The Western Bulldogs‘ demolition of GWS on Thursday night time was summed up exactly with one damning line by 3AW radio commentator Anthony Hudson.
“Have they received an opposition?!” a disbelieving Hudson exclaimed throughout the second quarter.
He thought the Bulldogs had scored yet one more purpose. They hadn’t. However in a hideous opening half for the Giants, that purpose evaluate was nearly the one factor that went their means.
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The second half did not pan out a lot better for the Giants, who after trailing by 61 factors on the major break misplaced the sport by 88 factors, 19.18 (132) to 6.8 (44).
They had lost skipper Toby Greene, blue-chip midfielder Josh Kelly and defender Jack Buckley for the Marvel Stadium conflict, however that is no excuse for what transpired, particularly in a match so crucial to the make-up of the highest eight.
The Bulldogs received the disposal rely 347-305, contested possessions 137-86, clearances 41-24, and inside 50s 58-36.
The Giants’ disposal effectivity was barely increased, however that counts for little when you will have so little of the ball.
And the Giants turned the footy over on 59 events; the Bulldogs did so 48 instances.
The Giants truly received the primary centre clearance of the sport, however the Bulldogs gained possession at half-back, sling-shotted the ball up the heart, and received it to prodigious key ahead Sam Darcy, who dribbled it by means of for a purpose.
Regardless of having misplaced the primary centre clearance, the Bulldogs had a purpose on the board lower than 30 seconds into the sport.
Darcy and Aaron Naughton kicked 5 targets every, Lachlan McNeil booted three majors, and Tim English bagged two targets.
GWS coach Adam Kingsley. Getty
The Bulldogs’ main ball-winners have been skipper Marcus Bontempelli (27 touches, 11 contested) and veteran on-baller Tom Liberatore, who chalked up 26 possessions, together with 12 contested.
The Giants’ Lachie Ash (36 disposals) and Lachie Whitfield (29) had few helpers.
North Melbourne nice David King questioned at full-time if the Giants’ third-quarter pummelling of the Swans final week, through which they piled on 57 factors in a thunderous come-from-behind win, had left them too relaxed for Thursday night time’s recreation.
“I feel the Giants spent the week wanting backwards at how good that third quarter was towards the Sydney Swans, and weren’t prepared, completely locked in and able to combat the combat for the trigger,” King stated on the Fox Footy broadcast.
Marcus Bontempelli in motion. Getty
“And so they received whacked between the eyes.
“They weren’t prepared. The coach [Adam Kingsley] shall be livid with this efficiency.”
The Giants might have climbed from sixth to second with a win on Thursday night time. They as a substitute dropped to seventh, and their proportion copped a battering.
The Bulldogs jumped from ninth to eighth, however the Gold Coast Suns will knock them again out of the eight in the event that they beat Richmond on Saturday night, which is predicted.
