Dogs bury hapless Lions, keep season alive

Western Bulldogs   151 defeated Brisbane Lions   123

A nine goal second quarter and a scintillating final term effort has carried the Western Bulldogs to an inspiring 28-point win over the Brisbane Lions at the Telstra Dome tonight, keeping their slim finals hopes flickering.

On a ridiculous looking surface that Dennis Cometti likened to a ‘clown’s pocket’ on Friday night, the Dogs went out to a 47-point lead before half-time, and then, after losing the lead 10 minutes into the last quarter, finished like a champion greyhound.

John Blakey took over head-coaching duties after the death of Leigh Matthews’ mother, and despite a thunderous second-half comeback, the Lions were overrun late as they struggle to hold onto a finals spot.

In the 250th game of a stellar career, Brad Johnson was best-on-ground, picking up 27 touches, 12 marks and five goals. Livewire forward Matthew Robbins also bobbed up with five, while Daniel Giansiracusa added two goals to his 27 possessions.

For the Lions, thoroughbred Nigel Lappin battled hard for four quarters, picking up 31 touches and a goal, while Simon Black, at the centre of their brief comeback, had it 32 times and kicked three goals of his own as his side’s best.

Johnson, in his milestone game, was the star of the show in the first term, gathering eight touches, two goals and forcing dynamic Brisbane onballer Luke Power into a defensive role.

A Michael Voss goal after the siren brought the quarter-time margin back to just seven points, but it was the Bulldogs’ midfield looking the more dangerous.

If Dog fans enjoyed their team’s third quarter burst against Geelong last week, then they would have been elated with the burst of football put on by Rodney Eade’s men in the second term.

After Michael Rischitelli bagged the first of the term for Brisbane, the Bulldogs piled on eight straight goals in a devastating 20 minute period, capped off by arguably the mark of the year to Matthew Robbins, who, along with Johnson and Chris Grant, had three to half time.

A late goal to Anthony Corrie brought the margin to a flattering 34 points at the main break, but the period belonged to the home side, which booted nine out of a total of thirteen majors in a quarter that lasted nearly 40 minutes.

Eade would have preached in the half-time rooms that you can never write off a champion team, but the young Dogs still looked dumbstruck as Brisbane came out firing, kicking the first three goals and winning all the important contests around the ground.

Last week’s hero, Wayde Skipper, converted to steady, but even a hit on the influential Lappin behind play couldn’t stop the rampaging Lions, who kicked the last two of the quarter to draw within 10 points at the final change, sensing their season on the line.

Brisbane continued their run into the last quarter, kicking three of the first four goals, and when Black grabbed his second, the Lions were in front after 12 minutes and looked ready to run all over their inexperienced opposition.

But, in a stint of attacking football that was arguably better than the second term, the young Dogs kicked eight goals in 12 minutes – their second such burst for the game – to well and truly bury the fading legacy of the three-time premiers in another quarter that lasted more than 35 minutes.

Next week, the Bulldogs take on ladder leader West Coast at the MCG on Saturday afternoon in a game they will be fancied in by many, while Brisbane take on the Hawks at home the following Sunday.

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