NBates
Brownlow Medallist
West Coast coach Adam Simpson said he was powerless to stop Western Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli in an early contender for game of the year.
Bontempelli capped a best-on-ground performance with a game-winning set shot from 35m out to seal a famous victory.
“We couldn’t control Bont, we tried to tag him in the second half, he’s a very good player,” Simpson lamented. “We always knew if we shut one down someone else will pop up. It was a challenge for us, but I don’t think we took a backward step after halftime.”
Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge praised his captain’s composure in a frantic finish.
“That coolness under pressure and understanding the stage of the game and (taking) seconds off the clock at that point is pretty important,” Beveridge said
“He showed great composure to be able to do that.
“He’s done it before Marcus; he’s lifted us.”
It was a case of accumulation versus execution with the ball-hog Bulldogs finally putting a winning score on the board against a relentless Eagles outfit.
The Dogs controlled the disposal count 233-163 in the first half and Bontempelli was the chief destroyer, but despite the skipper’s extraordinary start the home team led by just one point as the Eagles held firm under repeat fire.
With superstar ruckman Nic Naitanui gaining control, three consecutive third-quarter goals in time on helped turn ascendancy the Eagles way with a classy Liam Ryan finish from 40m on the run giving his side a 12-point lead with a quarter to play.
In a rollercoaster final quarter the lead changed several times before Bontempelli sent the home crowd into a frenzy to put a bow on a 30-disposal, three-goal afternoon.
![Bulldog [PLAYERCARD]Laitham Vandermeer[/PLAYERCARD] charges past [PLAYERCARD]Andrew Gaff[/PLAYERCARD] on the way to kicking a crucial final-quarter goal. Picture: Michael Klein](/forum/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.api.news%2Fv3%2Fimages%2Fbin%2Fca24566a02b1575a30081ff40cfbd166&hash=2c812319fa60daa01c38d5b7cbab5b01 "Bulldog [PLAYERCARD]Laitham Vandermeer[/PLAYERCARD] charges past [PLAYERCARD]Andrew Gaff[/PLAYERCARD] on the way to kicking a crucial final-quarter goal. Picture: Michael Klein")
Bulldog Laitham Vandermeer charges past Andrew Gaff on the way to kicking a crucial final-quarter goal. Picture: Michael Klein
Overall, the Bulldogs led the disposal count 407-312, using the ball at 81.3 per cent efficiency for the afternoon.
“You’ve got to get close to breaking even,” Simpson said. “To play your way to have to be competitive. As much as our guys seemed to be trying, they weren’t trying hard enough.”
For the 2-0 Dogs, the heart-stopping win sets up a Good Friday afternoon clash against the winless Kangaroos, with Beveridge determined to stamp out any complacency as his squad looks to establish themselves as genuine contenders for the 2021 premiership.
“Our players understand the challenge in front of them. It’s got to be your will to treat any team similarly. We play in such a tough competition and we go from playing Collingwood and the West Coast to playing the Kangaroos who haven’t had the best start to the year, but our mindset can’t change. It needs to stay exactly the same.”
Bontempelli capped a best-on-ground performance with a game-winning set shot from 35m out to seal a famous victory.
“We couldn’t control Bont, we tried to tag him in the second half, he’s a very good player,” Simpson lamented. “We always knew if we shut one down someone else will pop up. It was a challenge for us, but I don’t think we took a backward step after halftime.”
Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge praised his captain’s composure in a frantic finish.
“That coolness under pressure and understanding the stage of the game and (taking) seconds off the clock at that point is pretty important,” Beveridge said
“He showed great composure to be able to do that.
“He’s done it before Marcus; he’s lifted us.”
It was a case of accumulation versus execution with the ball-hog Bulldogs finally putting a winning score on the board against a relentless Eagles outfit.
The Dogs controlled the disposal count 233-163 in the first half and Bontempelli was the chief destroyer, but despite the skipper’s extraordinary start the home team led by just one point as the Eagles held firm under repeat fire.
With superstar ruckman Nic Naitanui gaining control, three consecutive third-quarter goals in time on helped turn ascendancy the Eagles way with a classy Liam Ryan finish from 40m on the run giving his side a 12-point lead with a quarter to play.
In a rollercoaster final quarter the lead changed several times before Bontempelli sent the home crowd into a frenzy to put a bow on a 30-disposal, three-goal afternoon.
Bulldog Laitham Vandermeer charges past Andrew Gaff on the way to kicking a crucial final-quarter goal. Picture: Michael Klein
Overall, the Bulldogs led the disposal count 407-312, using the ball at 81.3 per cent efficiency for the afternoon.
“You’ve got to get close to breaking even,” Simpson said. “To play your way to have to be competitive. As much as our guys seemed to be trying, they weren’t trying hard enough.”
For the 2-0 Dogs, the heart-stopping win sets up a Good Friday afternoon clash against the winless Kangaroos, with Beveridge determined to stamp out any complacency as his squad looks to establish themselves as genuine contenders for the 2021 premiership.
“Our players understand the challenge in front of them. It’s got to be your will to treat any team similarly. We play in such a tough competition and we go from playing Collingwood and the West Coast to playing the Kangaroos who haven’t had the best start to the year, but our mindset can’t change. It needs to stay exactly the same.”
