From the Archives, 2000: Dogs super-flood ends Dons’ streak

First published in The Age on July 29, 2000

Dogs end the Dons’ streak

The Western Bulldogs pulled off the upset of the season last night, defeating Essendon by 11 points in a thrilling match at Colonial Stadium to end the Bombers’ remarkable run of victories.

The teams were involved in a brawl just before half-time.Credit:Vince Caligiuri

With just one minute 31 seconds left, Chris Grant kicked a superb pressure goal from the boundary to grab a five-point lead for the Bulldogs, after it had seemed that previously unbeaten Essendon would chalk up its 21st win of the campaign.

Trailing by 21 points in the opening minutes of the final quarter – the biggest margin of the night – and apparently headed for defeat, the Bulldogs staged a remarkable comeback to claim one of their greatest victories.

For the last 10 minutes of the match, the Dogs peppered the goals. The fightback started with a goal from Grant, his first of the night, and then two majors to goalsneak Steven Kolyniuk pulled the margin back to five points.

Tony Liberatore calls for the ball.Credit:Vince Caligiuri

It had been a tense battle all night, but the pressure just kept rising. Paul Hudson missed twice, Brad Johnson hit the post, Nathan Eagleton couldn’t even score a point. The Bulldogs were going to do this the hard way – in points. But it was then that Grant, who had starred in defence for most of the night and had switched to full-forward when goals were needed to win the game, took centre stage.

It was unfortunate that Dustin Fletcher – himself sensational in the forward half for the Bombers throughout the first three quarter, kicking three goals – made the critical error that gave Grant his half-chance, just lightly tapping the ball out of bounds on the full when hemmed in the pocket. Grant made no mistake with the shot on goal, his second for the quarter.

Time was running out for the Bombers, not only in the game, but their attack on Geelong’s awesome winning streak of 23 wins on end from 1952-53 was dangling by a thread.

Scott west flies over the top of Mark Johnson.Credit:Vince Caligiuri

The ball was moved quickly into the Essendon scoring zone, but the Dogs to a man stood tall – none more so than Matthew Croft. One out in the goal square with Matthew Lloyd, Croft made sure the glamor full-forward would not be the hero of this night.

Scott West, too, was sensational in the last-minute pressure, pushing the ball forward. When West ran free with the ball on the outer wing, time was finally on his side. That Rohan Smith kicked a goal after the siren did not matter, the celebrations had begun for the Bulldogs.

And the icing on the cake? The win secures a place in the finals for a team that has now beaten the top three teams, Essendon, Carlton and the Kangaroos, all in thrilling fashion. Bring on August!

Doggies celebrate their upset win.Credit:Vince Caligiuri

“It’s a great win for the club, it’s a historic win, but it was the other club, Essendon, that made the history. We are pleased to be a part of it, but we don’t take anything away from what the other team achieved,” said Bulldog coach Terry Wallace.

“We have earned the right to play in the finals by our own efforts.”

It is a match that is likely to have repercussions for both teams. An all-in brawl after the half-time siren will certainly come under close scrutiny from the AFL early next week.

Tempers rose when Bomber Gary Moorcroft entered the game and immediately gave away a free kick and then a 50-metre penalty, felling both Jose Romero and Tony Liberatore. They boiled over when John Barnes laid a hip and shoulder on Brad Johnson, sparking a melee that at its height involved every player on the field.

Lloyd will also have an anxious wait on the video review, a collision with Bulldog defender Steven Kretiuk likely to be checked closely by the umpires.

The Bombers also appeared to come out of the night with several injury concerns. Defender Damien Hardwick left the ground for the evening after 15minutes of the first quarter with what appeared to be an ankle injury, while Dean Rioli – who was enjoying another good night – came off with a broken collarbone at the 10-minute mark of the final quarter.

The Bomber injury toll got worse when Jason Johnson hobbled off in the dying minutes of the match.

“The Carlton game took a hell of a lot out of us … We didn’t play as well as we should (have), we had our opportunities, we missed our goals,” Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy said.

He warned his players not to lose focus with the finals just around the corner and said the pressure was not off the Bombers. “The record is in the past,” he said.

DETAILS

WESTERN BULLDOGS: 4.1 7.3 9.4 14.8 (92)

ESSENDON: 3.2 7.3 11.7 12.9 (81)

GOALS

Western Bulldogs: Kolyniuk 3, Grant 2, Garlick 2, Johnson 2, Smith, Eagleton, Brown, Bartlett, Liberatore.

Essendon: Fletcher 3, Lloyd 2, Blumfield 2, MJohnson, Mercuri, Bewick, Ramanauskas, Alessio.

BEST

Western Bulldogs: Grant, Romero, Brown, West, Cox.

Essendon: Long, Fletcher, Blumfield, JJohnson, Rioli.

INJURIES

Western Bulldogs: Liberatore (cut eye), Robbins (groin), Smith (groin/corked thigh).

Essendon: Hird (buttocks) replaced in selected side by Prior; Hardwick (ankle), JJohnson (corked thigh), Rioli (broken collarbone), Mercuri (cramp).

UMPIRES: Sheehan, McLaren, McInerney.

CROWD: 45,725 at Colonial Stadium.

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