The GWS Giants delivered an absolute thrashing to the Western Bulldogs in their first match of 2018, crushing their opposition at Canberra by 82 points.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
GWS Giants 20.13 (133)
Western Bulldogs 7.9 (51)
Sunday’s games kick off with the GWS Giants taking on the Western Bulldogs at the Giants’ second home, UNSW Canberra Oval. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match, starting from 1:10pm AEDT.
GWS will want to start 2018 off with a bang and prove to any doubters that they are still in their ‘premiership window’. It begins with a strong win against an undermanned and unconvincing Bulldogs outfit.
After missing finals last year on the back of a Premiership the year before, the Bulldogs will be out to get their fast, attacking game style from 2016, going again.
They have made a number of changes in the off-season, veteran defender Robert Murphy retired, while several new faces were brought in.
The jury is still out on whether they have the personnel and game style to compete with the top sides this year.
In the GWS camp, Rory Lobb has won the battle against Dawson Simpson to replace retired ruckman Shane Mumford in round one.
Lobb only played one preseason match for the Giants’ reserves, but has been given the opportunity ahead of Simpson against the Bulldogs.
Zac Langdon will pull on the Giants’ jumper for his first official AFL game this weekend. Taken at pick 56 in the 2017 National Draft, Langdon impressed as a forward in the JLT Community Series and will start on the bench in the Giants’ final 22.
Meanwhile, at the Western Bulldogs they have named four new players to pull on the red, white and blue for the first time. Hayden Crozier (Fremantle) and Jackson Trengove (Port Adelaide) will start fresh at the Bulldogs, while Aaron Naughton and Billy Gowers will begin their AFL journeys in round one.
Naughton was selected at pick 9 in the 2017 AFL National Draft and will start on half-back for the Dogs. He will need to settle in quickly against a very high-quality Giants’ midfield and forward line.
The notable absence of Marcus Adams (ankle) and Dale Morris (knee) in defence, as well as Liam Picken (concussion) up forward, leaves the Bulldogs short on experience across the ground.
Prediction
A modern-day rivalry between the Giants and Bulldogs has developed in recent times, and it is sure to be a great round one contest.
The GWS Giants’ super forward line, including the likes of Jeremy Cameron and Toby Greene, will be too strong for the Western Bulldogs’ defence and fed well by their classy midfielders, it could be a big day out for the Giants up forward.
Giants by 27.
Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match, starting from 1:10pm AEDT.
I ate pies
Guest
You take pleasure seeing players getting long term injuries? I feel sorry for you.
JR Salazar
Guest
Payback for 2016. Made even sweeter by a season-ending injury. What goes around come around. #sports!
XI
Roar Guru
That would get you a heavy hit in many pubs in Dublin.
Mic
Guest
Put some of the girls in the team. They play better than the men
Mattyb
Guest
What a shallacking,the only positive is we didn't lose by 100 points. You'd need to dig and dig and dig to find any positives,Macrae was good,Bont,Wood and JJ terrible,Honeychurch and Roughead tried hard,English went OK considering how bad we are. The disposal and ball movement continues to be ordinary,but now the backline also struggles,our forward line is non existent. The loss of M.Boyd and Morris is having a telling effect on our young list. It's only round one,and I'm travelling over with two WC mates next week but my confidence is sinking. The dogs need to seriously bounce back next week. And just make Trengove full back.
Pelican
Guest
British?
Raimond
Roar Guru
Bevo might take the Bulldogs to a premiership & a wooden spoon.
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
Giants deliver a round one belting Jeremy Cameron and Toby Greene starred up forward, as the GWS Giants demolished the Western Bulldogs by 82 points on Sunday afternoon. At the UNSW Canberra Oval, the Giants’ potent forward line had a big day out against the small, young and inexperienced Bulldogs defence. The blustery conditions were hard to get a handle on early, and seemed to swing around and favour each end at different points of the match, but it didn’t matter for GWS who were smooth movers of the ball. Cameron kicked six goals from his 18 disposals, and the Western Bulldogs had no answer to defending the tall forward. Several defenders went to Cameron during the match - even first-gamer Aaron Naughton had a go - but the GWS forward was too strong. Toby Greene was similarly brilliant up forward with 25 disposals, 4 goals and 10 marks including 5 inside 50. The Giants’ have spoken about team-first footy and that was evident today, with several hand-offs to teammates in better positions for scoring. Without Robert Murphy (retired), Dale Morris (knee), Marcus Adams (ankle) and the shift of Easton Wood up forward, the Bulldogs defence was exposed by swift ball movement and great forward play. GWS were strong across the ground with Lachie Whitfield (34 disposals) and Coniglio (32 disposals, 2 goals, 7 tackles) getting plenty of the ball. Heading forward the Dogs’ structures didn’t hold up well and they struggled to hit targets inside 50. Easton Wood made no impact on the scoreboard and had only 3 disposals as a forward up until three-quarter time, when he was sent back to his home in defence. Youngsters Tim English and Billy Gowers fought hard early for the Dogs to keep them in it at quarter-time, but Lachie Hunter (32 disposals, 3 tackles) and Jack Macrae (30 disposals, 6 tackles) were best for the Bulldogs. Today’s loss was made even worse with a suspected ACL injury to Tom Liberatore. He went down late in the first quarter, and was taken straight to the rooms. Hayden Crozier also had his knee strapped heavily in the second quarter, but continued until late in the game before icing. Fox Footy are saying it’s a medial ligament injury and he’ll miss 2-3 weeks. It’s hard to work out exactly how good or bad teams are off one game, but GWS will take plenty of confidence from this first game, while the Bulldogs will need to work out how they want to set up across the ground and where they play their best players. Next weekend, GWS will travel to the MCG and look to make it two-from-two when they take on Collingwood in a Saturday afternoon clash. Meanwhile, the Western Bulldogs will host the West Coast Eagles on Easter Sunday at Etihad Stadium and will want to put together a much better performance than they did today.
Mattyb
Guest
Go hard on that match report Sarah the dogs were terrible,GWS good though.
Mattyb
Guest
Matt,do not trust anything the dogs say in the media but apparently Wallis has had a glute issue over the preseason and has missed some preparation. Seems like Daniel just missed out on form. Selection for us has certainly been questionable.
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
Thanks for tuning in - I'll post a match report soon!
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
Stats GIANTS TAKE AN 82 POINT WIN OVER THE DOGS. Goals Giants: Cameron 6, Greene 4, Patton 2, Coniglio 2, Kelly 2, Tomlinson, Himmelberg, Langdon, Shiel, Bulldogs: Roughead 2, Dale, Dunkley, Gowers, Honeychurch, Suckling Disposals Giants: Whitfield 34, Coniglio 32, Taranto 32 Bulldogs: Hunter 32, Macrae 31, Dahlhaus 29 Final Score Giants: 20.13 (133) Bulldogs: 7.9 (51)
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
Full - time Callan Ward lines up for goal after the siren and gets enough on it, but results in a behind. GWS defeat the Bulldogs by 83. A huge win for the Giants in round one. Final Score Giants: 20.13 (133) Bulldogs: 7.9 (51)
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
BEHIND GIANTS\ Ward no good.. Giants: 19.12 (126) Bulldogs: 7.9 (51)
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
BEHIND BULLDOGS Johannisen also misses. Giants: 19.11 (125) Bulldogs: 7.9 (51)
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
BEHIND BULLDOGS Macrae misses a set shot on goal. Giants: 19.11 (125) Bulldogs: 7.8 (50)
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
Daniel and Wallis are not on the injury list - have to wonder if they're not injured, why they've been excluded form the team.
W G GRACE
Guest
This games reminds of the British game of Gaelic Football
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
GOAL GIANTS GWS crumb from the marking contest, a handball lands in Tomlinson's hands and he kicks at goal, and gets it this time. Giants: 20.11 (131) Bulldogs: 7.7 (49)
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
BEHIND GIANTS Tomlinson lines up on an angle from 50. He misses to the left. Giants: 19.11 (125) Bulldogs: 7.7 (49)