It was one of the pressing storylines heading into the grand final.
How could Western Bulldogs’ forward line deliver against the best defensive unit we have seen in years? Could the Dogs’ manic forward pressure overcome the astonishing Sydney Swans’ defence?
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» Seven talking points from the match
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The answer was a resounding yes, but not in the way we expected.
No doubt, the Bulldogs’ pressure and ferocity at the footy was, as always, terrific. The Dogs’ 15 tackles inside 50 and 172 contested possessions reflect this. Sydney couldn’t break out of defence and create scoring chains from their back half, thanks to the Bulldogs’ aggressiveness at the contest.
However, this intrusive nature from the Bulldogs was a given coming into the game. Everyone knew it was going to happen, it was just going to be a matter of how the Swans would handle it.
What wasn’t in the cards, though, was a proficient scoring attack from the Bulldogs’ forwards.
All 13 of the Dogs’ goals came from forwards. No midfield goals or majors from eager defenders, even though Norm Smith Medalist Jason Johannisen came agonisingly close to kicking a monstrous goal from outside 50.
The group of Tory Dickson, Liam Picken, Tom Boyd, Jake Stringer, Zaine Cordy, Clay Smith and Toby McLean kicked the 13 goals that turned Dog dreamers into believers.
Picken, the 2016 finals cult hero, was a pest up forward. The Swans couldn’t get an inch of free space, because Picken was always lurking and pounced when the opportunity presented itself.
Once again, though, you knew Picken was going to bring this mindset to the contest. It was the three goals, including the clincher 26 minutes into the final term, which really made Picken one of the most influential players on the ground.
If you said one of the two million dollar men would boot three goals, take six contested marks and collect 14 touches, Lance Franklin would pose as a shoo-in.
It was the much-maligned Boyd, though, who imposed himself on the contest and lived up to his paycheck. His work around the ground was tremendous, as Boyd’s aerial excellence was awe-inspiring. Boyd’s trio of goals proved he still commands attention up forward, his natural position, and it may flip a switch in the former Giant’s career.
Tom Hawkins had a breaking out party in the 2011 grand final and the similarities between that effort and Boyd’s are striking. Hawkins’ three-goal effort led Geelong to an upset victory on that day, a carbon copy of Boyd’s performance.
Boyd’s paycheck demands him stand up in the big moments. Well, he stood up in the biggest of them all.
Dickson shook off an inaccurate September to return to his old reliable self in front of the big sticks, kicking three goals straight. The game was won at ground level, as a combined 100 inside 50s yielded just 17 marks inside the arcs. This scenario suits someone like Dickson perfectly, as his roving expertise was on full display.
One goal stands out above the rest. Dickson’s magnificent snap followed an even better piece of play from Lachie Hunter, whose flicking effort kept the footy in play, a testimony to the Dogs’ desperation.
Stringer had a quiet day by his standards, but as he usually does, one singular moment of brilliance will define his grand final. Amidst a sea of players, Stringer somehow willed himself through the pack to put the Bulldogs back up by seven points, in a moment when the Swans were building momentum.
It’s moments like that, which make guys like Stringer so electric. Missing for most of the day, which is backed up by his 12-disposal outing, Stringer’s goal will go down in Bulldog folk lure. Game defining moments like that is something only the special ones can create.
Smith, another one of the Dogs’ September heroes, continued his sensational finals run. Cordy’s effort is extra impressive, when you consider his mid-season suspension for getting into a punching incident with Boyd. McLean was adequate in the middle of the contest and subsequently rewarded with a goal.
The Bulldogs’ lacking scoring power had many worried, including yours truly.
In a finals campaign that can only be described as magical, though, the Dogs made history and it was their forwards that led the way.
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