, Macrae, Suckling, Lipinski, English, Trengove, Bontempelli Carlton: Murphy, Kreuzer, C.Curnow, Cuningham, Simpson, Casboult
Regardless of how you think of how the Western Bulldogs performed on Saturday night against Carlton, You cannot disagree that this was one of the games of the season. This was a game that had pretty much everything you could’ve wanted. It was high scoring, it had a side threaten to pinch the victory not once, but twice and a crowd that was electric in the clinches.
The Western Bulldogs held a 34-point lead at two separate stages of this contest – one stage midway in the second quarter of the contest and the other 16 minutes into the final quarter. However, the Blues somehow found a way to close the gap. Unfortunately, they fell just three points short of their third win of the season, whilst the Bulldogs gained their fifth win of the year. Albeit it was unconvincing as all hell, they needed this win going forward as badly as anyone else.
A stark contrast to their round five encounter earlier in the year, the Bulldogs started the game on the front foot and dominated possession and made the Blues pay for some very lazy turnovers. As a matter of fact, Carlton looked very flat for most of the first half and allowed the Bulldogs to do as they pleased. It’s amazing how they weren’t trailing by more than 34 points in that half. The ball movement was slow, the skills were poor, and they made the Dogs look like a genuine side, they ran, spread and moved the ball so well in the transition.
Before Matthew Kreuzer took the ball out of that ruck contest and snapped that goal to reduce the margin from 34 points to 28, I started thinking back to their game against Brisbane the week previous, where they were 37 points down early in the second term, and started believing that they were going to do the exact same thing here. When it comes to the Western Bulldogs right now, I am a glass half-empty kind of person, particularly when it comes to games against sides where they are expected to win and win easily.
The fact that Tom Liberatore went off with a knee injury in the second quarter and did not return for the second half did not help calm down my pessimistic thoughts. Carlton were 21 points down at half time. However, they were in control from the first bounce of the second half and found themselves in the lead on the back of four unanswered goals. Charlie Curnow kicked three of his career-best seven in this term, whilst Dale Thomas marked his 250th game with a beauty from outside 50, making up for conceding a silly 50 metre penalty in the second quarter.
The Dogs looked like they had nothing to respond with as the Blues had their way – at some stage Carlton recorded 14 consecutive inside 50 entries, which says a lot about who is controlling the game at that particular moment. Somebody needed to stand up at a time where they were seriously challenged. They found a guy by the name of Matthew Suckling who almost single handedly dragged the Bulldogs back in the lead by three quarter time. He kicked a beauty from 50 metres out on a very tight angle, he set up Tory Dickson’s second goal to put them in front and he busted his guts out from the back line to mark it inside 50 on a tight angle, which resulted in a minor score.
That five-minute spurt gave the Bulldogs back the momentum and turned a six-point three quarter time deficit into a 34-point lead. In most games, it would’ve been considered done. But not in this case. Carlton somehow managed to kick five goals in quick succession. When Curnow kicked his seventh goal, there was just under three minutes to go and the Bulldogs were holding onto a three-point lead.
I don’t know how they did it, but they managed to hold on for the remainder of the contest. Yes I will say it is concerning to give up 30+ point leads twice, but with this mob, I’ll take any damn win that comes our way.
Leading The Way
It was a career night for Josh Dunkley in the middle. He had 15 disposals in the opening term and finished with a personal best 41 disposals along with 10 tackles, six clearances, five inside 50s and a cracking goal in the opening term. Fitting the game finished with the football in his hands, he was simply outstanding. Jack Macrae (37 disposals, eight tackles and four clearances) was also outstanding in the middle and played a key part in limiting Patrick Cripps’ influence – he finished with just 22 disposals.
Speaking of career-nights, I loved Patrick Lipinski’s game. He was everywhere and finished with 29 disposals, eight marks, five clearances, five tackles and kicked two goals. He has been in fine touch since he came back into line up in round 10 and is definitely one for the future. Tim English (15 disposals, 29 hitouts, four marks, six clearances and two goals) is another one for the future, I thought his battle with Matthew Kreuzer in the middle was exciting and whilst Kreuzer got more hitouts, I thought English’s impact was very good all throughout the night.
Suckling was mentioned earlier, but his five minute effort in the third quarter turned the game back in the way of the Dogs, he finished with 21 disposals, seven marks, and five inside 50s to go along with his goal. Jackson Trengove (12 disposals and seven marks) and Easton Wood (18 disposals, seven marks and five rebound 50s) were good in defence all throughout the night, whilst Marcus Bontempelli (27 disposals, seven clearances, seven inside 50s and five marks) was also very good, despite working through an Ed Curnow tag after quarter time.
The Opposition
The one player that kept Carlton in the game was undoubtedly Charlie Curnow, who kicked seven goals – a career high. I have been critical of him all throughout the year and whilst this was a great return on paper, I have to say this was one of the most unconvincing seven-goal games if I’ve ever seen one. Four of his snags were gifted by the umpire and you can argue he stumbled into another one of them in the third quarter due to poor defending.
Matthew Kreuzer (12 disposals, 46 hitouts, six clearances, four inside 50s and one goal) was outstanding in the middle, as was Marc Murphy (21 disposals, six marks, three clearances and a goal) in his first game back from a rib injury. Kade Simpson (22 disposals and seven rebound 50s) was also instrumental in the second half, as was David Cuningham (15 disposals, seven marks and two goals).
One man that has been real impressive over the past month has been Levi Casboult. For years he has been somewhat of a whipping boy as a key forward due to his good marking hands, but his inconsistency in front of goal. I caught him playing as a defender a few weeks ago and thought he might’ve been lost, but credit where it’s due, he has been in fine touch as of late. He finished with 17 disposals, seven marks and four tackles.