Match

Western Bulldogs vs GWS Giants

Commentary / 28 Jul 2023

Pre Game

00:00

Since the start of the bye rounds, GWS have outscored their opponents by 18.3 points per game when scoring from possession chains won in their forward half. Only Carlton has a better scoring margin in their forward half over the last eight weeks (18.4 points per game).

Quarter 1

00:00

Q1 is now underway.

00:57

SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Toby Greene)

01:41

SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Stephen Coniglio)

04:42

SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Toby Bedford)

06:46

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Cody Weightman)

07:57

Sam Taylor has already recorded three intercept possessions in today's match, including two intercept marks. No other player has more intercept possessions in the AFL since the start of Round 16 (41).

10:19

The Bulldogs have recorded the first four marks inside 50 in today's match, and scored the first goal of the match from this source through Bailey Smith in his 100th match. Since Round 12, the Bulldogs have kicked the third most goals from shots at goal after a mark of any side in the AFL (48).

11:30

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rushed)

16:32

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Jason Johannisen)

17:24

The Giants are struggling to adjust to the windy conditions in Ballarat, kicking the ball at just 54 per cent efficiency and failing to score a goal from their eight inside 50 entries. By comparison, the Bulldogs are kicking at 67 per cent efficiency and have two goals from their seven inside 50's.

19:05

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rory Lobb)

20:53

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Tim English)

22:34

GWS just won their first clearance after surrendering nine in a row to the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs average a clearance count margin of 10 more than their opponents per game since Round 12, the second best average of any side in this metric.

24:15

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Laitham Vandermeer)

26:10

Callum Brown gets the first goal on the board for the Giants, after their first inside 50 entry in 12 minutes of game time and their first mark inside 50 of the match. The Giants average 12.4 marks inside 50 per game in 2023, ranked eighth in the AFL.

27:45

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rory Lobb)

29:47

The Bulldogs have got the upper hand in the first term through their stoppage work. They have been able to get first hands to the ball after the ruck contests with regularity, recording a first possession count of 14-6 as part of a pre-clearance contested possession count of 21-8.

29:53

GWS won the pressure battle 192-170 in the first term, however this is largely because they had twice as many tackle attempts as their opponents (30-15) and lost the contested possession count convincingly.

Quarter 2

00:00

Q2 is now underway.

02:30

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Laitham Vandermeer)

05:54

SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Brent Daniels)

10:43

The Giants effort around the stoppages has improved in the second term. They have a slight lead in the pre-clearance contested possession count 6-5 this term, and they also lead groundball-gets 12-7 this quarter.

12:24

Bulldogs Interchange - Alex Keath off due to an injury.

12:30

The Bulldogs have now kicked three of their four goals from stoppages inside 50. This hasn't been an area of strength for the Bulldogs in 2023, as they have been outscored by an average of 1.6 points per game from forward 50 clearance chains, ranked 15th in the AFL this year.

16:00

SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jake Riccardi)

16:45

Rhylee West has replaced Alex Keath (concussion) as the medical substitute.

19:40

After recording a single-quarter season-high 13 disposals in the first term, Marcus Bontempelli has been held to just three disposals in the second quarter by new matchup Callan Ward.

20:43

SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Rushed)

22:04

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Anthony Scott)

22:28

The Bulldogs have had ample opportunity to build a commanding lead in today's match to this point, however their 2.5 (17) from eight set shots has hampered them. Their 53 per cent accuracy from set shots in 2023 ranks them ninth in the AFL.

23:35

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rhylee West)

24:38

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Rhylee West)

26:44

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Anthony Scott)

29:28

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Aaron Naughton)

31:14

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Adam Treloar)

32:11

Five Bulldogs players have recorded eight or more contested possessions in today's match to this point. By comparison, no GWS player has recorded more than seven.

34:26

GWS's three marks inside 50 in the first half is their equal-lowest tally in any game in 2023, level with their first half return in a very wet Alice Springs against Melbourne in Round 16.

34:32

Both teams have managed to score two goals apiece from intercept possession chains in the first half of today's match, but it's the Bulldogs four goals from clearance chains and zero goals conceded to GWS that has proved the difference in the first half.

Quarter 3

00:00

Q3 is now underway.

04:41

Bulldogs Interchange - Josh Bruce and is possibly out for the game.

05:04

It appears as though the Bulldogs will have to play without their two main key defenders for the rest of this game. After Alex Keath was ruled out earlier with concussion, Josh Bruce looks to have suffered a significant knee injury that will see him not return today.

08:21

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Aaron Naughton)

08:28

The Bulldogs open the scoring in the second half with a goal through Aaron Naughton. Since Round 16, Naughton, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Cody Weightman have all scored 10 goals each to rank equal fourth in the AFL. However this is the first goal in today's match scored by any of them.

12:40

SCORE GOAL - Giants (Toby Greene)

13:28

Toby Greene gets the Giants a goal to bring the margin back under 30 points. The Giants have started well in the third term recording seven of the first nine inside 50's of the term off the back of an improved clearance effort where they lead 5-3, and have forced turnovers from two of the Bulldogs clearances.

15:52

SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Rushed)

17:30

SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Toby Greene)

20:03

SCORE GOAL - Giants (Toby Greene)

21:51

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Cody Weightman)

23:27

SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Rushed)

24:01

SCORE GOAL - Giants (Josh Kelly)

25:19

SCORE GOAL - Giants (Toby Greene)

25:34

Each team has found a different avenue to goal in the third term. Two goals for the Bulldogs from set shots after marks inside 50, whereas GWS have scored three of their four goals from general play. 46 per cent of the Giants score in 2023 has come from general play, the fifth-highest share of total score of any side form this shot source.

27:05

Nick Haynes has replaced Aaron Cadman as the Giants tactical substitute.

27:32

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Adam Treloar)

30:36

SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jake Riccardi)

31:04

That goal to Jake Riccardi was the first goal either side have launched from their defensive 50 zone in today's match. Since Round 12, the Giants have outscored their opponents by three points per game from defensive 50 possession chains, ranked sixth in the AFL in this regard.

33:11

SCORE GOAL - Giants (Toby Greene)

33:19

Of the 33 points the Giants have scored in the third term, Toby Greene has either scored or assisted 27 of those points. Greene is one of four players in the AFL to have either scored or assisted at least 400 points in 2023.

34:33

The Giants ability to win the ball back in their defensive half and counter-attack was notable in the third term, with four of their six goals sourced from defensive half intercepts. Three of these goals came from Sam Taylor's game-high seven intercept possessions for the term.

Quarter 4

00:00

Q4 is now underway.

01:32

SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Jake Riccardi)

10:31

SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Rushed)

11:04

It's been a tug of war to start the final term, as a result of both teams struggling with their kicking efficiency in the Bulldogs attacking half. They have only kicked the ball at 14 per cent efficiency in this zone, while the Giants defenders have not fared much better kicking at just 44 per cent efficiency.

11:12

With his first disposal of the final term, Marcus Bontempelli becomes the 170th player since 1965 to record 5000 career disposals, and the 11th Bulldog to do so.

11:17

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rushed)

12:01

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Cody Weightman)

13:27

SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jake Riccardi)

14:14

Since halftime, the Giants have dramatically improved their conversion of their intercept dominance in defence, launching 12 inside 50's to three from defence and scoring 5.2 (32) to zero from 17 intercept possessions.

20:55

Bulldogs Interchange - Tom Liberatore off due to the blood rule.

21:13

SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Callan Ward)

21:54

SCORE GOAL - Giants (Toby Greene)

23:52

SCORE GOAL - Giants (Brent Daniels)

25:49

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Bailey Dale)

27:06

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Jamarra Ugle-Hagan)

27:15

Josh Kelly's 14 tackles in today's match is his most in any game since he recorded 15 against Collingwood in Round 2, 2018.

28:45

GWS pressure rating in the final term is at an extremely high 241. This would be just the second quarter in any match in 2023 to be rated at 240 or more, after St Kilda achieved this against Sydney in the third quarter of their Round 13 clash.

29:19

SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Callum M. Brown)

32:16

GWS are poised to win their seventh match in a row, marking the first time in the club's history they have achieved this feat.

32:19

After being down 29 points at half-time, GWS have recorded the biggest comeback in their short history to win by five points and stay in the Top 8. They flipped the game on it's head after half-time, winning the contested possession count 82-70, and scoring 8.5 (53) to 2.2 (14) from intercept possessions in the second half spurred them to victory.