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The Western Bulldogs will need to wait until late on Sunday for the second year in a row to find out whether they’ll play finals after overcoming Geelong in Geelong by 25 points on Saturday night, 16.8 (104) to 11.13 (79).
Requiring a win to temporarily jump Greater Western Sydney, who can knock the Dogs back out of the eight with a win against the Blues on Sunday, the Bulldogs overcame a lacklustre first half to put away a depleted Geelong outfit with six of the last seven goals.
The Bulldogs are temporarily in the eight.Credit: Getty Images
The big move at half-time from the Dogs’ coaches box was Rory Lobb into the ruck and Tim English forward, and it proved a masterstroke.
The former Giant and Docker had five hitouts and three centre clearances in the third quarter alone as the Dogs kicked three goals in the first three minutes after half-time and turned a 15-point deficit into a two-point lead.
The Cats, who made seven changes coming into the final round after their finals ambitions were slashed in their loss to St Kilda last week, fought back late in the third and when skipper Patrick Dangerfield kicked a long goal after the three-quarter-time siren, the Dogs had an eight-point deficit to overcome to keep their finals hopes alive.
But English, at full-forward, kicked the first of the last and Lobb gave the Dogs first use at the centre stoppages to allow them to own time in their forward half and hold on for victory.
The game sealer came from Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, in the 18th minute of the last, slotting his first goal from a set shot with just his eighth touch of the night.
But Lobb and Aaron Naughton (three goals each) put the icing on the cake.
A glimpse into future
Although without Jeremy Cameron, Tom Hawkins, Brad Close, Mitch Duncan and Mark Blicavs, the Cats were full of energy, kicking the first two goals of the game and dominating the territory battle.
Ollie Henry, who went into the game with 38 goals from 21 games, gave the Cats a target inside-50, alongside the 203-centimetre fifth-gamer Shannon Neale.
Aaron Naughton kicked three goals in the win.Credit: AFL Photos
Neale kicked his first AFL goal midway through the centre quarter, and seven minutes later, Oliver Dempsey – in his seventh game – kicked his second career goal to provide a spark for the home side.
Mitch Knevitt had a quiet game and was subbed out at three-quarter-time in his 10th match, but young ruckman Toby Conway showed positive signs on debut, up against this year’s likely All-Australian ruckman in English.
But the reliance on Geelong’s more experienced players did not go unnoticed. Norm Smith medallist Isaac Smith was prolific in his final game of footy, finishing with an equal career-high 36 disposals, while retiring journeyman Sam Menegola – in his first match for the season – also had plenty of the footy.
Attempted screamer
Exaggerations are often made when it comes to near misses for Mark of the Year, but Ollie Henry may have produced one of the great speckies, only to not bring down the ball.
It was 14 minutes into the second quarter when he rose over a pack in the centre of the ground and got a lift on the back of Rory Lobb, and he hung up there for what seemed an eternity before falling on his back.
It had shades of Jeremy Howe’s vertical leap with Gary Moorcroft’s fall, but Henry never really got close to grasping the footy.
Aaron Naughton took a decent mark in a similar spot about 10 minutes later, while Henry had another attempt at a screamer deep in the second quarter but didn’t get near the footy.
WESTERN BULLDOGS 3.1 6.2 10.5 16.8 (104)
GEELONG 2.5 7.11 10.13 11.13 (79)
GOALS
WESTERN BULLDOGS: Lobb 3, Naughton 3, Weightman 2, Treloar 2, English 2, Vandermeer, Poulter, Liberatore, Ugle-Hagan
GEELONG: O.Henry 3, Stengle 2, Smith, Neale, Myers, Dempsey, Dangerfield, Atkins
BEST
WESTERN BULLDOGS: Lobb, Liberatore, Treloar, Naughton, Bontempelli, English
GEELONG: Smith, Stewart, Menegola, Parfitt, Dangerfield
VOTES
Rory Lobb (Western Bulldogs) 8
Tom Liberatore (Western Bulldogs) 7
Adam Treloar (Western Bulldogs) 7
Aaron Naughton (Western Bulldogs) 7
Isaac Smith (Geelong) 6
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