THE WESTERN Bulldogs' season is back on track in a big way.
 
An astounding second-half fightback against Hawthorn on Friday night saw the Dogs snag a 12.5 (77) to 9.17 (71) win at the MCG, propelling the Dogs back into the top six.

HAWKS v BULLDOGS Full match coverage and stats
 
They’ve now won their last three after a horror patch that was kickstarted by their round five loss to the Hawks.
 
It was a strange old battle, littered with skill errors early, and niggling physicality late. A jab from the Hawks here, a left hook from the Dogs there, each side landed its blows amidst the skirmish.

Crucially, Hawks created opportunities in the second half to put the game away, but their poor conversion kept the Bulldogs within striking distance.
 
The Hawks looked the far superior side in the opening term, using the ball with greater intent, hitting hard, low kicks around the ground. They won the first nine clearances of the game, and were world beaters out of stoppage, but where they came unstuck was when trying to break through the Dogs' gritty defensive efforts.
 
It wasn't pretty, but it worked, so for all that early control, the home side took just a two-point lead into the first break.

It became too much for the Dogs soon enough, however, with the Hawks slamming home five-straight goals in the second to open up the margin. But it didn't last long, as re-invigorated Dogs outfit hit back in the third with five goals of their own – punctuated by a solitary Hawthorn major.
 
Nick Watson (11 disposals, three goals) got busy, both with ball in hand, and in antagonising his opponents, and Jai Newcombe's (37 disposals, nine clearances) work through the middle of the ground was immense.

 
The Hawks' swarming pressure was suffocating, working exceptionally hard to surround any Dog with the ball and force a turnover.
 
For this reason, when the Dogs got on top, it wasn't with the slick footy they've been known for, rather the scores came via desperate repeat efforts and hard-earned free kicks.

Captain Marcus Bontempelli (23 disposals, two goals, six clearances) had a quieter start by his standards but got increasingly dangerous, and instead it was Ed Richards (28 disposals, seven clearances) and Tim English (14 disposals, one goal) who drove things for the Bulldogs.
 
But Bontempelli still found his ways to impact. Two big goals – including one early in the fourth to put the Dogs up for the first time since the opening term – kept the engine revving.
 
And in his first game since the Dogs' 2024 elimination final, Cody Weightman worked his way through playing on the wing. He finished with 11 disposals, importantly getting through the match unscathed. Lachie McNeil wasn't so lucky, however, ruled out with concussion in the first quarter.

Happy Birth Day
Will Day made his triumphant return to AFL footy last week following a horror run with injury. A much-loved player among Hawthorn players and fans alike, he wasn't able to convert a set shot on goal in last week's win. But in the second term on Friday night – Day's 25th birthday – he marked the ball 45m from goal, in an almost identical spot as his missed shot last week. This time, however, he kicked truly and celebrated with vigour as the home crowd roared.

No love lost
A fascinating by-play throughout the evening was the matchup of James Sicily and Will Lewis in the Bulldogs' forward half. Both known for their fiery personalities on the footy field, they were at one another's throat all night. The highlight was an extended wrestle in front of the benches, with the play long gone. Lewis expertly got under Sicily's skin, forcing some brain fades from the Hawks star, but there were also key moments where the Bulldog was soundly beaten and was told all about it.

Fines aplenty
When the Match Review is released on Saturday, expect a stack of fines from this Hawks and Dogs game. Following a first half in which the Hawks dominated, a melee that broke out on the half time siren signalled what was to come. Aggression, and frustration spilled out repeatedly throughout the remainder of the game, both in the form of spotfires between two direct opponents, and larger, all-in scenarios. Drawing the Hawks into the sniping allowed the Dogs to get back into the game, and it was suddenly game on, but likely at the expense of their back pockets.

HAWTHORN                        2.2    8.6    9.12   9.17 (71)
WESTERN BULLDOGS         2.0    4.3    9.4     12.5 (77)
 
GOALS 
Hawthorn: Watson 3, Chol 3, C.Macdonald, Reeves, Day
Western Bulldogs: Croft 3, Bontempelli 2, Dale, Jones, West, Treloar, Lewis, English, Naughton
 
BEST 
Hawthorn: Newcombe, Watson, Day, D'Ambrosio, Chol
Western Bulldogs: Richards, Bontempelli, English, Sanders, Dale, Croft
 
INJURIES 
Hawthorn: Nil
Western Bulldogs: McNeil (concussion)
 
Crowd: 59,556 at the MCG