Midfielders Matthew Boyd and Ryan Griffen powered Western Bulldogs to an upset 18-point win over North Melbourne in their AFL round-seven clash at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
The Bulldogs claimed their third win of the season – 15.11 (101) to 12.11 (83) – after earlier victories against strugglers Melbourne and Greater Western Sydney.
Boyd had a game-high 44 possessions while Griffen was superb with 31 disposals and 12 inside-50s.
The Bulldogs’ victory was built on a six-goal second term which gave the visitors a handy 19-point break at halftime.
Trailing by three goals at three-quarter-time, North (3-4) could only manage 1.3 in the final term, as did the Bulldogs.
Third-gamer Tory Dickson (four goals) and Daniel Giansiracusa (three) feasted on the Bulldogs’ midfield dominance while fullback Brian Lake was superb on Drew Petrie, who finished with three goals for the Kangaroos but was beaten on the day.
Lindsay Thomas also booted three goals for North.
Lake gathered 26 touches and grabbed a game-high 12 marks while youngsters Mitch Wallis and Luke Dahlhaus were also good contributors.
Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney said Lake, who played only five games last year, was improving his match fitness and gaining in confidence as a result.
The long-time former Geelong assistant coach was careful not to add too many superlatives to describe his side’s third and most important win of the season so far.
“We know we’re a work in progress,” McCartney said.
The Bulldogs hope to have Liam Jones, Nathan Djerrkura and Adam Cooney available on Saturday night to play against Gold Coast in Darwin.
Cooney was a late withdrawal from the selected side with knee soreness.
McCartney said the 183cm Dickson, a 24-year-old recruit from VFL side Bendigo Bombers who played suburban football for Noble Park in 2010, would be hard to drop.
“He kicked four goals. He’ll stay in the side if he keeps doing that,” McCartney said.
Winger Liam Picken drew praise from North coach Brad Scott for his tagging role on Kangaroos veteran playmaker Brent Harvey.
Scott said the Bulldogs showed a greater hunger for the contested ball.
“The Western Bulldogs out-pressured us, out-contested us, out-ran us, beat us in almost every facet of the game. They were fantastic today,” Scott said.
“It’s as poor as we’ve been in the contest in a long, long time.
“To be down 55 in contested possessions is not representative of the way North Melbourne play their footy.
“Particularly from Boyd and Griffen, we got real lessons in how to win the ball in a contest, how to win clearances under pressure.”
Kangaroos ruckman Hamish McIntosh is in doubt for next Saturday’s trip to AAMI Stadium to play Port Adelaide after suffering a posterior-cruciate ligament injury to his knee in the third quarter.
Scott praised defender Scott Thompson for his 28-possession game.
