Believe it or not, this loomed as a danger game for the Western Bulldogs. The result obviously indicates it was nothing to worry about, but given recent history, there would have been a few Dogs supporters keen for their team to assert themselves early.
In the corresponding game in 2023, the West Coast Eagles upset the apple cart of the Dogs, scoring a huge upset win, and effectively costing Luke Beveridge’s men a place in the finals.
I watched that game and saw how the Eagles went to work. They played with desire and tenacity. They crashed into bodies and refused to lose their feet. It is an overused term in footy, but they simply wanted it a lot more than the Dogs on that occasion.
And so it was that we entered this contest with a little trepidation. Were the ghosts of 2023 still hanging around Marvel Stadium? Could the Eagles get a sniff and take the game up to their slick opponents? Or would the Dogs run them down and make amends for the failures of the year before?
Let’s jump into The Mongrel’s Talking Points.
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