FULL TIME: Bulldogs WIN by 23-points. #bemorebulldog #bemorefinals pic.twitter.com/stDe74du3e
— Western Bulldogs (@westernbulldogs) August 29, 2015
The Final Analysis
After a lukewarm spectacle in the first thre terms (I was really running out of ways to describe turnovers and behinds) it was a truly barnstorming finish to the game there.
The Dogs quite simply won it by stopping Todd Goldstein and also controlling the midfield contest. They won the stoppages (+12), clearances (+11), inside 50s (+8) and contested possessions (+16), so I guess you could call it a comprehensive win, even if the scoreboard suggests otherwise. The pleasing thing for Luke Beveridge will be the way his side clearly stuck to its plan and also refused to panic when North rallied late. Three consecutive Roos goals were answered with three of the Doggies’ own.
Best for the winners were Lachie Hunter (33 possessions, 8 marks), Matthew Boyd (32 touches), Mitch Wallis (31 and a goal) and highly promising Shane Biggs (21 and 2 goals). It was an even team effort though and especially pleasing was the lack of reliance upon Jake Stringer for all the scoring.
North just battled, really. Robbie Tarrant faded from view in the end but was sensational in the first half. He had 24 touches, 14 marks and 7 rebounds. Andrew Swallow (25 touches) burrowed away all afternoon without ever taking control and Brent Harvey (20 possessions and a goal) won’t actually need to be cloned because he’s just going to play forever. Shaun Higgins, (3 goals), Drew Petrie (3) and Jarrad Waite (2) all pulled their wait up forward.
But this was a decisive win to the Dogs and one that you assume will fuel much speculation about their ability to push the best sides in finals footy. They got hammered by the Eagles last week and entered this game on a 6-day break, but you could barely tell the way they romped home. They’ll be a nightmare draw for the contenders.
That’s all from us for tonight but join us next weekend for more live AFL action.
Full time! The Bulldogs win it by 23 points
North Melbourne 10.13 (73) defeated by the Western Bulldogs 14.12 (96)
It’s all over now and the Dogs have prevailed in what turned out to be a partially entertaining game of football in that almost everything of genuine excitement happened in a frenetic final term. The Dogs have won it by 23 points and in two weeks time will head into their finals campaign full of confidence. The Kangaroos? They’ll have some doubts after being belted around for extended periods of play.
“It could be one of the biggest stories of our times,” says a typically reserved Dwayne Russell of the Bulldogs’ momentum heading towards September. Steady on...
Kangaroos goal - 4th quarter (0:17 remaining) North Melbourne 10.13 (73) vs Western Bulldogs 14.12 (96)
I was busy writing an autopsy of the game and then Drew Petrie goes and kicks a last-minute consolation goal. Cheers Drew. This one is done, it’s safe to say.
Bulldogs goal - 4th quarter (5:40 remaining) North Melbourne 9.11 (65) vs Western Bulldogs 14.12 (96)
We had a combined total of 12 goals in the first three terms of this match and with 10 minutes left in the final quarter, 10 more have already sailed through. 9 of those were ‘bursts’; three in a row to the Dogs, three in a row to North and then three more in a row to the Dogs. It’s been a football version of ‘Awakenings’.
And you know what, it’s also probably done now as Biggs sprints through the middle and like his famous namesakes, burgles a goal.
Bulldogs goal - 4th quarter (10:45 remaining) North Melbourne 9.11 (65) vs Western Bulldogs 13.10 (88)
This is just getting silly. Now Stringer surges through the middle and tumbles it forward for Crameri to mark in the goal square and then belt it through from a metre out. Anyone got a ventilator? I’m dying here.
Bulldogs goal - 4th quarter (11:406 remaining) North Melbourne 9.11 (65) vs Western Bulldogs 12.10 (82)
The Dogs have another! This time it’s Dickson getting on the end of some bullocking work from Bontempelli and snapping it through from close range. Incredible stuff!
Bulldogs goal - 4th quarter (11:44 remaining) North Melbourne 9.11 (65) vs Western Bulldogs 11.10 (76)
The Dogs finally answer and it’s through Shane Biggs, who runs hard on the rebound, takes a handball from Honeychurch and bangs it through from 35 metres out on the run. This game is going nuts right now.
Kangaroos goal - 4th quarter (13:06 remaining) North Melbourne 9.11 (65) vs Western Bulldogs 10.10 (70)
Waite thinks he’s got another when he marks near the point post and runs around to snap truly on his left, but the umpire brings him back to take his kick again because he should have started on a much tougher angle. No worries mate, he says, side-stepping slightly and then curling it through again with a right-foot banana. It’s a goal! Did Peter Daicos just punch the air? The Dogs are being swamped.
Kangaroos goal - 4th quarter (14:09 remaining) North Melbourne 8.11 (59) vs Western Bulldogs 10.10 (70)
Wowzers. Now Jarrad Waite gets one for North, flying from the side to mark in front of Petrie and then sending a lace-out drop punch straight over the umpire’s hat. They’re going to double the score from the first three quarters at this rate.
Kangaroos goal - 4th quarter (15:11 remaining) North Melbourne 7.11 (53) vs Western Bulldogs 10.10 (70)
It’s a goal feast! Higgins gets another here to give the Roos some hope and again it comes when he waltzes into an open goal at point blank range after it was flicked over the top. 15 seconds was all it took. Bang!
Updated
Bulldogs goal - 4th quarter (15:26 remaining) North Melbourne 6.11 (47) vs Western Bulldogs 10.10 (70)
Now Jason Johannisen kicks a booming goal on the run to put the Dogs four goals clear. Brad Scott’s just staring blankly now. That’s never good.
Bulldogs goal - 4th quarter (16:40 remaining) North Melbourne 6.11 (47) vs Western Bulldogs 9.10 (64)
I can’t remember all of Dante’s circles of hell but surely at least one of them involves a coaches box inhabited by a Scott brother. Brad of that variety is absolutely livid when Mitch Honeychurch marks in metres of space in the corridor and then calmly slots home a 30-metre goal from the set shot. The Dogs have their biggest lead of the day now and in the context of today’s score, you’d think one more goal would make it unassailable.
Bulldogs goal - 4th quarter (18:10 remaining) North Melbourne 6.11 (47) vs Western Bulldogs 8.10 (58)
Cometh the hour, cometh Liam Picken. Marcus Bontempelli arches his back and then threads his way through the midfield to work it forward for the Dogs and then Picken grabs a handball from Wallis and boots a running goal from 40 metres out. That’s the ticket.
Kangaroos goal - 4th quarter (19:05 remaining) North Melbourne 6.11 (47) vs Western Bulldogs 7.10 (52)
What have the Roos got left as we enter this final term? Plenty if the opening minute is anything to go by. Jarrad Waite monsters a pack to bring the ball to ground level and then Shaun Higgins scoots through to steal the crumb and slam through a running open goal. Jarrad Grant’s also been subbed off by the Dogs, so defender Zaine Cordy is on for his first run in league footy with the game in the balance. No pressure.
Brad Scott is getting desperate...
What do you say to the players at the final break? Particular focus areas? #aflnorthdogs
— North Melbourne (@NMFCOfficial) August 29, 2015
Three-quarter time - Bulldogs lead by 11 points
North Melbourne 5.11 (41) vs Western Bulldogs 7.10 (52)
Andrew Swallow almost delivers a captain’s goal from the restart but he misses his hurried snap and then Petrie wastes a clear-cut opportunity as well after intercepting the kick-in. This game hasn’t been an exhibition of the art of goal-kicking, that’s for sure.
TAYLOR GARNERRRRR!!!! With a minute on the clock the young Roo flies high 30 metres from goal to reel in a big mark but he’s equally as innacurate in shooting for goal as his more senior teammates. North have a chance to reload with 20 seconds left on the clock but Nahas butchers his attempted forward entry and Dale Morris intercepts.
It was a truly awful quarter of football to watch but on balance, you’d have to say it’s fair that the Dogs take a reasonable lead to the final break. If they lose from here, they’ve only got their goal-kicking boots to blame.
Bulldogs goal - 3rd quarter (4:05 remaining) North Melbourne 5.8 (38) vs Western Bulldogs 7.10 (52)
There’s a need for the Bulldogs to arrest North’s momentum here and for the ten minutes following Waite’s goal they manage it pretty well, though waste a scoring opportunity of their own when Grant kicks to a double-teamed Jake Stringer deep in attack. Stringer then wastes another when he runs towards an open goal but dribbles it inaccurately from 45 metres out and Honeychurch snaps wide from close range.
It’s not quite clear whether he meant it but Doggies makeshift ruckman Jack Redpath gives Goldstein a nice old corky when he flies knees-first into a ruck duel. That’ll sting the big Roo as he trots off to the bench. Compounding his disappearance is big contested mark to Jarrad Grant, who beats two Roos defenders in the air but then sprays a gilt-edged chance to the right of goal. Now it’s the Bulldogs wasting their chances. That’s 1.5 for the quarter and so North hang in there.
Finally the Dogs actually convert one when Crameri’s caught high 20 metres from goal and pokes through the simplest chance. They should be five goals clear, really.
Not related to today’s game but what a lovely update from Daniel Menzel:
I had dreamt about last night everyday for the last 1450 days! To be back in the AFL for @geelongcats… https://t.co/Kpz1wQisHt
— Daniel Menzel (@DanielMenzel10) August 29, 2015
Kangaroos goal - 3rd quarter (14:58 remaining) North Melbourne 5.8 (38) vs Western Bulldogs 6.5 (41)
Now Jarrad Waite gets into the action and not before time. He’s only had 3 touches today but leads strongly to mark close to the 50 on a 45-degree angle and then wobbles his set shot through the middle. Could he be the man for North this afternoon? They certainly need a plan other than ‘Kick it to Petrie’.
Kangaroos goal - 3rd quarter (16:08 remaining) North Melbourne 4.8 (32) vs Western Bulldogs 6.5 (41)
The Roos were in desperate need of a rallying goal and they get it here after the restart when Shaun Higgins runs into space perfectly to latch onto a handpass and hammer home a running goal from 45 metres out. That’s a real tonic.
Bulldogs goal - 3rd quarter (16:51 remaining) North Melbourne 3.8 (26) vs Western Bulldogs 6.5 (41)
North make a brighter start to the third term when Brown swoops across half forward and arrows a pass in towards Petrie but it sprays wide for a throw-in. The Dogs continue to stymie Goldstein in the stoppages, Roughead effectively manhandling him as a third man goes up at the ball.
The Dogs have a few nervous moments in defence but when they swing it forward Jason Johannisen makes Ryan Bastinac look a mug, leaping high over the Roos midfielder to mark when a body-on-body contest is what was expected. Johannisen holds converts from point blank range and right now it’s the Roos who look like they’re coming off a 6-day break and a Perth hammering, not Luke Beveridge’s side.
Some stats from the first half at Etihad Stadium
The Dogs really came into their own in the latter stages of that first half and now lead the clearances (+10), inside-50s (+11) and marks inside 50 (+2). Honors have been fairly evenly split in most other respects.
Robbie Tarrant has been magnificent in defence for the Roos (best game of his injury-riddled career?), racking up 18 possessions, 10 marks and 2 tackles in a commanding performance. Drew Petrie has 2 goals and Boomer Harvey 1. Unsurprisngly, North look their best going forward when either of those two has the ball. Ben Brown threatened early but has had very little influence since.
The Dogs recovered brilliantly after a middling start. Lachie Hunter has leather poisoning with 20 possessions and 6 marks, Marcus Bontempelli has 12 and a goal after heading forward and though the scoring has been spread around, Jake Stringer (1 goal) is providing North’s defenders with plenty of problems in combination with Tory Dickson.
The key in the second half, you’d think, is the ability of the Dogs to continue to control the clearances and limit the damage caused by North ruckman Todd Goldstein. So far they’re doing it with aplomb.
Top last half of term there, Dogs doing a top job of negating Goldstein and denying them any run. Top tactical battle albeit badly executed.
— Andrew (@andrew_54) August 29, 2015
Half-time - Bulldogs lead by 9 points
North Melbourne 3.8 (26) vs Western Bulldogs 5.5 (35)
Yieowww... The Bulldogs could have scored again with ten seconds on the clock when Jarrad Grant gathered the ball 60 metres from goal on the far side of the ground but his centering ball towards Mitch Wallis had a little too much heat on it and flew over the midfielder’s head. The Roos breathe a huge sigh of relief and head to the sheds a little shellshocked by that four-goal blitz.
Bulldogs goal - 2nd Quarter (1:05 remaining) - North Melbourne 3.8 (26) vs Western Bulldogs 5.5 (35)
The Dogs have four in a row! Now it’s Stringer getting his hands on the ball in acres of space after a string of Bulldogs handballs and slamming it through with a snap shot. Brad Scott is probably breaking something right now.
Another cracking finish from Jake Stringer! #AFLNorthDogs http://t.co/9gWXZEhhBT
— AFL (@AFL) August 29, 2015
Updated
Bulldogs goal - 2nd Quarter (1:26 remaining) - North Melbourne 3.8 (26) vs Western Bulldogs 4.5 (29)
Taylor Garner has a horror moment for the Roos, only needing to chip the ball over a single opponent to hit Todd Goldstein as the big ruckman ran into an open goal but somehow he shanks it into his man and the Bulldogs clear the trouble. He sort of made his own luck there, the poor kid.
As all that’s happening somebody at Fox Footy HQ has hit ‘play’ on some betting company ‘live read’ audio, which in drowning out Dwayne Russell inadvertently poses a question to viewers: which would you rather listen to? More importantly, Tory Dickson has snatched the lead for the Dogs, marking in space 45 metres from goal and then splitting the middle in trademark style. He rarely misses, Dickson.
Bulldogs goal - 2nd Quarter (8:26 remaining) - North Melbourne 3.8 (26) vs Western Bulldogs 3.4 (22)
Now Jake Stringer’s into the action for the Dogs, losing his boot but still leading Tarrant to the ball and diving to mark an equisite Bob Murphy pass. Stringer’s 45 metres out on a slight angle but somehow kicks it out on the full to the right of goal. He could take that kick another 50 times and not hit a single one of them worse.
No matter, Mitch Honeychurch (is he related to the ten pin bowler Cara?) marks 35 metres from goal and draws the Dogs within 4 points. They’re right in this now.
Bulldogs goal - 2nd Quarter (10:51 remaining) - North Melbourne 3.7 (25) vs Western Bulldogs 2.4 (16)
You know what? A slam tackle is exactly what this game needed and up steps Ben Jacobs, slinging Lachie Hunter into the turf to concede a free kick and bring the crowd to attention. Hunter misses the chance but moments later Bontempelli leads Jacobs to the ball to mark 35 metres from goal and hammer through his set shot from dead in front. The Bulldogs have barely had a sniff today but they’re still only 9 points in arrears. Imagine if they start playing well.
Kangaroos goal - 2nd Quarter (14:04 remaining) - North Melbourne 3.5 (23) vs Western Bulldogs 1.3 (9)
Boooooomerrrr! Ah, not quite. The veteran blazes away from just outside 50 but misses for his second in a few minutes. That came after Jarrad Waite had wasted a far easier chance with a set shot. Will North come to rue this wastefulness?
Have I mentioned Lachie Hunter yet? He’s brought his own footy today, racking up 14 possessions so far but that’s not much use when Drew Petrie is rampaging through the corridor to mark deep inside 50 for the Roos. From 20 metres out he converts his set shot and then replays reveal he’d marked that ball without any apparent opponent. Not ideal from the Dogs. The Roos are off to the races.
Kangaroos goal - 2nd Quarter (16:47 remaining) - North Melbourne 2.5 (17) vs Western Bulldogs 1.3 (9)
We’re under way in the second term and the Bulldogs are shaking up their forward setup by sending Marcus Bontempelli forward after a quiet start in the midfield. It doesn’t make any immediate difference as both sides re-engage in the scrapping and scrimmage of the first quarter. If you were being kind you’d call the spectacle an “arm-wrestle”, though arm wrestles bring to mind biker bars and Sylvester Stallone in ‘Over the Top’ to me, and this isn’t as good as either.
Speaking of old blokes who’ll never give up, Boomer Harvey gets us started in the second term by sneaking in behind the Bulldogs defence - Pagan’s Paddock style - to run into a thundering open goal. A few more of those please Boomer.
How good were Robbie Tarrant’s five intercept marks?
Taz > Beckenbauer
— Ben Cuzzupe (@BenCuzzupe) August 29, 2015
That Roughead goal
Roughead found a way to get boot to ball here. #AFLNorthDogs http://t.co/ceZURxrVKC
— AFL (@AFL) August 29, 2015
Quarter-time: North Melbourne leads by 2 points
Quarter time - North Melbourne 1.5 (11) vs Western Bulldogs 1.3 (9)
Oof, North have a couple more chances before the siren sounds and the best of them was to Petrie after he gathered a loose ball 35 metres from goal, but both end up being minor scores. With 12 seconds on the clock the Dogs have a bounce 20 metres from goal but North hold firm to deny a score.
The Dogs only have 5 or 6 decent minutes of footy in that term and will be reasonably happy that they can regroup in the huddle with minimal scoreboard damage inflicted by the Roos.
Bulldogs goal - 1st quarter (1:38 remaining) North Melbourne 1.3 (9) vs Western Bulldogs 1.3 (9)
The main concern for North right now is that they’ve mostly outplayed the Dogs in this term but failed to make it count on the scoreboard. Robbie Tarrant is putting on a defensive clinic to destroy Dogs forward Jack Redpath but at the other end things are breaking down as the Roos go forward.
Then completely out of nowhere, Jordan Roughead produces a goal from close range after failing to contest against Goldstein on the goal line. He’s ended up the hero there but he let the big Roo fly for the ball himself only moments earlier. There’s a review to see if Sam Wright touched it off the boot but it gets the green light in the end and not before time for the Doggies. Brad Scott will be livid with that. North probably should have just rushed it through.
No goal but I better give you an update - 1st quarter (4:09 remaining) North Melbourne 1.3 (9) vs Western Bulldogs 0.3 (3)
Now Shaun Higgins gets in on the act for the Roos, losing Jason Johannisen across half-forward to mark in space but in a very un-Shaun Higgins moment he hits the post with a set shot I was already penciling into the goals column of my Football Record. Then Ben Brown repeats the dose from point blank range - a terrible miss that he somehow manages to make look brilliant because he’s Ben Brown. Brown looks like he might go off on one today, which would be fun.
North dominate play for at least five minutes but completely against the run of play the Dogs scramble it forward and into the arms of Lukas Webb. His set shot is from 30 metres out at most and taken from a kind angle but he misses culpably and to the groans of Dogs supporters. Then Drew Petrie nearly hits the Etihad Stadium roof taking a screamer over Roughead. Well, not quite. He barely got off the ground but it still looked great.
Elsewhere right now:
Full Time: The Hawks were too good, winning 21.8.128 - 9.8.62 | #AFLHawksLions pic.twitter.com/opOm9MO5yW
— Brisbane Lions (@brisbanelions) August 29, 2015
Kangaroos goal - 1st quarter (11:35 remaining) North Melbourne 1.1 (7) vs Western Bulldogs 0.2 (2)
This game is in dire need of some excitement so up steps Ben Brown, throwing his limbs and hair around across half forward to mark and then spear a pass inside 50 to Drew Petrie. Big Petrie marks that in front of Dale Morris and then threads his set shot from 25 metres out. We’re away!
No goal yet but I better give you an update - 1st quarter (12:42 remaining) North Melbourne 0.1 (1) vs Western Bulldogs 0.2 (2)
Aaaand we’re away. The Dogs go forward early but North repel that move nicely with a big mark to Tarrant and soon the ball’s been flashed down the other end where Taylor Garner marks strongly and from 48 metres out, but misses to the right for the first score of the day.
Michael Firrito is playing his 250th game tonight and enters play with an archetypal effort; bullocking through a pack of players and hacking the ball away in ugly but effective style. The Dogs have controlled play well though for the most part, with Bob Murphy doing as he pleases across half-back to set them up. North will have to keep better tabs on him, you’d think. Jake Stringer marks 35 metres from goal but misses his set shot to the right and in truth, it’s taking a while for this game to come to life.
Reader Brendan Brown has a handy suggestion to the Bulldogs, though not one they can now act upon. “My pre-game prediction is the Bulldogs not having a recognized ruck to nullify Goldstein will cost them the game,” he says. What’s Jordan Roughead, Brendan? Chopped liver? Goldstein would beat peak Polly Farmer at the moment.
The Toss
Bob Murphy wins it for the Dogs and kicks to the Coventry End, which is great news for fans of 1920s style football.
Our teams today
North Melbourne
Michael Firrito, Robbie Tarrant, Shaun Atley, Sam Wright, Scott D. Thompson, Nick Dal Santo, Jamie Macmillan, Jack Ziebell, Ben Jacobs, Shaun Higgins, Drew Petrie, Taylor Garner, Lachlan Hansen, Jarrad Waite, Robin Nahas, Todd Goldstein, Ben Cunnington, Andrew Swallow, Ryan Bastinac, Brent Harvey, Ben Brown. SUB: Sam Gibson
Western Bulldogs
Dale Morris, Jordan Roughead, Jarrad Grant, Matthew Boyd, Joel Hamling, Easton Wood, Robert Murphy, Jack Macrae, Jason Johannisen, Luke Dahlhaus, Tory Dickson, Stewart Crameri, Lachie Hunter, Jake Stringer, Liam Picken, Jack Redpath, Mitch Wallis, Marcus Bontempelli, Lukas Webb, Mitch Honeychurch, Shane Biggs. SUB: Zaine Cordy (debut)
Preamble
Hello and welcome to today’s live AFL action from Etihad Stadium, where North Melbourne take on the Bulldogs. Tis indeed I, Russell Jackson, bringing you this one live from Live Blog HQ where an actual bulldog puppy sits beside me, alternating between sleeping and, well, doing what bulldog puppies do. Hopefully that’s not an omen for the Sons of the Scray but it’ll keep me on my toes at the very least.
This promises to be a cracking game of football between two sides who’ll have a genuine say in September; both is more than capable of knocking off a Premiership contender in a fortnight’s time and today they’ll tune up for that intensity. If you haven’t seen, GWS have just spanked Carlton by 81 points with Jeremy Cameron slamming through his 7th goal on the final siren - all of them kicked in the second half. Hoo boy.
Throughout the afternoon you can get me on russell.jackson@theguardian.com or via twitter: @rustyjacko with all your comments and quips. We’re 15 minutes from the first bounce now so I’ll be back in a tick with today’s teams.
Higgo readying himself for game 150 v the old club. Also his 21st match of the season, a career high #aflnorthdogs pic.twitter.com/0aR5GWiSDq
— North Melbourne (@NMFCOfficial) August 29, 2015
Arise, AFL watchers, shake your chains to earth like dew, because this one should be worth a gander.
Our eyes and ears for the next few hours is the redoubtable Russell Jackson; he’ll be here shortly to take you through every point, as it happens, live and unadulterated.
So get the kettle on, fluff the cushions, and settle in. In the interim, here’s Rusty’s match preview:
Let’s be honest, this round is mostly the football equivalent of elevator music but on Saturday afternoon at Etihad Stadium, two buoyant and threatening finals sides – North Melbourne and the Bulldogs - will square off in a game that won’t necessarily affect their finals destination as much as better establish their place among the next-best. The Bulldogs have barely played a decent, in-form side since the first two months of the season and last week against the Eagles got a firm reminder of the gulf between being a contender and being merely very good. Statistically the 77-point loss appeared a mauling but throughout they at least showed how dangerous their counter-attacking game could be if wedded to sterner defensive efforts.
North did pretty much the opposite, upsetting ladder-leading Fremantle to extend their winning streak to seven and going a little of the way to rubbishing the argument that they’ve only capable of beating up on inferior sides. The elephant in the room, both literally and figuratively, is Roos ruckman and Brownlow medal contender Todd Goldstein, who probably took one look at Nic Naitanui and Callum Sinclair demoralising a succession of makeshift Buldogs ruckmen last week and penciled himself in for another three-voter here. Poor Lin Jong, he never really stood a chance.
Read up about the rest of the round 22 match-ups here.
