Australian Football

Match Report

The Western Bulldogs have continued their fine start to the 2016 season, easily accounting for St Kilda at Docklands on Saturday night and spoiling Saints' skipper Nick Riewoldt's 300th game celebrations. The Bulldogs took until well into the third term to fully shake off St Kilda but this was more die to the Dogs' poor kicking for goal than any other factor. The Bulldogs seemed to comfortably have the Saints' measure at most times of the night in general play. In fact, for the second week in a row, the Bulldogs won by around the 10-goal mark and could easily have won by a lot more. 

From the very start of the match, the Bulldogs looked to be in control and the result could have been a foregone conclusion very early in the piece had the Dogs kicked straight. As it was they led 1.5 to 0.0 after 12 minutes before Jack Newnes kicked St Kilda's first to cut the margin to just five points. The next 10 minutes were goalless and dour before two late majors to Toby McLean and Jason Johannisen lead 24 to seven at the first turn.

An early second-term goal to Mitch Wallis extended that lead to a comfortable 23 but St Kilda worked itself into the match after that. Goals to Jack Lonie and Josh Bruce cut the difference to under three goals at one stage but majors to Liam Picken and Jake Stringer for the Dogs combined with four consecutive misses from the Saints saw the Bulldogs 25 points clear at the half.

A goal to Tom Boyd early in the third term took the margin beyond five goals and the Bulldogs were never threatened after that. The margin was 38 points at the final break but should have been much larger, the Dogs again squandering many chances in front of goal for the term. Such was the ferocity and efficiency of the Bulldogs' defence, though, it scarcely mattered. The Saints were held to a paltry three scoring shots in the entire second half, which produced two goals to Riewoldt (including the final of the match) and a behind to Josh Bruce. The Dogs added 4.2 in the last quarter and won running away.

Lachie Hunter (35 touches and a goal) and Johannisen (27 possessions and a goal) were outstanding for the victors, while Nick Riewoldt (who else?), with 23 possessions, 14 marks and two goals, played an outstanding milestone match for the Saints. 

The two sides find themselves at opposite ends of the ladder after round two, with the Bulldogs to take on reigning premier Hawthorn at Docklands on Sunday, looking to make it three wins from three games, while the Saints will look to get their first win of the season against St Kilda on Saturday ay the MCG. 

GOALS
St Kilda: Riewoldt 2; Newnes, Lonie, Bruce
Western Bulldogs: Boyd 3; Stringer, Picken 2; Liberatore, McLean, Johannisen, Wallis, Hunter, Daniel

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
St Kilda: Dempster, Fisher, Montagna, Newnes, Steven, Armitage
Western Bulldogs: Hunter, Johannisen, Murphy, Wallis, Adams, Bontempelli, Liberatore

BEST - THE SUNDAY AGE
St Kilda: Montagna, Riewoldt, Armitage, Newnes, Savage
Western Bulldogs: Johannisen, Hunter, Bontempelli, Murphy, Macrae

INJURIES
St Kilda: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Nil

UMPIRES: Hosking, Hay, McInerney 

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Brian Taylor, Luke Darcy, Matthew Richardson, Cameron Ling