A SLUGGISH start and a third quarter fadeout from Melbourne enabled the Western Bulldogs to notch up their 13th win of the season and record a 31-point victory at Telstra Dome on Sunday.
The Demons 9.10 (64) went down to the Bulldogs 14.11 (95), giving the Dogs their first consecutive victories over the Dees since 2000-01.
The Bulldogs set up the win with six of the first eight goals of the match and, when they booted five goals to one in the third quarter, Melbourne's task of recording its third victory of the season became extremely tough.
Melbourne defender Colin Garland, who received a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination last round, played a fine game on the Bulldog star Robert Murphy. The emerging Demon kept Murphy to 15 touches, with the Tasmanian registering 21 disposals.
Captain Cameron Bruce worked tirelessly with a game-high 38 disposals and Paul Wheatley, who gained career-best numbers last round against the Brisbane Lions, topped that again with a personal high 33 touches.
Forward-turned-midfielder Lynden Dunn also kept Adam Cooney to just 17 touches, with Dunn claiming 15 disposals. Brad Miller also bobbed up with three goals in the final term.
For the Dogs, Matthew Boyd was his side's leading ball-winner with 33 touches, while Jason Akermanis and Will Minson slotted three goals each. Lindsay Gilbee was also a key contributor out of defence, using the ball with his usual high level of efficiency.
The Bulldogs got off to a flyer when Mitch Hahn goaled just 42 seconds into the match. Two majors from Nathan Eagleton followed, and the Dogs were up by 20 points at the 17-minute mark.
Dunn landed Melbourne's first major at the 25-minute mark, reducing the margin back to 14 points at quarter time.
The Bulldogs looked set to break clear of the Demons when they bounced out to a 27-point lead in the second term, but when Melbourne posted consecutive goals through Simon Buckley and Brad Green, the margin was cut back to just 14 points.
An Akermanis goal in time-on gave the Dogs a 20-point advantage at the long break.
Melbourne suffered a scare during the second term when big man Paul Johnson landed heavily after flying for a mark in a contest. But after crashing the side of his head and shoulder into the Dome deck, he returned later in the term, attacking the ball with vigour immediately after taking the field.
Melbourne started the second half in fine fashion, when Green kicked truly. His second reduced the deficit to just 14 points and heartened Demon fans.
But the Dogs had other ideas and when Will Minson booted his second, the home side then piled on five unanswered goals. Back-to-back majors from Daniel Giansiracusa and Akermanis followed, giving the Bulldogs a 43-point buffer entering the final term.
A Wheatley roost into the centre circle from a kick-in was an early last quarter highlight, but when Mitch Hahn booted the first goal of the term, the Dogs were out in front by 50 points.
Despite Melbourne outscoring the opposition with four goals to two in the final term – including three from Miller – reeling in a half-century margin from that point was beyond the brave Demons.
WESTERN BULLDOGS 3.2 7.4 12.7 14.11 (95)
MELBOURNE 1.0 4.2 5.6 9.10 (64)
GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Akermanis 3, Minson 3, Eagleton 2, Giansiracusa 2, Hahn 2, Harbrow, Cross
Melbourne: Miller 3, Green 2, Dunn, C. Johnson, Buckley, Newton
BEST
Western Bulldogs: Cross, Boyd, Lake, Gilbee, Akermanis, Eagleton, Hill, Everitt
Melbourne: Bruce, Garland, C. Johnson, Wheatley, Martin, Miller
INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Welsh (back) out, replaced in selected side by Wight
Melbourne: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Farmer, McLaren, Keating
Official crowd: 27,446 at Telstra Dome
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
