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Western Bulldogs and West Coast Eagles showcased Australian rules football in its purest form
The ball pinged from one end of Docklands to the other, bodies crashed in on the ground and in the air – Sunday's clash between the Western Bulldogs and West Coast Eagles was football in its purest and richest form.
Laitham Vandermeer's shepherd, Jamie Cripps's tackle, Bailey Williams win against the odds on the half-back flank, Nic Naitanui's tap work, clutch kicks and smothers — I could go on and on – left you gagging for more.
The Bulldogs came from 14 points down in the last quarter to win a match that contained 12 lead changes and had you so engaged your head was protruding through the commentary box window.
West Coast had taken control of the game in the third quarter with Natanui and midfield weapon Tim Kelly combining superbly. The Eagles dominated the air both in defence and attack, where Jack Darling, Oscar Allen and Josh Kennedy were all influential.
When that trio failed to mark it, they put the ball to ground for Liam Ryan and Jamaine Jones to get busy.
That the Bulldogs pulled off an amazing win was in no small part due to their breathtaking level of desperation and commitment, personified by the unflinching efforts of Tom Liberatore, Jack Macrae, Williams and emerging star Bailey Smith.
And then there was Marcus Bontempelli.
Bontempelli with a football is like Shakespeare with a pen — every stroke is wondrous, albeit the Bont produces the stuff of dreams in mid-autumn, winter and the start of spring.
The Western Bulldogs captain amassed 14 telling possessions in the opening term, finished with 30 for the match and kicked three goals including the sealer at the 32-minute mark. The Bulldogs-heavy crowd of 21,000 almost blew the roof off the stadium.
Calling footy off the TV in the ABC boardroom during Melbourne's lockdown last season seemed a million miles away. It was footy at its absolute best.
There is no doubt recent rule changes have enhanced the spectacle. The new man on the mark rule has led to an attack-first mentality, and giving defenders more room at kick-ins has almost completely eliminated those painful chips to the back pocket and laborious movement of the ball from inside the defensive 50.
On a couple of occasions, Eagles veteran Shannon Hurn launched bombs into the middle of the ground that Ben Graham would have been proud of. The game is more open and as a result more enjoyable.
While the Eagles were ultimately beaten on Sunday they remain a serious threat this year, especially with the imminent return of their captain Luke Shuey from a hamstring injury and Elliott Yeo (groin) also still to come back.
The ball pinged from one end of Docklands to the other, bodies crashed in on the ground and in the air – Sunday's clash between the Western Bulldogs and West Coast Eagles was football in its purest and richest form.
Laitham Vandermeer's shepherd, Jamie Cripps's tackle, Bailey Williams win against the odds on the half-back flank, Nic Naitanui's tap work, clutch kicks and smothers — I could go on and on – left you gagging for more.
The Bulldogs came from 14 points down in the last quarter to win a match that contained 12 lead changes and had you so engaged your head was protruding through the commentary box window.
West Coast had taken control of the game in the third quarter with Natanui and midfield weapon Tim Kelly combining superbly. The Eagles dominated the air both in defence and attack, where Jack Darling, Oscar Allen and Josh Kennedy were all influential.
When that trio failed to mark it, they put the ball to ground for Liam Ryan and Jamaine Jones to get busy.
That the Bulldogs pulled off an amazing win was in no small part due to their breathtaking level of desperation and commitment, personified by the unflinching efforts of Tom Liberatore, Jack Macrae, Williams and emerging star Bailey Smith.
And then there was Marcus Bontempelli.
Bontempelli with a football is like Shakespeare with a pen — every stroke is wondrous, albeit the Bont produces the stuff of dreams in mid-autumn, winter and the start of spring.
The Western Bulldogs captain amassed 14 telling possessions in the opening term, finished with 30 for the match and kicked three goals including the sealer at the 32-minute mark. The Bulldogs-heavy crowd of 21,000 almost blew the roof off the stadium.
Calling footy off the TV in the ABC boardroom during Melbourne's lockdown last season seemed a million miles away. It was footy at its absolute best.
There is no doubt recent rule changes have enhanced the spectacle. The new man on the mark rule has led to an attack-first mentality, and giving defenders more room at kick-ins has almost completely eliminated those painful chips to the back pocket and laborious movement of the ball from inside the defensive 50.
On a couple of occasions, Eagles veteran Shannon Hurn launched bombs into the middle of the ground that Ben Graham would have been proud of. The game is more open and as a result more enjoyable.
While the Eagles were ultimately beaten on Sunday they remain a serious threat this year, especially with the imminent return of their captain Luke Shuey from a hamstring injury and Elliott Yeo (groin) also still to come back.
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