The Footscray Bulldogs have secured their second win in as many weeks, claiming a dominant 124-point victory over North Ballarat at Victoria University Whitten Oval on Friday night.
Mitch Wallis made his long awaited return from injury in the win, and was a dominant presence on the ground, finishing the game with 34 disposals, 10 tackles and three goals.
“His presence was felt from the word go,” Footscray coach Steve Grace commented post match, after starting the midfielder in the centre square.
Shane Biggs was another stand out for the victors, finishing with a game high 35 disposals off half back.
“Shanes performance was sensational,” Grace said post-match
“He has got energy back into his game”.
The round three VFL clash started out a little slow for the Dogs, going goal for goal with the Roosters through the opening term, before a couple of late goals saw Footscray go into quarter time with a 12 point lead.
The second quarter saw Tory Dickson kick things off with his second goal for the game, as the ‘Scray scored three goals to one for the term to lead by 27-points at the main break.
Whatever guiding words coach Steve Grace had for the team at half time, saw the team come out firing in the third term piling on the scoreboard pressure.
Footscray slotted five goals in the first 12 minutes of the quarter, before adding a further four for the term to the Roosters’ two behinds.
The Dogs continued to power away in the final term, again keeping the Roosters to the one goal, while adding another eight of their own.
Footscray controlled most of the game with strong forward pressure and transition play from defence. Their defence was stingy all night, and ensured the Roosters didn’t get a look back into the game after quarter time.
Scoring was shared around the group with 16 goal kickers, and multiples from Wallis, Hamilton, Mullenger-McHugh, Foster, Dickson and Gowers.
The next encounter for the Footscray Bulldogs will be next Saturday afternoon at Etihad Stadium, when they take on Richmond at 3:30pm in a curtain raiser to the round seven AFL clash between the two clubs.
Footscray Bulldogs 5.3 (33) 8.7 (55) 17.11 (113) 25.12 (162)
North Ballarat 3.3 (21) 4.4 (28) 4.6 (30) 5.9 (39)
Goalkickers: N. Mullenger-Mchugh 3, D. Hamilton 3, T. Dickson 3, M. Wallis 3, N. Jamieson 2, J. Foster 2, L. Webb, K. Collins, L. Dalgleish, W. Hayes, B. Dance, A. Bruhn, N. Ryan, B. Gowers, J. Russell
Disposals: S. Biggs 35, M. Wallis 34, L. Webb 32, N. Jamieson 29, D. Hamilton 25, A. Barry 20, K. Collins 20
Best: M. Wallis, S. Biggs, L. Webb, N. Mullenger-Mchugh, N. Jamieson, D. Hamilton
