A look at some of the key takeaways from the Western Bulldogs’ loss to West Coast on Sunday afternoon in Perth.
1. The Eagles are flying
The Bulldogs would’ve flown over to Perth confident they could cause an upset against the reigning premiers, and at half time they had justified that feeling after a strong start.
But the Eagles flexed their muscle after the main break and were too good – the margin blowing out to over 10 goals.
While the Dogs are a work in progress, with youth and inexperience across the list, the Eagles are every bit a premiership contender. Their second half performance has happened to travelling sides before, and will happen again. They’ve right in the conversation for this year’s flag.
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2. Ryan Gardner looks comfortable at AFL level
It took Ryan Gardner a while to get his shot in the big time. Three years at Geelong without a debut, and half a season playing in the VFL with Footscray had him on the fringes of the elite level.
That all changed last week when he was snared by the Dogs in the mid-season rookie draft, and immediately picked to play against the Eagles.
Coach Luke Beveridge said pre-game he liked Gardner’s competitiveness, and he showed every bit of it on Sunday as he crashed packs, halved contests up forward and had his go in the ruck.
After missing a snap from a tight angle in the second quarter, the moment finally came for his first goal in the AFL with a set shot from 50 metres in the dying stages of the game – and didn’t his dad love it!
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3. Our running backs are elite
We’ve sung Caleb Daniel’s praises a fair bit this year, and for good measure. On Sunday against the Eagles he continued his outstanding season as a playmaking defender, winning 34 disposals (12 contested), eight rebound 50s and four clearances. He sees things that other players can’t, and finds his targets regularly by hand or foot.
Daniel had an able partner in crime across half back on Sunday in the form of Jason Johannisen. ‘JJ’ has been solid so far this season, but he went to another level against the Eagles with his trademark speed and distribution a real highlight. He had a season-high 32 touches, and combined defence and attacked with four rebound 50s and three inside 50s.
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