Footscray have pulled off a miraculous one-point victory against ladder-leaders Casey on Sunday at Victoria University Whitten Oval.
In a match heavily influenced by a strong breeze to the Geelong Road end, it was the Bulldogs who were able to hold on, kicking with the wind in the final term.
It was Casey who capitalised early, kicking five goals to two in the first term, but Footscray coach Ashley Hansen said it was a critical quarter for his side.
“In the first quarter to kick two goals into it (the wind) was really influential in the result.”
Andrew Tashevski-Beckwith provided one of the highlights of the day, with a brilliant run through the middle of the ground, four bounces and a running shot on goal to kick the Dogs’ first of the match.
The Dogs responded brilliantly in the second term, putting their foot on the pedal while kicking with the wind to score six unanswered goals and enter half-time with a 17-point lead.
The wind advantage became even clearer in the third term, with the Scorpions kicking eight in a row and headed into the final break with a 30-point lead, after the Dogs failed to score a goal in the term.
Although the conditions favoured the Dogs in the final term, they struggled to capitalise early on, before kicking 4.8 to steal victory from the Scorpions.
Trailing by 10 points with four minutes remaining, Lauchlan Dalgleish unleashed from 50 metres to put the Dogs within three points.
Thanks to three behinds in a row, the Dogs levelled scores, and it was an Anthony Barry behind from an impossible angle, 45 metres out that secured the win with only seconds remaining.
“To not score our first score until the eight-minute mark but then to have the belief, the composure to continue to put pressure on to keep coming late in the game reflects the side and the belief that they can win from any position,” Hansen said.
That pressure stemmed from the efforts of Jed Adcock (11 tackles) and Mitch Honeychurch (eight tackles) who kept at the Scorpions in the final term, while once again skipper Jordan Russell was influential out of defence.
It was Bailey Dale who was the standout for the Dogs however, kicking four goals and picking up 28 disposals and six marks.
“Bailey was our best player and he’s come on in leaps and bounds in the last couple of weeks and is really in a strong vein of form.
“He obviously hit the scoreboard with four but his contest was really consistent throughout the day.”
The Bulldogs will play Northern Blues in round 16 on Sunday 24 July at Ikon Park.
Footscray 2.0 8.3 8.4 12.12 (84)
Casey 5.3 5.4 13.4 13.5 (83)
Goals: Dale 4, Minson, Staley 2, Tashevski-Beckwith, Russell, Dalgleish, Hamling
Best: Dale, Russell, Honeychurch, Adcock, Barry, Minson
Disposals: Honeychurch 31, Dale 28, Russell 24, Adcock 23, Barry 22
