Match

GWS Giants vs Western Bulldogs

Commentary / 23 Apr 2021

Pre Game

00:00
The Bulldogs recorded 36 points from defensive 50 chains last round, their fourth-most in any match since 2016.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
04:30
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Lin Jong)
05:14
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Toby Greene)
05:24
Toby Greene kicks the opening goal of the match for the Giants. Last week, Greene was inaccurate kicking 1.7.13, the most behinds he has ever kicked in a game and most behinds kicked by any player in a game since 2017.
08:48
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rushed)
11:11
Jack Macrae has eight disposals already at 100 per cent efficiency with all of his eight disposals coming via an uncontested possession. The Bulldogs lead the disposal count by 13 to start the match. They average 78 more disposals per game than their opposition, ranked No.1 in the AFL.
17:01
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Lachie Hunter)
17:42
Giants Interchange - Nick Haynes and is possibly out for the game.
18:02
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Lachie Hunter)
19:00
The Bulldogs are using the ball better by foot around the ground, kicking at an efficiency of 76 per cent, compared to 65% from the Giants. Lachie Hunter's goal, the Bulldogs first, represents only their second effective kick inside forward 50, however.
19:53
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Jeremy Finlayson)
22:30
The Bulldogs have four marks inside 50 to the Giants' zero. The Bulldogs average seven more marks inside 50 than their opposition this season, ranked second.
22:42
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Josh Bruce)
22:49
Bulldogs Interchange - Lin Jong and is possibly out for the game.
26:53
The Bulldogs lead post-clearance contested possession by 11. This season, they average 15 more post-clearance contested possessions per game than their opposition, ranked No.1.
29:12
The two teams are playing contrasting styles thus far. The Bulldogs are flicking the ball around via hand, averaging 0.88 kicks per handball, where as the Giants are kicking the ball more, averaging 1.42 kicks per handball. This is consistent with the Bulldogs game style this season, they rank 18th for kick-to-handball ratio.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:48
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Rushed)
02:55
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Tim Taranto)
05:14
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Toby Greene)
05:27
Toby Greene kicks his second goal of the match. The stand-in Giants skipper has started the match well with eight disposals at 100 per cent efficiency, four inside 50s, two goals and one score assist.
07:29
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Lachlan McNeil)
08:24
Lachie Hunter has been dangerous inside the forward 50, registering two score assists already, while also kicking 1.1.7 himself. His four score involvements is second only to Josh Dunkley who has five score involvements out of six Bulldog scores. Toby Greene has four score involvements from five Giants' scores.
10:13
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Josh Bruce)
11:51
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Jake Riccardi)
14:20
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rushed)
16:19
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Josh Bruce)
16:32
The Bulldogs have scored four times from four inside 50 entries this quarter. The Giants also have four scores, an identical 2.2.14, but it has taken them eight forward 50 entries to do it.
20:15
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Harry Himmelberg)
20:52
The Giants have been impressive by foot this quarter, kicking at an efficiency of 88 per cent. The Bulldogs have been pretty good themselves, albeit they are going at just 70 per cent efficiency.
21:26
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rushed)
23:27
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Aaron Naughton)
24:44
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Tom Liberatore)
24:57
The Bulldogs continue to dominate contested possession. They lead contested possession by 13 this quarter and by 24 for the match. They average 24 more contested possessions per game than their opposition this season, a differential that is nine contested possessions better than any other side.
26:52
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Josh Kelly)
28:08
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Rushed)
31:03
The Giants have managed to stymie the Bulldogs ball movement from defensive 50. After the Bulldogs kicked 36 points from defensive 50 chains last round, they have generated just one inside 50 from 21 defensive 50 chains tonight.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
00:33
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Josh Dunkley)
01:27
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Josh Dunkley)
02:11
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Rushed)
03:41
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Aaron Naughton)
06:09
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Conor Stone)
08:21
The Bulldogs have five of the first six clearances of the quarter. They lead clearances by 10 for the match and have outscored the Giants 3.4.22 to 0.4.4 from this score source.
10:26
The Bulldogs have been wasteful this quarter by foot, kicking at an efficiency of 44 per cent, compared to 76 per cent from GWS.
11:59
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Toby Greene)
14:11
After trailing in uncontested possession in the first half by 31, the Giants have begun to bridge this gap in the third term, leading the uncontested possession count by 12 for the quarter.
14:34
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Jeremy Finlayson)
19:36
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Jack Macrae)
20:40
The Giants have outscored the Bulldogs 3.2.20 to 0.1.1 from chains launched from defensive 50. Prior to tonight, the Giants averaged just 11 points per game from defensive 50 chains, ranked 16th.
26:16
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Toby Greene)
26:37
Toby Greene continues to play an enormous game for GWS. The Giant star has 16 disposals, while he leads his side with 436 metres gained, seven inside 50s, nine score involvements and three goals.
28:45
Jack Macrae has continued his prolific start to the season. The Bulldog midfielder has 30 disposals at three quarter time, meaning he has topped 30 disposals in every game this season.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:36
Aaron Naughton has six of the Bulldogs' 14 marks inside forward 50. The Giants have just seven marks inside 50 as a team. Unfortunately, the key forward has been wasteful in front of goal, kicking 1.3.9.
00:51
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Aaron Naughton)
04:18
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Tim Taranto)
07:35
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Jason Johannisen)
09:16
Lachie Ash has played arguably his best game of AFL football tonight. The young Giant has had a career-high 32 disposals already at an efficiency of 88 per cent, with 26 coming via an uncontested possession.
11:05
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Bailey Smith)
12:15
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Marcus Bontempelli)
13:29
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Adam Treloar)
13:46
The Bulldogs are beginning to pile on the goals in the last quarter. Their last goal through Adam Treloar, came via a centre bounce clearance, an area that the Bulldogs lead 12 to four for the match.
14:45
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Tanner Bruhn)
16:33
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Toby Greene)
16:48
Bulldogs Interchange - Josh Dunkley off due to an injury.
19:08
The Bulldogs lead the contested possession count by 34. This includes a lead of 13 pre-clearance and 21 post-clearance.
19:28
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Callan Ward)
21:24
Bulldogs Interchange - Tim English and is possibly out for the game.
22:38
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Lachlan McNeil)
23:39
The Bulldogs have really brought the pressure in the last quarter. They lead the tackle count by six and have five forward 50 tackles to one for the quarter.
24:04
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rushed)
24:54
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Tom Liberatore)
24:59
Bulldogs Interchange - Josh Dunkley off due to an injury.
25:22
The Bulldogs midfield quintet of Macrae, Bontempelli, Liberatore, Dunkley and Treloar have been dominant once again. All five of them have amassed 25 or more disposals, double figure contested possessions and five or more clearances each.
26:44
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jacob Hopper)
29:25
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Bailey Dale)
31:35
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Jack Macrae)
33:11
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Callan Ward)
34:51
The Bulldogs have dominated the stoppages tonight, winning the clearance count by 13. This has translated on the scoreboard, the Bulldogs outscoring GWS 7.7.49 to 1.7.13 from this score source.
36:09
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Bailey Dale)
37:49
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Aaron Naughton)
37:53
The Bulldogs finished ahead by 43 in the contested possession count, their second-best differential in any game this season. Tom Liberatore was strong at the coal face with a team-high 16 contested possessions, also finishing with 27 disposals, 10 tackles, seven clearances and two goals.