Herald Sun
At their new “home away from home”, at Ballarat’s Mars Stadium, the Western Bulldogs appeared if they had slipped the net early in the last term when Bailey Dale’s fourth goal put them 12 points ahead in the must-win clash with Port Adelaide.
However, the relentless Power, inspired by a superb captain’s game from Travis Boak and an imposing four-goal haul from Charlie Dixon, closed out the game to the disappointment of the 10,087 fans at the AFL’s newest venue.
- Glenn McFarlane
The Age
It was the AFL's newest venue, but it was an old-fashioned arm-wrestle. Port Adelaide fighting for a top four spot, the Bulldogs, trying to keep their top eight chances alive.
The margin was never greater than 14 points until there were less than two minutes left, and the way this game swung, they could have gone another four quarters in chilly Ballarat and the gap might not have got any bigger.
But when push came to shove, the Power had the answers.
- Daniel Cherny
Fox Sports
But twenty years later the Bulldogs have been realised as the team of the Western Victoria, playing the first AFL game for premiership points at the redeveloped Mars Stadium.
Foreboding weather was forecast for Ballarat on Saturday — and travelling down the M8 those predictions had come to fruition. Rain, black clouds and more rain.
But the football gods were smiling as the crowds started pouring into what was once Eureka Stadium.
Country football meshed with its city slicker counterpart, with a shed converted into a watering hole dressed with fairy lights to appease the travelling hipsters.
- Sarah Olle
Footyology
Macrae was the best player on the ground by a street at this stage. When the players jostled each other off the park at half-time, he’d already had 23 disposals, had seven clearances and laid five tackles.
He’d have rivals for that status soon enough, however, because as the third term began, Port skipper Travis Boak recognised the need to step things up a cog or three.
With his team heading into the breeze again, Boak imposed himself on the contest, winning 10 disposals for the term, winning the hard balls and kicking an important goal for good measure.
By now, Sam Powell-Pepper had managed to put the brakes on Macrae a little, and it was the Power winning the hard categories.
- Rohan Connolly
