It was a fight to the wire but the Footscray Bulldogs could not wrestle a win from the Box Hill Hawks at Victoria University Whitten Oval today, eventually falling by seven points.
The Bulldogs went down 13. 11. (89) to Box Hill’s 15. 6. (96) despite scores being level with less than ten minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
The result sees Footscray’s run of seven consecutive wins come to an end but the home side were still gallant in defeat in front of a vocal home crowd.
The lead changed hands multiple times in the final quarter, with the Bulldogs looking most likely to score, before a late charge from the Hawks.
Clay Smith, Brett Goodes and Shaun Higgins combined for 105 touches through the middle and 18 inside 50s in a dominant display.
Development Manager Chris Maple also highlighted the strong contributions of Alex Greenwood and Lin Jong.
Mitch Jensen and Jordan Russell were persistent with their defensive run and constant pressure across the backline, while Fletcher Roberts also impressed.
Smith stood up for his side in a command performance taking a mark on the final siren and converting the goal but it was too little to late with the Bulldogs finishing seven points down.
The Bulldogs will now turn their focus to Essendon next weekend at the same venue before the two AFL sides do battle at Etihad Stadium.
Footscray Bulldogs 13. 11. (89) defeated by Box Hill Hawks 15. 6. (96)
Goals: Smith 3, Grant 2, Jones 2,Hayes 2, Tutt, Talia, Prismall, Russell
Best Players: Smith, Goodes, Higgins, Roberts, Jensen, Hayes
