AFL
Late change made for Dogs clash

Fremantle have missed the chance to secure four points amid a congested top eight, with the pressure and pace of the Western Bulldogs proving far too much in a 67-point domination at Marvel Stadium.

The Dogs – keeping their own finals hopes well and truly alive with a hard-working, scintillating performance – kicked five goals to one in the second term to set up the 23.11 (149) to 12.10 (82) victory.

The loss is set to be compounded for Fremantle with a hamstring injury to veteran Michael Walters, the 33-year-old coming from the ground in the second term.

The Dogs kicked 2.2 from their first five inside 50s, Cody Weightman celebrating his return from a serious elbow injury with the opening goal from a somewhat lucky free kick and finishing with three for the match.

  • 02:49

    'We need to bounce back' | Alex Pearce

    Hear from the Captain in the rooms post-match following the Round 14 clash against the Dogs

    AFL
  • 07:39

    Justin Longmuir post-match | Round 14 v Western Bulldogs

    Hear from Senior Coach JL following the Round 14 clash against the Dogs at Marvel Stadium

    AFL
  • 06:55

    Match Highlights | Round 14 v Western Bulldogs

    Watch the highlights from our Round 14 clash against the Dog's at Marvel Stadium

    AFL
  • 00:20

    Sturt says you can't catch me!

    A great passage of play ends up with the hard running Sturt kicking a beauty!

    AFL

Sam Sturt kicked two in the opening term, his second an impressive effort that started with a useful intercept halfway up the field, before getting the follow-up handball and burning the Dogs defenders for pace.

While Fremantle's midfield has been a cut above the competition this year, the combination of Tom Liberatore, Marcus Bontempelli, Ed Richards and Adam Treloar held firm against Nat Fyfe, Caleb Serong, Andy Brayshaw and Hayden Young, overwhelming Fremantle's normally resolute defence as they started to build out the match-winning lead.

The momentum continued into the second half – half-back Lachie Bramble (in arguably a career-best game) drifted forward and was duly rewarded, Tim English plucked the ball from a sea of opponents and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan booted two in a minute and suddenly the Dogs had kicked another five in the first 12 minutes of the term.

It was the type of fast, high-pressure footy of which Dogs fans know their side are more than capable, but don't always produce. The result saw the margin balloon out to 58 points, before Young began to assert himself in the centre bounces, dragging Fremantle back into the game.

Fremantle didn't lie down, kicking six of seven goals either side of three-quarter time, just to make things a little bit interesting, but Weightman's third put paid to any idle musings of a comeback.

Without Alex Keath (hamstring), the Bulldogs defence looked slightly outsized by Freo's talls, but the Dogs solved that issue by simply limiting the supply into Fremantle's forward line, while young key back James O'Donnell also impressed in his 21st game.

WESTERN BULLDOGS          4.5     9.8     15.11     23.11 (149)
FREMANTLE                         4.1     5.4       9.5       12.10 (82)

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: West 4, Weightman 3, Ugle-Hagan 3, Lobb 3, Bontempelli 3, Gallagher 2, English 2, Treloar, Richards, Bramble
Fremantle: Sturt 3, Banfield 3, Treacy 2, Jackson 2, Frederick, Amiss

BEST
Western Bulldogs: Liberatore, Bontempelli, Treloar, Bramble, Dale, West
Fremantle: Young, Serong, Banfield, Jackson, Clark
 
INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Nil
Fremantle: Walters (hamstring)
 
LATE CHANGES
Western Bulldogs: Nil
Fremantle: Heath Chapman (hamstring awareness) replaced by Karl Worner
 
SUBSTITUTES
Western Bulldogs: Caleb Daniel (replaced Anthony Scott at three-quarter time)
Fremantle: Matthew Johnson (replaced Michael Walters in the second quarter)
 
Crowd: 21,796 at Marvel Stadium

38:26

PODCAST | Better Down Back #3 (ft. Caleb Serong)

Clarky & Drisco grill Caleb on his claim that he vomited 6 times in the last quarter against the Pies, Clarky asks Caleb what his favourite colour is + we ask him about his recent proposal to now fiancée Chloe! Three episodes down of Better Down Back! AUDIO NOTE: We apologise for the slight echo sound of this week's show and for the distortion in the final minute of the episode. We're working through some new equipment so please be patient with us!