For every weekend football isn’t played due to the suspension of the 2020 season, we’ll flash back to a past game against the same opponent, as a reminder of past Bulldog glories.  Today, it’s the Brisbane Lions.

As the 2017 was getting to its business end, the Bulldogs were on the charge.

On the back of three straight wins, what seemed like an unlikely finals berth was looking more promising.

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Fixture Flashback | 2017 (Rd20) Lions v Bulldogs

In this week's Fixture Flashback, check out all the thrilling action from the 2017 Round 20 clash against the Brisbane Lions, thanks to Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation.

Still, as they prepared to visit the Gabba in Round 20, victory was a must.

But heading north to face the Lions on their home turf hadn’t been a fruitful experience for the Bulldogs – they had lost their last four games at the venue dating back to 2009.

The visitors had Jason Johannisen as a late withdrawal, while skipper Easton Wood badly tore his hamstring in the first quarter.

Still, after conceding the first goal, the Bulldogs kicked six of the next seven goals to lead by 28 points at the first change.

Jack Redpath celebrates one of his three goals during the 2017 AFL round 20 match between the Brisbane Lions and the Western Bulldogs at the Gabba. Photo: Bradley Kanaris/AFL Media.

From there, Brisbane started to work their way into the contest, and trimmed the deficit to 11 points at half time.

The Lions dominated the third quarter, taking the lead after nine minutes and booting another two goals (making it six majors without a reply) to storm to the last change 11 points clear.

The last term was frenetic as both sides traded blows in a desperate attempt to snatch the four points.

Marcus Bontempelli stuck first with a crucial six-pointer, and goals followed from Jack Redpath and Clay Smith, before Ryan Bastinac swung the momentum back the Lions’ way with two goals of his own.

The Dogs, trailing by three points heading into time-on, found another gear in the dying stages by booting the last three goals through Toby McLean, Bontempelli and Liam Picken, to secure a memorable win.

Bontempelli secured the three Brownlow Medal votes for his excellent performance, while it was to be the final game of Clay Smith’s memorable career in the red, white and blue.

 

MATCH DETAILS

Brisbane Lions            2.2       7.6       11.9     13.11 (89)
Western Bulldogs      6.6       8.11     8.16     14.19 (103)

GOALS

Brisbane: Zorko, Rockliff, Taylor, Rich, Bastinac 2, Berry, Barrett, Mathieson
Western Bulldogs: Redpath, Picken 3, Dahlhaus, Bontempelli 2, Cloke, Hunter, Smith, McLean

BEST

Brisbane: Walker, Rich, Rockliff, Taylor, Berry, Beams
Western Bulldogs: Macrae, Bontempelli, McLean, Redpath, Liberatore, Biggs