Marcus Bontempelli has helped the Western Bulldogs crack the top eight for the first time this season in a 13.8 (86) to 10.11 (71) win against the GIANTS in Canberra.
Career-high numbers in contested possessions (25) and clearances (14) saw Bontempelli show the dynamism that makes him arguably the game’s best player, putting the team on his shoulders to carry them to an important win.
But he traded blows with emerging GIANTS bull Tom Green, who posted his own career highs with 38 touches and three goals back on his home Canberra turf.
Four straight goals to start the second half saw the Dogs burn their opponents off, although the GIANTS returned the favour in the final term’s first 11 minutes to keep themselves in the fight just 10 points down.
It set up a grandstand finish, but back-to-back majors from Bulldogs key forward Aaron Naughton iced the game.
Much was made of GIANTS coach Adam Kingsley’s potential inclination to send a hard tag to Bontempelli but he had free rein early and helped himself to 15 contested possessions, 10 clearances, six inside 50s and a goal in a monstrous first half.
The Bulldogs shared the load up forward with nine individual goalkickers and their power trio of Naughton, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Rory Lobb found six between them despite the wet conditions, while a young excitement machine led the way early.
Sixth-gamer Arthur Jones kicked two goals in a lively cameo, his high-energy play inside 50 helping them pinch a 10-point quarter-time break.
Greene’s absence clearly hurt the GIANTS and they lacked efficiency inside 50, veteran Callan Ward stepping up to kick two goals before Green hit the scoreboard late to give his side a lifeline.
Midfield supremos Lachie Whitfield and Josh Kelly racked up 65 disposals between them, while running defenders Lachie Ash (28 touches) and Connor Idun (28) were particularly damaging.
In eight games under Kingsley, the GIANTS haven't sustained a final margin of more than 21 points, but still have a 3-5 record.
A potential hamstring injury for midfielder Adam Treloar that saw him immediately subbed out of the game was the only major negative for the Bulldogs.
GIANTS 2.3 5.4 5.9 10.11 (71)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 4.1 7.4 11.6 13.8 (86)
GOALS
GIANTS: Green 3, Hogan 2, Ward 2, O'Halloran, Lloyd, Himmelberg
Western Bulldogs: Naughton 3, Lobb 2, Jones 2, Weightman, Ugle-Hagan, Scott, Liberatore, Johannisen, Bontempelli
BEST
GIANTS: Green, Haynes, Kelly, Whitfield, Hogan
Western Bulldogs: Bontempelli, English, Liberatore, Naughton, Smith, Macrae
INJURIES
GIANTS: TBC
Western Bulldogs: Treloar (hamstring)
LATE CHANGES
GIANTS: Daniel Lloyd (replaced Toby Greene in the selected side)
SUBSTITUTES
GIANTS: James Peatling (replaced Aaron Cadman in the third quarter)
Western Bulldogs: Lachlan McNeil (replaced Adam Treloar in the third quarter)
Crowd: TBC at Manuka Oval
