Round 23 2023

W.Bulldogs v West Coast
Round 23, 2023

Hewett in action. Photo: aflohotos.com.au

Date

Sun, 20 August 2023 (1.10pm EST)

Venue

Docklands

Attendance

23,965

Result

Won by 7

Score

WCE 14.8.92 - 12.13.85 WB

Brownlow

Ladder

17th

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West Coast stunned the Western Bulldogs, scoring their third win of the season and putting the Bulldogs' final hopes in serious jeopardy with a hard-fought victory under the Docklands roof. The Eagles stunned the home side early and led by as much as 26 points during the first term, but the Dogs were able to whittle that away and took the lead during the third term. With nothing but pride to play for, West Coast fought out the game strongly, kicking five last-term goals, three of them to Jamie Cripps, to steal the points and silence the Melbourne crowd. Cripps celebrated his new contract with an equal career-high five goals, and Tim Kelly was outstanding in midfield with 32 possessions.

Summary

		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
Western Bulldogs		3.2.20		5.7.37		10.10.70		12.13.85
West Coast		5.3.33		7.6.48		9.7.61		14.8.92

Goals: Cripps 5, Allen 3, Darling 2, Hunt, Maric, Trew, Yeo

Best: Kelly, Cripps, Duggan, Allen, McGovern, Gaff

Injuries: McGovern (arm), Yeo (hamstring)

Reports: Yeo for rough conduct on J.Macrae

Substitutes: (WCE) Trew for Chesser at three-quarter time; (WB) McNeil for Macrae in fourth term

Jumper: Clash, white shorts

Named sides

	West Coast				Bulldogs
B:	28.Cole	20.McGovern	23.Witherden	B:	42.Keath	19.L.Jones	15.Duryea
HB:	6.Yeo	35.Rotham	14.Duggan	HB:	31.Dale	18.O'Donnell	20.Richards
C:	3.Gaff	11.Kelly	5.Hunt	C:	11.Macrae	6.Smith	34.Williams
HF:	18.Chesser	27.Darling	44.Long	HF:	3.Weightman	33.Naughton	35.Daniel
F:	15.Cripps	12.Allen	41.Maric	F:	7.Lobb	2.Ugle-Hagan	14.West
R:	32.B.Williams	16.L.Edwards	8.Hewett	R:	44.English	1.Treloar	4.Bontempelli
I:	10.Petrevski-Seton	21.Petruccelle	31.Jones	I:	25.Poulter	23.Vandermeer	28.Scott
	34.J.Williams				13.Baker
E:	24.O'Neill	26.Trew	29.Foley	E:	32.A.Jones	30.McNeil	41.Sweet
	40.Jamieson				36.Cleary

In: Maric, Petruccelle

Out: O'Neill, Foley, Clark (sub, suspended)

Quarter by quarter

Both sides went in as named, with Zane Trew and Lachie McNeil starting as subs. The match was played under the Docklands roof.

From the papers

The West Australian

"Led by Kelly, who had 13 touches in the first term, West Coast hunted their highly fancied opponents and overwhelmed their defence by attacking the corridor.

It led to their best first quarter for the season, the Eagles held an unlikely 26-point lead when Elliot Yeo snapped their fifth goal.

McGovern injured himself running back with the flight late and was sidelined for about 15 minutes, which the Bulldogs took full advantage of by kicking three unanswered goals either side of the first break.

To their credit the Eagles weren’t spooked and they weathered the storm for the rest of the first half to maintain an 11-point lead at the main break."

The Age

"The Bulldogs conceded five of the first six goals and spent the rest of the game playing catch-up against a side with only four wins from its previous 47 matches.

They eventually did catch up – hitting the front before three-quarter-time on the back of more Marcus Bontempelli dominance, and seemed to have broken West Coast.

Bontempelli (32 disposals) won seven of his 12 clearances in the third term alone, as the Dogs kicked five goals to two to swing the match in their favour.

But the Eagles unexpectedly rose again in the fourth quarter, with Cripps and McGovern emerging as heroes at either end of the ground, while Kelly was inspirational from go-to-whoa in an outstanding display."

Reserves

Round 19 (19 August)

West Coast fell to finals hopefuls East Perth at Leederville, but had periods of competitiveness including holding the Royals goalless for the third term. Isiah Winder reminded selectors of his talents with two goals from a game-high 29 disposals and Rhett Bazzo had 27 touches and 13 marks.

		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
East Perth		6.4.40		11.10.76		11.15.81		15.24.114
West Coast		3.2.20		4.2.26		7.5.47		10.6.66

Goals: Garlett 3, Winder 2, Browne, Burke, Kemp, Lucassen, Sambo

Best: Winder, Browne, Garlett, Jamieson, Bazzo, Dewar

Injuries: Sumich (hamstring)

Named side:

	West Coast
B:	64.Mercer	33.Bazzo	68.Watson
HB:	22.Winder	56.Creasey	38.Baker
C:	61.McCarthy	48.Nelson	43.Dewar
HF:	70.Lucassen	75.Eastough	52.Kemp
F:	51.Garlett	57.Burke	50.Sumich
R:	30.Barnett	54.Browne	58.Levien
I:	63.Hansen	53.Henderson	81.Mouritz
	80.Sambo
E:	73.J.Edwards	71.Johnstone	72.Pobjoy

In: Watson, Sumich, Garlett

Out: Trew (AFL), Clark (susp.), Nitschke (ankle)

Late changes: Foley, Jamieson for Henderson, Mouritz

Injury list

In the leadup to the round the following players were listed as injured or unavailable:

Player		Injury		Expected return
Culley		Knee		Season		(On inactive list 30/5/23)
Naitanui		Achilles		Season
Ryan		Hamstring		Season
H.Edwards		Groin		Season
Ginbey		Hamstring		Season
Barrass		Back		Season
Waterman		Illness		Season
Sheed		Foot		Season
West		Knee		Season
Burgiel		Hamstring		Season
Hurn		Achilles		1 week
Shuey		Hamstring		1 week
Clark		Suspension		1 week
Allen		Elbow		Test
Cole		Ankle		Test
Maric		Calf		Test
Petruccelle		Illness		Test
Hough		Illness		Test
Jamieson		Illness		Test

References

https://www.afl.com.au/afl/matches/4981

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2023/071820230820.html