southerncross
14-05-2007, 05:46 AM
Johnson's genius denies Melbourne (http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfmatchreport/johnsons-genius-denies-melbourne/2007/05/13/1178994998074.html)
THE saying goes that champions stand tall when the chips are down. So when Brad Johnson gathered the ball on the bounce at centre half-forward with the scores tied and only a little over a minute left in an already brilliant game, you expected something brilliant.
And the Bulldog veteran didn't disappoint, weaving around on to his right leg, spotting a gap between two Melbourne players and drilling a spectacular match-winning goal from almost 50 metres, his fourth, that delivered yet more heartbreak to a gallant Melbourne.
Telstra Dome erupted. The Bulldog players flooded back, the Demons kept coming, praying for a last-gasp draw, but the clock beat them with the ball deep in their forward line.
Most Demon players slumped to the turf, crushed by their second loss in a row by a solitary straight kick. Such was the intensity of the game, even the Bulldogs were almost too spent to celebrate.
Both teams had fought all day, running hard, scrapping madly in the contests. With 10 minutes gone in the dramatic last term, best-on-ground Aaron Davey wrested back the lead for Melbourne for the first time since midway through the second quarter.
The sides went goal for goal as the lead changed five more times in the second half of one of the year's most exciting quarters of football. First, Ryan Hargrave, then David Neitz, then Nathan Eagleton, then Colin Sylvia's strong pack mark and goal to put the Demons back in front by a point at the 27½-minute mark.
Then, with the clock showing 29 minutes, Daniel Cross kicked from the centre in Johnson's direction. The genius did the rest.
"I think we showed a fair bit of fight in that last quarter. They headed us (three times) and we were still able to get up," Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said.
Some matches don't deserve to have a loser. And both sides deserved to win yesterday. On their past two performances, the Demons cannot be far off.
But it was the Bulldogs who had that something extra, the touch of class, the better disposal when it counted and a champion to stand up when something special was needed.
Melbourne jumped the Bulldogs early. While they were able to quell the Bulldogs' running game, they gave themselves every chance with Travis Johnstone busy through the middle and Lynden Dunn using the ball well in the midfield and providing a target up forward, along with Adem Yze.
They were playing exciting, running football, but all the while the Bulldogs were grafting their way forward and taking their chances when they presented.
After the first break the sides went end to end with exciting football before the Bulldogs found their feet, started directing the ball into the corridor to good effect and slammed on five of the next six goals.
When they get going, the Bulldogs' transition game is electric, and their sound decision-making makes for some blink-and-you-miss-it football. The Demons, on the other hand, were letting down their tremendous workrate with undisciplined play and sloppy skills, bombing the ball into an ineffective forward set-up.
Cameron Bruce had been used on Johnson in the first half, but after the break was sent into the midfield where he had plenty of the ball and helped Melbourne regain ascendancy in and around the stoppages.
When Yze goaled 10 minutes into the third quarter, Melbourne had kicked three in a row and was only a point down. The Bulldogs steadied with goals to Mitch Hahn and Adam Cooney.
When the siren sounded to start the final quarter, the Bulldogs enjoyed a 15-point buffer. They dominated possession early, Cross, Matthew Boyd, Eagleton, Farren Ray and, in particular, Jason Akermanis, lifting their workrates. Hahn also stood tall in his first game back from injury.
Akermanis had a quiet game, but his last term was instrumental in the Bulldogs holding on.
It's unusual for the best player on the ground to be on the losing side, but Davey stood out, just ahead of Johnson. When he wasn't kicking one of his three goals, he was gathering possessions in the midfield and driving the ball into attack. And when he wasn't doing that he was charging down back to take telling marks in the last line of defence. All this with a heavy tag from Dale Morris.
WESTERN BULLDOGS 4.1 10.5 12.12 16.16 (112)
MELBOURNE 6.1 7.6 10.9 16.10 (106)
GOALS Western Bulldogs: Johnson 4, Hahn 2, Higgins 2, Cross, Gilbee, Eagleton, Giansiracusa, Darcy, Cooney, Akermanis, Hargrave. Melbourne: Sylvia 3, Davey 3, Yze 2, Green 2, Bate, Neitz, Dunn, Johnstone, Bell, White.
BEST Western Bulldogs: Johnson, Cross, Eagleton, Gilbee, Harris, Giansiracusa. Melbourne: Davey, Johnstone, Sylvia, White, Bruce, Yze.
INJURIES Melbourne: Miller (ankle), Carroll (concussion). Rivers (back) replaced in selected side by Holland.
UMPIRES: McLaren, Sully, Head.
CROWD: 24,584 at Telstra Dome.
THE saying goes that champions stand tall when the chips are down. So when Brad Johnson gathered the ball on the bounce at centre half-forward with the scores tied and only a little over a minute left in an already brilliant game, you expected something brilliant.
And the Bulldog veteran didn't disappoint, weaving around on to his right leg, spotting a gap between two Melbourne players and drilling a spectacular match-winning goal from almost 50 metres, his fourth, that delivered yet more heartbreak to a gallant Melbourne.
Telstra Dome erupted. The Bulldog players flooded back, the Demons kept coming, praying for a last-gasp draw, but the clock beat them with the ball deep in their forward line.
Most Demon players slumped to the turf, crushed by their second loss in a row by a solitary straight kick. Such was the intensity of the game, even the Bulldogs were almost too spent to celebrate.
Both teams had fought all day, running hard, scrapping madly in the contests. With 10 minutes gone in the dramatic last term, best-on-ground Aaron Davey wrested back the lead for Melbourne for the first time since midway through the second quarter.
The sides went goal for goal as the lead changed five more times in the second half of one of the year's most exciting quarters of football. First, Ryan Hargrave, then David Neitz, then Nathan Eagleton, then Colin Sylvia's strong pack mark and goal to put the Demons back in front by a point at the 27½-minute mark.
Then, with the clock showing 29 minutes, Daniel Cross kicked from the centre in Johnson's direction. The genius did the rest.
"I think we showed a fair bit of fight in that last quarter. They headed us (three times) and we were still able to get up," Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said.
Some matches don't deserve to have a loser. And both sides deserved to win yesterday. On their past two performances, the Demons cannot be far off.
But it was the Bulldogs who had that something extra, the touch of class, the better disposal when it counted and a champion to stand up when something special was needed.
Melbourne jumped the Bulldogs early. While they were able to quell the Bulldogs' running game, they gave themselves every chance with Travis Johnstone busy through the middle and Lynden Dunn using the ball well in the midfield and providing a target up forward, along with Adem Yze.
They were playing exciting, running football, but all the while the Bulldogs were grafting their way forward and taking their chances when they presented.
After the first break the sides went end to end with exciting football before the Bulldogs found their feet, started directing the ball into the corridor to good effect and slammed on five of the next six goals.
When they get going, the Bulldogs' transition game is electric, and their sound decision-making makes for some blink-and-you-miss-it football. The Demons, on the other hand, were letting down their tremendous workrate with undisciplined play and sloppy skills, bombing the ball into an ineffective forward set-up.
Cameron Bruce had been used on Johnson in the first half, but after the break was sent into the midfield where he had plenty of the ball and helped Melbourne regain ascendancy in and around the stoppages.
When Yze goaled 10 minutes into the third quarter, Melbourne had kicked three in a row and was only a point down. The Bulldogs steadied with goals to Mitch Hahn and Adam Cooney.
When the siren sounded to start the final quarter, the Bulldogs enjoyed a 15-point buffer. They dominated possession early, Cross, Matthew Boyd, Eagleton, Farren Ray and, in particular, Jason Akermanis, lifting their workrates. Hahn also stood tall in his first game back from injury.
Akermanis had a quiet game, but his last term was instrumental in the Bulldogs holding on.
It's unusual for the best player on the ground to be on the losing side, but Davey stood out, just ahead of Johnson. When he wasn't kicking one of his three goals, he was gathering possessions in the midfield and driving the ball into attack. And when he wasn't doing that he was charging down back to take telling marks in the last line of defence. All this with a heavy tag from Dale Morris.
WESTERN BULLDOGS 4.1 10.5 12.12 16.16 (112)
MELBOURNE 6.1 7.6 10.9 16.10 (106)
GOALS Western Bulldogs: Johnson 4, Hahn 2, Higgins 2, Cross, Gilbee, Eagleton, Giansiracusa, Darcy, Cooney, Akermanis, Hargrave. Melbourne: Sylvia 3, Davey 3, Yze 2, Green 2, Bate, Neitz, Dunn, Johnstone, Bell, White.
BEST Western Bulldogs: Johnson, Cross, Eagleton, Gilbee, Harris, Giansiracusa. Melbourne: Davey, Johnstone, Sylvia, White, Bruce, Yze.
INJURIES Melbourne: Miller (ankle), Carroll (concussion). Rivers (back) replaced in selected side by Holland.
UMPIRES: McLaren, Sully, Head.
CROWD: 24,584 at Telstra Dome.