The Western Bulldogs have won a low-scoring battle of attrition against a slumping GWS side, who have crashed to a fourth loss in five AFL games.
Both sides struggled to score in wet and slippery conditions at ENGIE Stadium on Saturday, with the Bulldogs grinding their way to an 8.22 (70) to 6.7 (43) win.
Sam Taylor of the Giants is challenged by Ed Richards of the Bulldogs.Credit: AFL Photos
It was the Bulldogs’ first win outside Melbourne this season and only the second time they have logged successive victories in 2024.
Despite their low conversion rate they were still too efficient for a Giants team playing at their main home ground for the first time since round one in mid-March.
While the Bulldogs squandered plenty of opportunities, the Giants struggled to create them and the “tsunami football” they played in their 6-1 start to the season was rarely sighted.
They had just two goalkickers, with Jesse Hogan booting three in his 150th game and captain Toby Greene bagging the other three.
It was the Giants’ lowest score in coach Adam Kingsley’s tenure and they kicked just two goals after halftime.
For the Bulldogs, Adam Treloar, Ed Richards and Jack McRae won plenty of ball, and James Harmes followed up his four-goal haul last week with two, and Sam Darcy also kicked two majors.
Bulldogs gun Marcus Bontempelli was limited to 10 touches In the first three quarters, but finished with 18.
The Bulldogs limited GWS to just eight inside-50s in the first quarter, but trailed by eight points at quarter-time after kicking just five behinds.
They started the second quarter in more ruthless fashion with three goals from their first four entries.
One came after a bizarre misdirected kick to Rhylee West from former Bulldog Callan Ward, who kicked backwards into the Giants’ defensive 50.
The Giants regained the lead with successive Hogan majors, before Darcy gave the Bulldogs a five-point halftime buffer with a late set-shot goal.
The third quarter started like the first, with the Bulldogs winning the quarter 1.7 to 0.3 to lead by 15 going into the last term, when they pulled further away.
AAP
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