Bulldogs withstand ferocious comeback to add to Blues’ misery

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Carlton showed tremendous fight, but their season is on the verge of freefall after they fell to a 20-point loss to the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night.

While the streaking Bulldogs have won four in a row, and six of their past seven, the Blues have dropped four of their past five, and face a major fight to remain in top-eight calculations, having just begun a potentially rugged month ahead, with the top-of-the-table Magpies to come next weekend.

A week after supporters booed players and left at three quarter-time in a home loss to the Brisbane Lions, they threatened to do the same again when the Blues trailed by 31 points in the third term, but this time the Blues rallied by booting the final four goals of the term to cut the deficit to eight by the final change. In a stunning change of fortunes, goals to Matthew Owies and the indefatigable Sam Walsh gave them their first lead of the night, and set up an enthralling final term.

The Bulldogs, firmly in the premiership hunt, responded when hard nut Tom Liberatore eased through a pressured shot, their first goal since the six-minute mark of the third term. Charlie Curnow regained the lead for the Blues after a strong mark, but Bulldog Arthur Jones roved a loose ball and snapped a classic, before Bailey Smith drilled a running goal to edge the lead to eight points, a margin the Blues could not broach.

The Blues had been held to only 10 points by half-time – their lowest score to the main change in the Michael Voss era.

They embraced a more attacking style after a stodgy first half. Despite winning the contested ball in the first half, the creative Bulldogs dominated uncontested possession. However, come the third term, the Blues released the handbrake, and opted for a more freewheeling style. The question will be why it took so long for the Blues to stop unimaginatively kicking straight down the line to forwards Harry McKay and Curnow.

On a night finding an avenue to goal was a major issue, the Blues added to their woes when the goalless McKay, Jesse Motlop and Patrick Cripps shanked set-shot snaps at goal, when conventional drop punts could easily have done the job. The Blues took until the 10-minute mark of the second term to log their first major, when Owies converted a set shot, and until the nine-minute of the third to post their second. Owies finished with a team-high three goals.

Marcus Bontempelli fends off Matthew Owies in round nine. Credit: Getty Images

Liberatore, Smith and Cody Weightman were superb when the game was on the line, while Ed Richards delivered run all evening. Liam Jones was calm in defence, while Marcus Bontempelli had crucial touches when the contest was there to be won.

Walsh ran hard, while the pacy Adam Saad and Matthew Cottrell led the Blues’ revival. Cripps had a miserable first half, when the contested beast failed to log a contested possession, but he got going in the second half and finished with 26 disposals, including six contested possessions.

When all seemed lost in the third term after tall forward Rory Lobb booted back-to-back goals, the Blues held their nerve, and began to generate run. Coach Luke Beveridge made the unconventional move of having Lobb begin a wing on former Dockers teammate Blake Acres. This allowed Lobb to push forward or back and be the seventh defender, a role he performed well, until he was sent forward in the third term.

You’re the voice

After much controversy over booing through the week, it was Jones’ turn to face supporter wrath, the Blues’ fans having not forgotten he quit the club and retired – briefly – in November 2021 over his vaccination status. Jones had the job on McKay, the latter also copping a mouthful from supporters when, having marked almost in front of goal and only 35 metres out, he opted to snap around the corner, rather than take a conventional drop punt. McKay sprayed his shot to the point it was barely a point. This contributed to the Blues having their first goalless opening term against the Bulldogs since 1991.

On the run

Amid the media focus on Brownlow Medal fancy Bontempelli and other teammates with a greater profile, Richards has quietly been having a career season. The dashing half-back has been in superb touch, and had an equal team-high nine touches in the first term, while opponent Motlop was not seen.

On the front foot

A whirlwind month for former cricketer James O’Donnell, 20, continued when he made his AFL debut, just 35 days after signing with the Bulldogs as a category B rookie. O’Donnell began on the bench but was sent forward five minutes into the first term, where he led well, but was ignored a few times. While he was subbed off early in the final term, having had had only five touches, the former promising fast bowler adjusted to the speed of the game. He became the third generation of O’Donnells to play at AFL/VFL level following his grandfather Kevin and father Simon who played for St Kilda in the 1940s and 1980s respectively.

James O’Donnell celebrates. Credit: Getty Images

Best
Carlton: Walsh, Kennedy, Saad, Cottrell, Owies.
Western Bulldogs: Smith, Dale Richards, Bontempelli, Williams, Johannisen.

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