Giants gallant but Dogs have their day

Who better to provide a strict examination of the Western Bulldogs credentials than old foes GWS Giants?

The undefeated Bulldogs were stressed out every step of the way by a young, hungry and disciplined Giants outfit before prevailing by 39 points at Manuka Oval in Canberra on Friday night.

Victory might have come at a cost for the top-of-the-ladder Bulldogs, with young ruckman Tim English injuring his jaw in a marking contest and Lin Jong tearing a hamstring.

It was a tough night at the office for the Bulldogs, with every possession met by a stingy orange wall, but their class prevailed.

Best-on-ground Jack Macrae got off the leash, finding space like only he knows, collecting 40 disposals and a massive 864 metres gained.

Tom Liberatore and Josh Dunkley did the blue collar work on the inside, while Marcus Bontempelli and Adam Treloar were damaging on the run.

The Bulldogs took a eight-point lead into half-time, thanks largely to the forward craft of Lachie Hunter, who kicked his side’s first goal with a set shot snap tight up on the boundary, followed by two beautiful assists for Josh Bruce and Lachie McNeil goals.

Jacob Hopper, Josh Kelly and Tim Taranto took the Bulldogs midfield head on.

The conduit between the Giants midfield and goal was four-goal star Toby Greene, kicking two first half goals and causing all sorts of headaches for Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge, who had his head in his hands at one point in a frustrating first half.

The game was in the balance at half time, with both teams a man down following hamstring injuries to Jong and Giants rebounding machine Nick Haynes.

Sam Taylor had been vice-like in his defence on Naughton in the first half, but Naughton finally got his way early in the second to goal and pushed the Bulldogs lead out to a game-high 15 early in the third.

For the first time in the match, the Giants crowd was silenced and the Bulldogs machine was beginning to click into gear.

Conor Stone pegged one back for the Giants for his first career goal against the run of play, manufactured after a strong mark on the wing by the irrepressible Greene.

It was a wave of Bulldogs attack in the third quarter, but the Giants defence at times seemed impenetrable.

The perceived pressure of the Giants forced a usually clean Bulldogs into uncharacteristic errors.

A free kick to Bobby Hill, who dished off to Greene for his third goal, had trimmed the Giants deficit to three points at three quarter time, and you began to wonder if the Bulldogs would be left to rue their inefficiency going forward.

The Bulldogs looked the goods on a chilly night in Canberra.Source:Getty Images

FLOODGATES OPEN

With the game on a knife’s edge entering the fourth quarter, Jason Johannisen provided a steadying goal for the Bulldogs, taking the lead out to nine points.

Bontempelli made it 16 points with his trademark snap across the body on his left foot and Treloar iced it with a goal on the run.

From there, the floodgates opened and Bulldogs wound up deserved 39-point winners, improving their record to 6-0.

STINGY SAM

Sam Taylor was a rock in defence for the Giants.

Tasked with an enormous test against the ever-dangerous Naughton, he gave the high flying Dogs forward little breathing space, wearing him like a glove.

Alex Keath played a similar role for the Bulldogs, intercepting and clogging up the air space for the Giants forwards.

SCOREBOARD

GIANTS 1.1 4.5 6.8 9.11 (65)

BULLDOGS 2.3 5.7 6.11 15.14 (104)

JENKINSON’S BEST: GIANTS: Greene, Ash, Taranto, Hopper, Taylor. BULLDOGS: Macrae, Hunter, Dunkley, Keath, Liberatore.

GOALS: GIANTS: Greene 4, Taranto, Himmelberg, Stone, Hopper, Ward. BULLDOGS: Bruce 2, McNeil 2, Liberatore 2, Dale 2, Naughton 2, Hunter, Johannisen, Bontempelli, Treloar, Macrae.

INJURIES: GIANTS: Haynes (hamstring). BULLDOGS: Jong (hamstring), Dunkley (shoulder), English (jaw)

UMPIRES: O’Gorman, Mollison, Power.

VENUE: 10,064 at Manuka Oval, Canberra.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

LANCE JENKINSON’S VOTES

3. Jack Macrae (Bulldogs)

2. Toby Greene (Giants)

1. Marcus Bontempelli (Bulldogs)

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