It was the day of the key forwards in wet and windy conditions at Ballarat, as the Dogs talls propelled them to a 19-point win over Brisbane on Saturday afternoon.
It was a low scoring affair at MARS Stadium with howling wind and driving rain a factor all day, but the Dogs outworked their counterparts for longer than they didn’t.
The huge gale was thought to be a four or five goal advantage before the match and while it was a factor, the Lions' inability to use it to their advantage in the first and third quarters likely cost them the match.
They were happy to bomb it forward with the wind, but the Brisbane forward line was too dysfunctional in the air to make it work.
Hipwood finished with two goals and a mark of the year contender, planting the knees into the back of Bailey Dale to sail high over the turf.
In contrast, Aaron Naughton and Tim English played their best game as a duo in the forward line for the Dogs, combining for nine contested marks, 12 scoring shots and six goals.
Both clunked everything that came their way, and had they been able to kick straight would’ve put the game to bed much sooner than it was.
An investment is starting to pay off at the kennel, a Brownlow winner still can't find his best, and has the Lions captain gone too far?
Here’s everything you need to know!
Dogs starting to see English results
Tim English had his name written all over just about every ball to be won at Ballarat, in a performance of a future Coleman Medal winner. Contending with tough defenders in Darcy Gardiner and All-Australian Harris Andrews mattered little as English proved himself as a 207cm tall forward, not just a ruckman.
His nine marks was a career high, as was his three goals than could have well been four or five. Everything about English’s performance screamed break out game, but to say that would be a discredit to his first three rounds.
Instead, it’s a reward for his hard work to start the season and indeed the work he’s done as a pure ruckman in years gone by. Perhaps the Dogs investment from the 2016 draft is starting to bear fruit and can push them deep into the year.
While it was Bruce last week, English fired this week and he was well assisted by Aaron Naughton. It might become a case of ‘if one doesn’t get you, the other will’ for teams trying to defend the against the Dogs this year.
Neale form corresponds to loss
Luke Beveridge spoke pre-game about Lachie Neale’s performance last time the two teams met, and the need to lock him down this time. Well, Beveridge delivered on his word and Neale’s Brownlow-winning form from last season was nowhere to be seen.
Granted, Neale has yet to show much this season, but he is perhaps taking longer to turn it around than many expected.
Beveridge didn’t have someone run with Neale throughout the game, but simply fired up his midfielders to beat him at his strength in the coalface, which they did.
Neale finished with a respectable 27 touches, but wasn’t on the Dogs' level when the game was there to be won early on. Despite finishing with an equal team high in disposals, there were seven Lions who finished with more metres gained than Neale, who now needs to prove he can still replicate last year’s blistering form.
Cheeky lion?
It wasn’t anything major, but it must be hard as a Lions player watching your captain give away silly free kick after silly free kick.
Zorko is well known for his chat on the field - he was asked by the umpires to ‘show some respect’ during Saturday's match - but his aggression went overboard today giving away five free kicks, at least three of which shouldn’t have happened on Zorko’s behalf.
What’s next?
It’s only round three, but the Dogs have to be close to, if not premiership favourites after their blistering start to the year.
The AFL world knew about their midfield depth going into the season, but their ball movement and cohesion ahead of the footy has been something to marvel at this year. They go 4-0, and you’d be reluctant to tip anyone to beat them on this form.
Meanwhile, although hopes weren’t too high with this clash for Brisbane, the way they lost would have irked Chris Fagan. While he’d be impressed with their fight and the way they held on in a game they never deserved to win, their forward line was as bad as it’s been in the last season and a bit, with Joe Daniher the only noted forward to kick a goal (in junk time).
The Lions have winnable games against Essendon and Carlton coming up, and Fagan will want to use them to get his forward line in sync.
FULL SCORE
Western Bulldogs: 3,3. 7,6. 9,10, 10,13, (73)
Brisbane: 2,1. 3,4. 6,6. 8,6, (54)
BEST
Western Bulldogs: English, Macrae, Naughton, Treloar, Dunkley
Brisbane: McCluggage, Lyons, Rich, McInerney, Andrews
INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Nil
Brisbane: Nil
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