Well, just like Cody Weightman, I have returned from a long hiatus to get back to doing what I truly love. I came into the starting lineup as swiftly as a Geelong late change, and I’ve been rewarded with a game featuring one of the best comebacks of the year.
After a first half that looked to have all the hallmarks of a Hawthorn runaway win, the Bulldogs staged a remarkable comeback, holding the highly fancied opposition to a singular second half goal, and running out victorious by six points.
Let’s take a look and see how the game was won and lost.
Jai Newcombe:
The Hawthorn ace was in tremendous form in the first half, capitalising on true contested ball to give his charges first use out of the middle.
While his clearance work was outstanding, it must be said that (during the first half) he produced arguably his best performance behind the ball, pulling in three big grabs as a +1 after a quick clearance. While he still was around the play in the second half, his impact was less noticeable, however, he fought his guts out to the end and can hold his head high.
36 disposals and nine clearances for the criminally underrated onballer. His crunching bump/follow smother in the third quarter was the play of the game.
Ed Richards
Challenged Newcombe for BOG honours in this game. While Newcombe was running wild in the first half, it was Richards and a few teammates keeping the Dogs afloat as they tried to whether the Hawthorn storm.
As the second half began, the run and carry started to appear and Richards turned defence into attack. To those who scoff at the “metres gained” category and assume it was meaningless meterage, I must disagree, as the run from Richards was calculated and surgical.
The Big Men
This matchup at times was harder to pick than a broken nose. A bit like the Newcombe/Richards comparison, it was a tale of two halves.
Lloyd Meek COULD have been the matchwinner for the Hawks, however, his kicking skills deserted him quicker than Carlton’s coaching staff. Meek had multiple opportunities, both opposed to the returning English, and while he was off with a “suspected” broken nose.
English returned, however, and after that he really asserted dominance over the more physical Meek, pushing forward to kick a crucial goal and bring the Bulldogs midfielders into the contest with precision tapwork. English wins this in a 10th round K.O
Hawks attack vs Dogs backline:
Early on, it appeared Nick Watson was on course to kick an absolute bag on Michael Sellwood, as the former mature age recruit had zero answers for (in my opinion) the best small forward in the game.
The Wizard danced and dazzled his way to three first half goals. However, after half time, he decided to stop playing football and got sucked in to what the Dogs were doing.
He ceased walking the walk after talking the talk at halftime.
While Sellwood himself was beaten, he showed real nous to knuckle down and not let a bad half of football define his night, and his perseverance to stick to the slippery Watson aided his team tremendously.
As for Watson’s teammate Chol, he was a looming presence all through the contest. As a Suns supporter I often lamented his lacksadasical approach, but his form in the past 18 months has made me a true believer now (yes, I know he is a former 40 goal forward).
While not his direct opponent, Buku Khamis had a great game for the Dogs. While giving away two free kicks he would love to have back, his 1v1 contest work was what attributed massively to a manageable margin at half time.
One of the big factors in the Bulldogs’ victory was the inability to stop the rebound of Bailey Dale. Sam Mitchell alluded to the danger man pre-game, yet the Hawthorn coach, nor Chat GPT , could find a solution to the chief rebounder for the victors.
Sicily vs Lewis
The move of the game was made by the coach you’d least expect. At the half, James Sicily had as much uncontested ball as Nick Daicos playing by himself in the backyard. At some point, Luke Beveridge decided enough was enough, and decided to throw a pest onto a pest.
While the statistics of Will Lewis reads “4 disposals, 1.0” his contribution runs much deeper than the box score, as he hassled and hounded the Hawthorn General for the second half, rendering him completely ineffective.
Brilliant move from a bonehead coach
Brett’s Blast : Ryley Sanders
I watched Sanders closely in the state championships a few years ago, admittedly that was due to him being a teammate of my Suns academy guns, but his play intrigued me. He was a damaging on-baller in the under 18s, however, I fear he will be lost from the AFL unless he gets rid of the innate habit of always looking for his first disposal to go backwards.
Once he gets his confidence up and decides to attack when the field opens up he will be more than handy, but at critical times he would always concede ground.
Quick takes:
Massive win to the Bulldogs tonight, jumping three spots up to fifth while the Hawks consolidate and lick their wounds with the bye upcoming.