Match

Western Bulldogs vs West Coast Eagles

Commentary / 20 Aug 2023

Pre Game

00:00

Aaron Naughton's 2023 output has been outstanding in a couple of key areas. As a target inside 50, no player has taken more contested marks than Naughton (30). In addition, only Gryan Miers and Christian Petracca have recorded more goal assists than Naughton (19) this season.

Quarter 1

00:00

Q1 is now underway.

01:10

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Oscar Allen)

01:35

A good start for the Eagles, who launch the first goal of the game from the first clearance of the game. Since Round 18, the Eagles have been outscored by 41 points per game from this source, 28 more points than any other team in the league over the last five weeks.

03:13

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Adam Treloar)

04:11

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)

04:31

Bulldogs Interchange - Jack Macrae off due to an injury.

07:51

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jack Darling)

08:26

A hot start for the Eagles with the first three goals of the match. The Eagles have lead at quarter time on just five occasions in 2023. Only Fremantle have recorded less quarter-time leads (four) this season.

11:18

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Elijah Hewett)

13:26

Bulldogs Interchange - Tim English off due to an injury.

13:34

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Anthony Scott)

14:06

The Bulldogs first goal, from a kick-in chain, was the first of six defensive half chains to be progressed into their forward 50 in today's match. By comparison, the Eagles have generated six inside 50's from their nine defensive half chains so far in the opening term.

16:44

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Jayden Hunt)

17:45

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Oscar Allen)

18:46

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Tim Kelly)

19:08

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Elliot Yeo)

19:22

That goal to Elliot Yeo makes this the Eagles highest scoring opening term of the season, surpassing their 32 point opening term against Fremantle in Round 3.

29:17

The Eagles have outhunted the Bulldogs once the ball has been cleared from the stoppages in the first term, recording a post-clearance contested possession count win of 23-15. They also lead the total groundball-get's 30-22 for the quarter.

29:53

Eagles Interchange - Jeremy McGovern off due to an injury.

31:12

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Rory Lobb)

31:46

Rory Lobb gets his first goal of the match after taking the first mark inside 50 for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs have outscored their opponents by a combined average of 12 points per game in the last five weeks from set shot scores, the third-best scoring margin of any side from this shot source.

33:11

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Aaron Naughton)

34:36

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Bailey Dale)

34:40

Some standout performances from the Eagles got them off to their best start of the season, none more so than Tim Kelly. In the opening quarter, his 13 disposals, 218 metres gained, six score involvements and three inside 50's are all game-high figures among all players.

Quarter 2

00:00

Q2 is now underway.

00:46

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Oscar Allen)

02:48

Bulldogs Interchange - Aaron Naughton off due to an injury.

03:36

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Sam Petrevski-Seton)

05:14

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Tim English)

05:29

Two goals from two contested marks inside 50 for the Bulldogs, who are yet to take an uncontested mark inside 50 in this match. The Bulldogs 46 goals from contested marks in 2023 leads the league.

09:09

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jayden Hunt)

11:41

The Eagles have won all three centre clearances so far in the second term. They average 10 centre clearances per game in 2023, ranked last in the AFL.

13:11

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Oscar Allen)

15:57

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Oskar Baker)

16:30

West Coast may rue their inefficiency in attack this quarter, scoring just one goal from 10 inside 50's, while the Bulldogs have scored a goal from each of their two inside 50's. The Eagles average a goal from 19.6 per cent of their inside 50's this year, ranked last in the AFL.

18:23

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Oskar Baker)

19:21

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rhylee West)

20:10

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Ryan Maric)

22:19

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Aaron Naughton)

25:17

After the pressure battle was tightly fought in the opening term, (196-190 in the Bulldogs favour) the gap has widened significantly in the second term, with the Eagles ahead 194-146. The Eagles average an applied pressure factor of 179 in 2023, ranked equal second-last in the league.

25:35

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Aaron Naughton)

26:36

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rushed)

28:34

Despite Tim English winning the hitout count 9-6 against Bailey Williams in the second term from their 16 ruck contests this quarter, the Eagles lead the clearance count 10-3 from these stoppages.

29:06

Both sides have generated seven scores from intercept possessions in the first half of today's match, but the accuracy has been the difference, with the Eagles scoring 4.3 (27) to the Bulldogs 1.6 (12) from this source.

Quarter 3

00:00

Q3 is now underway.

02:58

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)

04:15

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Adam Treloar)

06:55

Marcus Bontempelli kicks the 200th goal of his career, becoming the 417th player in VFL/AFL history and the 23rd Bulldog to do so. Both of the Bulldogs goals this term have come from general play. They have outscored their last five opponents by an average of a goal per game from general play, ranked fourth in the AFL.

09:07

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Jamarra Ugle-Hagan)

11:35

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Oscar Allen)

14:35

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rory Lobb)

16:08

Bulldogs rookie James O'Donnell leads all players with five intercept marks in today's match. Since Round 16, the Bulldogs have taken 110 intercept marks, the fifth-lowest tally of any side in this span.

21:40

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Rhylee West)

23:18

Three of the Bulldogs four goals this term have been scored from within 30 metres of the goal line. The Bulldogs average five goals per game from this zone of their forward 50, ranked 13th in the AFL in 2023.

25:08

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Oscar Allen)

25:47

The Eagles stop the run of four straight goals through Oscar Allen, who kicks his third. West Coast has conceded five goals without a reply 23 times, seven more than any other team this season.

26:27

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Adam Treloar)

27:22

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Rory Lobb)

28:24

The Bulldogs attack in the third term has been most efficient through the corridor, where they have scored 4.1 (25). This comes from a superior kicking efficiency (67-38 per cent) and contested possession count (13-9) in this zone.

29:01

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rory Lobb)

31:44

The Eagles have been the pressure team so far in today's match, particularly in the forward half where their applied pressure rating for the match far exceeds that of their opponents (173-151).

Quarter 4

00:00

Zane Trew has replaced Campbell Chesser as the Eagles tactical substitute.

01:10

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jack Darling)

01:23

Eagles Interchange - Elijah Hewett off due to an injury.

03:32

Eagles Interchange - Elliot Yeo and is possibly out for the game.

08:35

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)

08:53

The Eagles retake the lead with the first two goals of the final term. They have asserted their dominance at the contest in the final term, leading the contested possession count 15-9, clearances 5-2 and pressure rating 233-212.

11:51

Eagles Interchange - Oscar Allen off due to an injury.

11:58

Lachlan McNeil has replaced Jackson Macrae as the Bulldogs tactical substitute.

13:22

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)

14:13

Four goals to none from just seven inside 50 entries for the Eagles in the final term has them poised to pull off the upset of the season. The Eagles lead the groundball-get count 17-9 in the final term to be outperforming the Bulldogs at their own game.

17:26

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Noah Long)

18:35

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Rory Lobb)

19:13

Rory Lobb kicks his third goal of the match to make this his best return of the season. That goal was the Bulldogs third goal from 31 intercept possessions in the midfield zone.

23:45

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)

24:08

Jamie Cripps kicks five goals in a match for the third time in his career. The Eagles have scored 8.2 (50) from set shots in today's match. They have scored 10 less goals than any other side from set shots in 2023 (114).

25:30

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rushed)

27:16

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Jamarra Ugle-Hagan)

28:37

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Bailey Williams)

29:06

In games decided by a margin of 14 points or less in 2023, the Bulldogs have won two and lost six. The margin currently sits at 13 points.

30:50

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Cody Weightman)

32:54

Eight of Marcus Bontempelli's 11 tackles in today's match have been recorded in the final term. This is the equal-most tackles laid in any quarter by a single player in 2023.

33:53

The Eagles drag themselves off the bottom of the ladder with an extraordinary win against the odds. They beat the Bulldogs at their own game, outscoring the Bulldogs 33-28 from clearances, after scoring 18-2 from this source in the final term.