A CAREER-BEST four-goal haul from high-priced recruit Tom Boyd has helped the Western Bulldogs arrest a recent bout of inconsistency by posting a 72-point win over the Brisbane Lions at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.
The result snapped what had been a worrying trend for the Bulldogs, who have performed admirably against quality teams but lost their previous two contests against struggling opponents (St Kilda and Melbourne).
The Dogs still endured the odd anxious moment against the plucky, injury-ravaged Lions, but powered away in the second half to record a welcome percentage-boosting win, 22.14 (146) to 11.8 (74).
The Dogs led by just nine points early in the third term before piling on 13 of the next 15 goals as their manic pressure overwhelmed the visitors.
Boyd hauled in several contested marks and got on the end of some productive play to take his season tally to 15 goals from 11 games. In a glimpse of the future – and the now – forward partner Jake Stringer bagged five majors to move to 25 from 10 outings.
This dynamic duo was the beneficiary of superb work further afield from skipper Robert Murphy, who provided his usual bounce off half-back, and prolific midfielders Jack Macrae, Luke Dahlhaus, Mitch Wallis (who also managed a career-best three goals) and Jarrad Grant, whose creative handpassing was a feature.
Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge was pleased that his team finished the match with its best quarter of the season – 9.3 to 3.3.
"(The last quarter) was a combination of having the energy left to do it and also the urgency. We just didn't feel like we really gapped Brisbane enough," he said.
"They were still in the game and there was that threat and possibility that we were going to let them in and we've let a couple of sides in through the year.
"To see the players respond like they did, it's a real feather in their caps."
Lions counterpart Justin Leppitsch was disconsolate about his team's fadeout, placing much responsibility on his senior players.
"We got so close playing the way we want to play and then fell apart," he said.
"Some team concept stuff we have to work as a group to get better, particularly turning the ball over in the front half, and we probably don't react as quick as the best teams in the competition.
"That's the thing with this game – (it's made) up of a thousand little things and sometimes one little thing makes the whole domino (effect). They transition from their back half and often it's because of one little lapse in concentration."
The Bulldogs came out snarling with the first two goals inside five minutes before the Lions had even taken the ball past the centre.
Against the flow of play, the Lions had the next three scoring shots and each should have resulted in goals. Josh Green was involved each time – his first pass was poorly executed and wasted a golden opportunity, but the busy small forward made amends with goal assists to both Daniel McStay and Nick Robertson to give the visitors a one-point lead.
The Dogs responded with the next three goals, two of them from frees to Boyd, to take a 20-point lead by quarter-time, by which stage they had scored 5.3 from just 12 forward entries.
Adding to the Lions' woes was the early substitution of Nick Robertson after he hurt his shoulder in a hard, ground-ball contest in the first quarter.
The Bulldogs extended their lead to 27 points in the second term, but the Lions refused to wilt, with ruckman Stefan Martin and little men Lewis Taylor, Allen Christensen, Dayne Zorko and Dayne Beams instrumental in pegging the margin back to nine points early in the third.
The Dogs replied with the next four goals in nine minutes to spark a blitzkrieg.
Hard nut Wallis changed the complexion of the game when he goaled from 50 metres after being rewarded for a typically strong tackle.
The explosive Stringer then nailed his third with a brilliant, bouncing snap from the boundary, before Boyd claimed a contested mark for his fourth goal, and the hard-running Dahlhaus drilled another one on the run.
Lions star Beams and reinvigorated Dogs run-with specialist Liam Picken had a good battle in the middle, with Beams' weight of possession giving him the honours despite Picken's two goals.
A positive for the Lions was the high-flying Daniel McStay (three goals), who was exciting in his return to the Lions' line-up, taking some classy pack marks and also making a spectacular leap that would have been a Mark Of The Year contender had he brought it down.
McStay later received a head gash but played out the match.
It was a positive start to what could be a month of consolidation for the Dogs, who now face St Kilda and Carlton, both at Etihad Stadium, before a clash with Gold Coast in Cairns.
Meanwhile, it doesn't get any easier for the Lions, who host Adelaide at the Gabba before taking on flag contenders Fremantle (away) and Sydney (home).
WESTERN BULLDOGS 5.3 8.6 13.11 22.14 (146)
BRISBANE LIONS 2.1 5.3 8.5 11.8 (74)
GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Stringer 5, T Boyd 4, Wallis 3, Dickson 2, Picken 2, Dale, McLean, Bontempelli, Dahlhaus, Hrovat, Stevens
Brisbane Lions: McStay 3, Bewick 2, Zorko, Taylor, Robertson, Hanley, Green, Christensen
BEST
Western Bulldogs: Stringer, Macrae, T Boyd, Murphy, Wallis, M Boyd
Brisbane Lions: Taylor, Martin, Hanley, Beams, McStay, Christensen
INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Stringer (hip)
Brisbane Lions: Robertson (shoulder)
SUBSTITUTES
Western Bulldogs: Bailey Dale replaced Will Minson in the third quarter
Brisbane Lions: Mitch Robinson replaced Nick Robertson in the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Foot, Fisher, Schmitt
