Bombers Bitten By The Dogs

The Western Bulldogs overran a spirited and injury hit Essendon side with six unanswered goals in the final quarter to win by 30 points at the Phone Dome on Friday night.

The Bombers led by 11 points early in the final quarter, but the Dogs then kicked six unanswered goals to win 19.14 (128) to 14.14 (98) and remain undefeated for the season while the Bombers slip to 2-2 after the first month of the season.

Essendon’s already long hamstring/soft tissue injury list looks set to become even worse in the next week, with Mark McVeigh and Sam Lonergan both forced from the field early in the final term with hamstring injuries that are expected to sideline both for up to a month.

The injuries to Lonergan and McVeigh, who was the best player on the ground until he sustained his injury, robbed the Bombers of potential midfield rotations off the bench at a point of the game where it looked like the Bulldogs had run out of legs. The injuries allowed the Bulldogs to regain the ascendancy in the midfield and kick the final six goals of the game.

Earlier, the Dogs kicked the first goal inside the opening minute to start the match, and it looked like it was going to be a bad Bomber night as they had three goal on the board before the Bombers nabbed their first for the night but the Dogs however held a comfortable 26 point lead at the quarter-time break as four of the Dogs five goals to quarter-time came through some sort of Essendon error or turnover.

A more spirited Bomber effort was on show in the second term as they managed a six goal quarter to cut into the Bulldogs lead to a mere five points nearing the main break. But late goals in a 35 minute second quarter saw the Dogs finish with a five goal term of their own and hold a 17 point lead going into the main break.

The Bombers dominated the third term, adding a seven goal term to their six goals in the second quarter and led by Dustin Fletcher in defence, they managed to subdue the Bulldogs forward line as Mark McVeigh chipped in with two vital goals as the 12 shot to 5 third term saw the Bombers hold a 12 point lead into the final break and looking the likely winners.

However it was not to be, and when Longeran’s and McVeigh’s hamstrings went TWANG, it also broke the Bombers back and the Bulldogs capitalised on missed chances from Kyle Reimers and Adam McPhee to stretch the Bomber lead to hold the Bombers goalless for the entire final term.

Key defenders Dustin Fletcher (32 possessions) and Patrick Ryder (16 possessions) were outstanding for the Bombers and McVeigh’s injury was particularly damaging given his 22 possession and two goal performance to that point.

Brent Stanton (27 possessions and 3 goals), David Hille (21 touches and 2 goals) and Alwyn Davey (2 goals) were also amongst the Bombers best.

Essendon now have 7 days to recover before they meet the inconsistent St. Kilda at the Phone Dome next Friday night to begin AFL Round 5 with a slew of soft tissue injuries to contend with.

Posted 12 April 08 in News Match Review