Bold and ferocious, the Western Bulldogs first half on Sunday afternoon was the brand of football Senior Coach Brendan McCartney and his men have been working towards.
When the Gold Coast Suns wrestled control back their way in the third term at Metricon Stadium, the resolve of McCartney’s men was tested.
“We had some great chances at the end of the second quarter and the start of the third quarter to play footy and put pressure on them and we went into our shells, lost confidence and they lifted," McCartney said.
What eventuated was a 8.7 to 1.2 third term that ultimately set-up victory for the home side – invariably accounting for more than the Suns’ 45-point winning margin.
“All areas of the game they lifted and we didn’t. We just lost a smidgeon of belief for five minutes,” said McCartney.
“Full credit to them but you cant play like that for 30 minutes and expect to win any game.
“We played a quality team in really good form and for 60 minutes we had the games on our terms.
“For seven weeks we’ve been in every game except for week one.
“If you’re out there on the ground and your behavior goes a certain way your team-mates will follow you pretty quickly.
“When you’re out there you can influence your team-mates in one of two ways, you can make your teammates more nervous because of what you’re doing.”
McCartney made clear he was not just referring to the team’s leaders but a number of players who have enough football under their belt to know better.
“Its pretty simplistic to talk about the leaders who have had 150 or 200 games,” McCartney said.
“There’s a lot of guys there who have played for four or five years as well.
“We had to keep being brave, playing on and working into space. We created a lot of space in the first half but didn’t sustain it.”
Meanwhile McCartney hopes the recent precedent set by the AFL Tribunal will save Adam Cooney from suspension for his collision with Gary Ablett.
VIDEO: Watch footage of Adam Cooney's collision with Gary Ablett.
Both Brownlow Medallists chased a prone ball on the Suns’ 50 in the second quarter at Metricon Stadium, but Ablett arrived first and the diving Cooney's arm collided with his opponent’s head before hitting him below the knee.
McCartney hopes the clearing of Swan Daniel Hannebery for catching Essendon’s Michael Hurley high, due to an absence of malice in the contest, stands in Cooney’s favour.
He also compared Cooney’s hit to Jaeger O’Meara’s strong challenge on Clay Smith in the third quarter when both players put in low, full-blooded challenges for the ball.
“I saw one the other way that was just play on, when one of our boys got cannoned into to," McCartney said.
“All four players to their credit were going for the ball.
“There was a nice precedent shown last week.
“We know, everyone in Australia now knows, that a visit to the Tribunal or a suspension hinges on one or two centimetres, up or down, or sideways.
“I’ve got more important things to worry about."
