Melbourne, Australia
THE WESTERN Bulldogs have broken the AFL’s longest existing premiership drought and completed the most unlikely finals run of all time to win their second Grand Final with a 22-point win over the Sydney Swans.
The Bulldogs kicked the final three goals of the game to triumph 13.11 (89) to 10.7 (67), a win that broke the club’s 62-year premiership drought and ensured coach Luke Beveridge and his side will join Charlie Sutton’s 1954 team in Bulldogs immortality.
The Bulldogs took an eight-point lead into the final term at the MCG on Saturday after grabbing ascendancy of the game with a 2.6 to 1.2 third quarter, but struggled to put the Swans away in the final term.
Twice John Longmire’s men closed to within one point in a thrilling final quarter, first through a Lance Franklin set shot from 50m at the seven-minute mark and, after an answering Jake Stringer goal, a George Hewett set shot from 45m five minutes later.
Liam Picken kicked a goal on the run at the 17-minute mark that put the Dogs seven points up, but it wasn’t until Tom Boyd bounced a goal through from 55m four minutes later that the Bulldogs looked home with a 15-point lead.
Picken added another major five minutes later to add the icing to the Bulldogs’ victory.
Jason Johannisen (33 possessions, nine inside 50s and seven rebound 50s) sparked the Bulldogs with his run from half-back, and appeared to seal the game with a goal from 50m at the 18-minute mark of the final term, only for a late score review to determine it had been touched on the line.
The former rookie was a popular choice as the Norm Smith Medal winner for the best player on the ground.
Contesting the Grand Final for just the third time in the club’s 91-year VFL/AFL history and for the first time since 1961, Beveridge’s men became the first team to win a premiership from seventh on the ladder.
None of the Bulldogs’ 22 on Saturday had played in a Grand Final – 13 Swans had, eight of them having won premierships – but the Bulldogs did not let their inexperience halt the irresistible momentum they had built in the first three weeks of the finals.
Tom Boyd (six contested marks and 3.2) completed a coming-of-age finals series with his aerial work highly influential, especially in the second half, while Jack Macrae (32 possessions) was prolific and classy through the midfield.
Marcus Bontempelli helped turn the game the Bulldogs’ way after half-time, while Picken (25 possessions and three goals) underlined his status as one of the most improved players in the competition.
The Bulldogs’ victory completed a fairytale finals series that included away victories over West Coast in an elimination final at Domain Stadium and Greater Western Sydney in a preliminary final at Spotless Stadium, and in between a comprehensive semi-final win over three-time reigning premier Hawthorn at the MCG.
I know one man in Melbourne who is overjoyed. Enjoy it Ray!!!