Match

Western Bulldogs vs West Coast Eagles

Commentary / 01 Jul 2017

Pre Game

59:30

Welcome to Etihad Stadium for the Western Bulldogs v West Coast Eagles Round 15 clash.

59:33

Outs for Bulldogs: T.Liberatore

59:34

Ins for Bulldogs: R.Murphy

59:35

Outs for Eagles: S.Hurn, W.Schofield, M.Priddis, J.Hill

59:36

Ins for Eagles: S.Wellingham, S.Butler, C.Masten, J.Redden

59:40

Don't forget to enter your tips for this match, you have until the bounce to make your selection.

00:00

West Coast out scored Melbourne by 24 points from clearance chains last round, its biggest differential in any match in 2017.

Quarter 1

00:00

Q1 is now underway.

02:32

Eagles Interchange - Brad Sheppard off due to an injury.

02:36

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Mitch Wallis)

02:44

Mitch Wallis boots the Bulldogs' first goal via a set shot. The Bulldogs ranked 16th for set shot conversion heading into the round.

04:14

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jeremy McGovern)

05:13

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Rushed)

08:22

Gaff finished with 35 disposals when these sides last met in Round 8 and he has started strongly yet again, collecting an equal game-high four disposals early on.

09:44

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Jack Redpath)

11:20

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Malcolm Karpany)

13:04

The Eagles are completely dominating the stoppages early, winning the clearances five to one. They have already generated 2.1 (13) from centre bounce clearance chains.

16:00

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Drew Petrie)

16:22

West Coast is controlling the game and leads time in forward half 74 per cent to 26 per cent. It leads the disposals 32 to 14 in that zone.

18:19

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Rushed)

19:26

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Lewis Jetta)

20:05

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Lachie Hunter)

20:56

The Bulldogs ranked 13th in the competition in scoring from kick-in chains, as they generate their first goal via that source - their third goal for the match.

22:45

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Luke Dahlhaus)

24:22

Andrew Gaff continues to work tirelessly and covering plenty of territory, recording 12 disposals and a game-high 230 metres gained.

25:58

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Jack Redpath)

27:47

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jack Darling)

29:37

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Dom Sheed)

30:45

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Rushed)

31:14

The siren has sounded to end Q1.

31:24

The Eagles head into the first break with a 10-point lead after scoring 30 points - their most in any match interstate this season. Malcolm Karpany is the only multiple goalscorer on the ground with two goals.

Quarter 2

00:00

Q2 is now underway.

02:46

West Coast's ball movement is heavily left biased, recording 34 disposals to just 11 in the left boundary zone, with Andre Gaff's six a game-high tally.

06:18

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Sam Mitchell)

08:07

The Bulldogs' midfielders really need to lift their output around stoppage, with the Eagles generating the last nine clearances for the game. The Bulldogs have been out scored 15 points to just one from clearances.

08:38

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rushed)

11:02

Both sides have struggled to make the most of their forward 50 chains, with the Bulldogs generating one point via that zone to the Eagles' four behinds.

13:21

Liam Picken has been involved in a game-high four offensive one-on-one contests, losing three of these contests while neautralising the other one.

14:42

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jack Darling)

15:02

Jack Darling boots his second major for the game and West Coast's fifth. All five of West Coast's goals have come directly from set shots.

17:06

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Drew Petrie)

17:27

After booting a season-high for goals straight last round, Drew Petrie has scored his first goal of the afternoon. He has already grabbed two marks inside 50, after recording four in that zone in Round 14.

20:56

Seven of the last eight scores for the game have been for West Coast, with the Bulldogs' last goal coming at the 20-minute mark of the opening term.

22:02

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Jack Redpath)

23:42

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rushed)

23:56

Jake Stringer has had no impact on the game so far, recording a game-low 1 disposal from 46 minutes game time in the first half.

24:10

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rushed)

24:49

Eagles Interchange - Tom Cole off due to an injury.

26:17

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Nathan Vardy)

26:26

The siren has sounded to end Q2.

26:36

Western Bulldogs could only manage one point from clearance chains in the first half, their equal-lowest return in any match since the start of last season.

Quarter 3

00:00

Q3 is now underway.

01:58

Eagles Interchange - Sharrod Wellingham off due to an injury.

02:00

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Bailey Dale)

02:38

The Bulldogs score the first goal of the third term, recording 14 disposals to none in the forward half of the ground as they look to get back in the match.

03:13

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Marcus Bontempelli)

04:58

Eagles Interchange - Nathan Vardy off due to an injury.

05:18

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jack Darling)

08:13

Jeremy McGovern grabs his third mark inside 50 for the match and West Coast's 12th for the afternoon. Western Bulldogs have recorded six marks inside 50.

08:33

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Jeremy McGovern)

09:16

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Tory Dickson)

11:43

Tom Campbell is completely dominating in the ruck when opposed to Nathan Vardy, winning the hitouts 17-1 and hitouts-to-advantage 6-0.

11:58

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Drew Petrie)

12:56

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)

14:39

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Malcolm Karpany)

14:49

Eagles Interchange - Sharrod Wellingham off due to an injury.

15:03

West Coast open up the equal-biggest lead of the match (23 points) after booting three of the past four goals of the match. Jack Darling and Malcolm Karpany have booted a combined six goals straight between them.

16:59

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Toby McLean)

17:51

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Dom Sheed)

18:58

Lachie Hunter earns a well-earned rest after racking up 10 disposals for the term - a game-high tally. Four team mates, Jordan Roughead, Jack Redpath, Robert Murphy and Tom Campbell are yet to record a disposal in the third term.

19:40

Eagles Interchange - Sam Butler and is possibly out for the game.

21:28

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Tom Campbell)

23:38

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Dom Sheed)

24:04

The Eagles continue to be effectivefrom stoppages, as Dom Sheed boots their fifth goal from a clearance chain for the match. They have scored 34 points to just two via that source.

25:22

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)

25:44

Jack Darling is having a major contribution on the scoreboard, recording three goals, 10 score involvements and a game-high six score assists.

27:09

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Sam Mitchell)

27:37

West Coast continue to pile on the offensive pressure, recording 15 of the last 17 inside 50s for the match as its looks to set up a match-winning lead.

30:20

Eagles Interchange - Sam Mitchell off due to the blood rule.

31:05

Eagles Interchange - Sharrod Wellingham and is possibly out for the game.

31:39

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Caleb Daniel)

32:26

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rushed)

33:05

The siren has sounded to end Q3.

33:15

West Coast generated 26 of its points in the third term from forward half chains, compared to 13 for the Western Bulldogs. Andrew Gaff and Dom Sheed won 26 disposals between them to provide plenty of drive through the middle.

Quarter 4

00:00

Q4 is now underway.

01:54

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Jack Darling)

02:45

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Bailey Dale)

03:55

Luke Shuey has done plenty of grunt work in close in the absence of Matt Priddis, recording game-highs of 10 pre-clearance disposals, eight contested possessions and six tackles.

04:35

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Lachie Hunter)

07:05

Jack Darling has been the direct target inside 50 on 15 occasions for the afternoon and grabbed five marks in that zone - both game-high tallies.

07:21

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Jack Darling)

09:12

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Mitch Wallis)

10:14

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Marcus Bontempelli)

10:45

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Robert Murphy)

11:50

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rushed)

12:13

In the last 10 minutes, the Bulldogs have lifted their output, recording 10 of the past 12 inside 50s. They have now booted the last three goals of the game to cut the margin to eight points.

12:50

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Jordan Roughead)

14:46

Eagles Interchange - Sam Mitchell off due to the blood rule.

18:25

The Bulldogs have scored 3.4 (22) directly from turnovers in this final term, while the Eagles have only managed two behinds from Bulldogs turnovers. They have outscored the Eagles by 25 points via that source across the match.

22:16

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Mitch Wallis)

24:04

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Jake Stringer)

24:59

Jake Stringer scores his first goal of the afternoon as the Bulldogs are full of running, recording the past seven goals of the game. They have scored all four goals from turnovers in the final term.

27:58

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Nathan Vardy)

28:11

Nathan Vardy scores West Coast's seventh goal of the game from clearance chain. The Eagles have dominated in that area, outscoring the Bulldogs by 44 points via that source.

32:25

The siren has sounded to end Q4.

32:35

In such a close encounter, West Coast's set shots almost cost it victory, recording 6.7 via that source compared to the Bulldogs' 4.3. West Coast won three of the quarters for the match.