LED BY a dominant Brian Lake in defence, the Western Bulldogs have defeated a disappointing North Melbourne by 18 points on Sunday at Etihad Stadium.
The Bulldogs wrested the game with six goals to three in the second quarter to take a 19-point lead into half-time, and held on to win 15.11 (101) to 12.11 (83).
Watch match highlights from the Western Bulldogs' 18-point win over North Melbourne on the media player above or on the Club Mobile App.
In that second quarter they took advantage of poor decisions from North Melbourne, which turned the ball over going forward on several occasions.
Too often the Kangaroos' kicker was like an ambitious golfer trying to carry water, underestimating the range and coughing it up.
Each time the Kangaroos made a mistake, the Bulldogs found space on the fat side of the ground and Daniel Giansiracusa, Ayce Cordy, Tory Dickson and Shaun Higgins took advantage.
Join the Western Front, become a Western Bulldogs Member in 2012 - 3 Game Membership from $75. Join here today.
At the other end of the ground Lindsay Thomas was squandering chances, missing two sitters from 20m out.
Dickson had three goals by half-time and Higgins and Giansiracusa two each.
It proved the difference.
The Bulldogs defended well, with Lake good again and their midfield working back to support. North Melbourne's Scott Thompson was the best player for the Kangaroos.
Daniel Cross had done some exceptional interception work in the second quarter and topped it off with an intercept and goal early in the third quarter.
That third term was end-to-end football with both teams kicking five goals apiece.
However the Bulldogs were winning the stoppages with Ryan Griffen, Tom Liberatore and Mitch Wallis very effective and North Melbourne was constantly on the back foot.
Whenever the Kangaroos hit back, the Bulldogs had an answer. Two consecutive crumbing goals to Justin Sherman midway through the third quarter kept the margin wide enough for North to feel under constant pressure.
North Melbourne's Hamish McIntosh went down heavily in the third quarter with what appeared to be a right knee injury and was subbed off.
In the last quarter the Kangaroos stayed within striking distance but could never reduce the margin below two goals.
The Bulldogs won with an honest performance and hunted the ball with more purpose. They deserved the win.
NORTH MELBOURNE 3.1 6.5 11.8 12.11 (83)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 3.3 9.6 14.8 15.11 (101)
GOALS
North Melbourne: Thomas 3, Petrie 3, Anthony 2, Cunnington, Harper, Adams, Edwards
Western Bulldogs: Dickson 4, Giansiracusa 3, Higgins 2, Sherman 2, Cordy, Wallis, Cross, Murphy
BEST
North Melbourne: Thompson, Swallow, Anthony, Wells
Western Bulldogs: Lake, Griffen, Boyd, Dickson, Higgins, Liberatore, Hargrave
INJURIES
North Melbourne: Hamish McIntosh (knee)
Western Bulldogs: Adam Cooney replaced in the selected side by Clay Smith
SUBSTITUTES
North Melbourne: Brad McKenzie replaced Hamish McIntosh at three-quarter-time.
Western Bulldogs: Clay Smith replaced Jordan Roughead in the last quarter.
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Nicholls, Wenn, Jennings
Official crowd: 20,885 at Etihad Stadium
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
