Bulldogs Speed Run Over Magpies

By Barry Kennedy, AFANA Reporter in Melbourne

The gulf in finals experience between the seasoned Collingwood side and the greenhorns from the Western Bulldogs loomed as a decisive factor in the first Elimination Final at the MCG yesterday. A lack of Finals experience had already proved detrimental to Fremantle in Adelaide. Additionally Collingwood were back on the Finals stage for the first time since its humiliation by Brisbane in the 2004 grand final and for skipper Nathan Buckley and company, surely this was their day for the Magpies to reassert themselves in Finals play. After all, the Western Bulldogs had experienced an awful year on the injury front and had no forwards over six foot, unheard of in almost any era of Australian Football. Seemingly the Bulldogs didn't read the script,  with a swag of well manufactured goals and an unstoppable combination of flair, pace and instinctive football overwhelmed the flat-footed Magpies. 

A bruising intensity underlined the first quarter, established from the opening bounce when Magpie hard-nut Brodie Holland cleaned up the Bulldogs Brett Montgomery in one of the most ferocious hip-and-shoulders seen in many years.

It seemed miraculous that Montgomery got to his feet at all, but in the tradition of Dermott Brereton in the epic 1989 Grand Final it was Montgomery who goaled minutes later to open the match. It was fortunate that Montgomery only had to soccer the ball through on the goal line as his vision may have been shrouded by a star-filled view, akin to a planetarium, had the Bulldogs veteran been kicking from a set-shot.  A barnstorming center break orchestrated by Scott West, Daniel Cross and Adam Cooney set up talisman Brad Johnson for the Bulldogs second.

Collingwood got on the board via their great ruckman Josh Fraser. Goals followed quickly for the Pies thereafter. Rocca hit Tarrant for the second, a great intercept and goal by Chris Egan gave the Woods the lead. Well taken set shots by Sean Rusling and Tarkyn Lockyer put distance on the Bulldogs who seemed to be wilting on the big stage, complete with 85,000 fans. The Collingwood run was built off a dominant Fraser and runners Ben Johnson, Lockyer and O'Bree. The height and physicality of Rocca, Tarrant and Rusling in the Collingwood forward line appeared a dangerous proposition for the Dogs, while an injury scare to All-Australian candidate Lindsay Gilbee raised concerns further.

The Bulldogs got back on track via two great goals by Cooney and Farren Ray respectively, wrought by some more of the Dogs renowned run and clean skills. A fascinating battle between the Bulldogs speed and the bulk of the Collingwood team underlined the term with no quarter given by two desperate units. The margin was nine points at the break.

Space and time seemed to be reduced further in the opening ten minutes of the second quarter as both sides sought to impose their will on the match. Passages of play became a successions of hurried handballs and crunching bodies. Just when the game looked like descending into a bogged down affair the Bulldogs laconic runner Farren Ray, consistently released by inside men Scott West and Daniel Cross got the Bulldogs into gear. Cooney kicked his second via a soft free kick against Simon Prestigiacoma before Matthew Robbins seized the lead back for the Bulldogs.

Josh Fraser proved his worth again with a nice weighted kick to Anthony Rocca who kicked his first. Fraser and Johnson through the midfield and gutsy backmen Prestigiacoma and James Clement were holding the Pies together with many of Collingwood's prime movers, Buckley, Alan Didak, Heath Shaw and Dane Swan, well down.

In a powerful five minutes of inspiration Montgomery back from his audition as a crash test dummy kicked two goals to give the Bulldogs a 10 point advantage at half-time. Montgomery, a premiership player and best and fairest winner for Port Adelaide will enjoy his two goals - a nice evasive snap over his shoulder and strong mark on the goal line and run around for a goal. He will need to watch these efforts from the comfort of a couch however as after the game he confessed to remembering nothing of the first half.

The Bulldogs momentum continued unabated detected as the second half got under way. Cooney, Ryan Griffen and Ray were making blistering runs and their boldness was paying off. Cooney delivered a helicopter pass to Giansiracusa who duly converted, while some Scott West magic released Cooney for another. Griffin had the Bulldogs supporters on the members wing on their feet with a dash complete with four bounces while Ryan Hargrave and Matthew Boyd were great examples of second tier players standing up. Even Will Minson and Peter Street were contributing in their rucking duel with Fraser.

Hargreaves hit Montgomery whose fine diving mark and fourth goal made the margin 27 points. When Minson marked in the goal square followed by Lindsay Gilbee who did the same the margin was 40 points and the Bulldogs were home. In between these decisive goals, Collingwood's Tarrant in what could be his last match in the black and white missed a sitter, while Brian Harris took a towering mark over Tarrant and Rocca. The two Collingwood big-name forwards have now played 14 finals games together, kicking just 20 goals between them.

Another Gilbee goal made the margin 45 at three quarter time. In total the second and third quarters yielded ten goals eight for the Bulldogs compared to Collingwood's one goal, seven.

Farren Ray and Matthew Robbins dispelled any lingering doubts of a Bulldogs victory with the first two goals of the last. With the hard work done, the intensity of the match dropped to that of a practise match. Collingwood managed five goals with the pressure off, the Bulldogs principle highlight for the quarter a goal by retiring club legend Rohan Smith. In perhaps his last match in front of his home supporters Smith ignored runners in better position for a show-time goal. He was mobbed by teammates despite his obvious breach of team rules.

The Bullies victory gives Smith the chance to register his 300th game against the West Coast Eagles next week. Coincidentally he will share the honour with the redoubtable Scott West who starred as usual with 36 possessions yesterday. West's heroics were emulated by watershed games by Adam Cooney, Farren Ray and Ryan Griffen, all in their first final. Brad Johnson was lively for the Dogs, while Boyd, Cross and Giansiracusa completed the comprehensive midfield domination by the Dogs. Chris Grant and Dale Morris marshalled the Bulldogs defense. Robbins and Montgomery efforts yielded seven goals while Minson and Street are both improving as ruckmen.

Ben Johnson was the best over the day for a shell-shocked Pies. He won plenty of the ball over the day as did Tarkyn Lockyer. Prestigiacoma and Clement were the most honest in an overworked backline. Fraser was good in his multi-faceted role as a ball carrying big man and Dale Thomas put in an encouraging effort.

Collingwood's overall season holds up well against this forgettable performance however, as a leap from 15th to seventh is no mean feat. Even so, the Magpies have a few deficiencies to ponder over the summer with more speed needed in the midfield a must. A forward or two that may prove surplus to their needs and will surely be the focus of media attention as the trade season begins.

With all of the big clubs from Victoria out of contention and their players milling at golf courses and bars across Melbourne, the Bulldogs are rapidly becoming the second team of many a Victorian fan. Their bold running football is arguably the most exciting in the competition at the moment and many will cross their fingers that the presense in the final series will continue much deeper into September.

With a penchant for ignoring customary football conventions and a spirit rivalling that of the Sydney Swans, who knows what damage that could be done in this finals series by this Western Bulldogs team. With two champions of the club to celebrate historic milestones next week, the passionate Bulldogs might be an even more awkward proposition than usual for the Eagles next week. The Eagles' Chris Judd, Daniel Kerr and Ben Cousins, so accustomed to accelerating away from opponents, may find themselves in the football equivalent of drag race on Saturday.

WESTERN BULLDOGS 4.2 8.7 14.10 18.13 (121)
COLLINGWOOD      5.6 6.9  6.13 11.14  (80)

Goals: Western Bulldogs: B Montgomery 4 A Cooney 3 M Robbins 3 L Gilbee 2 F Ray 2 D Giansiracusa B Johnson W Minson R Smith. Collingwood: C Tarrant 3 B Holland 2 C Egan
J Fraser P Licuria T Lockyer A Rocca S Rusling.
Best: Western Bulldogs: S West A Cooney F Ray R Griffen B Montgomery B Johnson M Boyd. Collingwood: B Johnson J Fraser S Prestigiacomo J Clement.
Injuries: Western Bulldogs: L Gilbee (ankle). Collingwood: S Wakelin (groin)
replaced in selected side by S Rusling).
Reports: Nil.
Umpires: H Kennedy B Allen S Jeffery.
Official Crowd: 84,284 at MCG.