THE WESTERN Bulldogs have landed a psychological blow on possible elimination final opponent North Melbourne, smashing the Roos around the clearances to record a 23-point win at Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening.

Roos star Todd Goldstein dominated the ruck contests, but the Bulldogs sharked his hit-outs with relative ease, winning the clearance count 44-35 to set up a 14.12 (96) to 10.13 (73) win.

The game was played at a finals-like intensity, with both teams struggling to gain a decisive advantage.

But after leading by 11 points at three-quarter time, the Bulldogs jumped to a 23-point lead when they kicked three of the first four goals of the final term.

The Roos hit back, however, with three unanswered goals – two of them to Jarrad Waite – to get back to within six points at the 13-minute mark.

But Luke Beveridge's men steadied, kicking four of the last five goals to snap North's seven-game winning streak.

The Bulldogs' win takes them a game clear of the seventh-placed Roos, with the victors – for the moment – climbing to fifth on the ladder, although Richmond will be expected to reclaim fifth when it takes on Essendon on Saturday night.

With the Sydney Swans, who play St Kilda on Sunday and Gold Coast in round 23, favoured to hang on to fourth spot, the Dogs and Roos will likely play an elimination final.

If they do end up squaring off in a cut-throat week-one game, the Bulldogs' ability to absorb North's pressure on Saturday and then burn it with their outside speed will see them enter that clash with confidence.

Lachie Hunter was outstanding for the Bulldogs, finishing with a game-high 33 possessions, including 20 in the first half, while Marcus Bontempelli (a game-high 10 clearances) and Mitch Wallis (nine) did most of the heavy lifting around the stoppages.

Jack Macrae (31 possessions) was also prolific, while Liam Picken kept North midfielder Ben Cunnington to an uncharacteristically quiet 13 possessions.

North's loss could be soured further with defender Shaun Atley likely to come under Match Review Panel scrutiny for a tackle on Hunter at the 11-minute mark of the second term, when he appeared to lift the Bulldog and sling him hard into the ground.

Robbie Tarrant ruled the air in defence for North, plucking a game-high 14 marks as he cut off countless Bulldog forward 50 entries, especially in the first half.


Ex-Bulldog Shaun Higgins kicked three goals in his first game against his former side and his 150th AFL match, while Drew Petrie (three goals) and Jarrad Waite (three goals) stretched the undermanned Dogs' defence when given the opportunity, but ultimately were starved of supply as North went inside forward 50 just 44 times compared to its opponent's 52 entries.

The game got off to a slow start with both teams scoring just one goal in the first term, as they chased, harassed and pressured each other into errors time and time again.

North pushed out to a 16-point lead when it kicked the first two goals of the second term, but the Bulldogs then took control at the clearances and piled on four consecutive goals to go into half-time nine points ahead.

In the latter part of the second quarter, the Roos struggled to move the ball out of their defensive 50, forced into slow, lateral ball movement as the Dogs cut off their options down the field.

Jake Stringer and Shaun Higgins get physical on Saturday night. Picture: AFL Media. 

NORTH MELBOURNE     1.5   3.8   5.11   10.13   (73)
WESTERN BULLDOGS   1.3   5.5    7.10   14.12  (96)

GOALS
North Melbourne: Waite 3, Higgins 3, Petrie 3, Harvey
Western Bulldogs: Dickson 2, Crameri 2, Honeychurch 2, Johannisen 2, Biggs 2, Stringer, Roughead, Picken, Bontempelli

BEST
North Melbourne: Tarrant, Higgins, Goldstein, Macmillan, Swallow, Waite
Western Bulldogs: Hunter, Macrae, Bontempelli, Dahlhaus, Wallis, Boyd, Biggs, Picken

INJURIES
North Melbourne: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
North Melbourne: Sam Gibson replaced Lachie Hansen in the third quarter
Western Bulldogs: Zaine Cordy replaced Jarrad Grant at three-quarter time

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Dalgleish, Rosebury, Findlay

Official crowd: 37,299 at Etihad Stadium