AFL season 2016: Western Bulldogs see off injury-hit Collingwood

WESTERN BULLDOGS  
3.0      4.2      6.5      11.8     (74)
COLLINGWOOD  
3.1      4.7      6.8      7.11     (53)
GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Dunkley 2, Redpath 2, Dickson 2, Wood, Dahlhaus, Bontempelli, Suckling, Campbell.
Collingwood: Moore 2, Fasolo, Treloar, Crocker,  Blair, Pendlebury.
BEST
Western Bulldogs: Dahlhaus,  Wood, Hunter, Liberatore, Suckling, Macrae. 
Collingwood: Howe, Treloar, Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Reid.
UMPIRES
Meredith, Rosebury, Hosking.
CROWD
45,078 at the MCG.

A brave Collingwood more than matched the Western Bulldogs for long periods of this Round 10 clash before a series of injuries emptied their interchange bench, allowing the Dogs to run home over the top for a 21 point win at the MCG.

Nathan Buckley's side suffered in-game injuries to Alan Toovey, Alex Fasolo, Taylor Adams and Darcy Moore, leaving them woefully undermanned in the final quarter as the Bulldogs charged into a lead they had not held since Tory Dickson kicked the opening goal of the game. 

In the end Collingwood, who had led at every change, simply ran out of gas in the face of the Dogs final assault.

They will take plenty of credit from such a plucky performance, but in the end it will count for little as they slip further out of a spot in the top eight, their record now standing at four wins and six defeats while the Dogs climb above the Hawks to maintain their position in the top six.

Its one of sport's eternal verities: if you don't take your chances when you are in control of the game, the other team will almost always get an opportunity to make you pay.

Nowhere is that truer than in a competition like the AFL, where salary caps, list size restrictions and draft rules are set in place to ensure a close competition and even contests.

When sides are as well matched as the in-form Collingwood, victors in their last two games, and the progressive Western Bulldogs, whose frantic run  and move the ball at all costs game has won them plenty of neutral fans, then any team's failure to make the most of its period of domination can prove costly.

Collingwood supporters would have been happy enough that their side had gone to the long break in front, less so that the margin in their favour was only five points.

Contrary to most forecasts, it was a low scoring game, the Pies having kicked 4.7 in the first half to the Dogs 4.2.

Nathan Buckley's team were hard at the ball, tough in their tackling and pressure and quick enough in transition when they broke down a Bulldogs attack to have made much more of their second term domination.

Too often they failed to take scoring chances, either from set shots or opportunities within sight of the goal: their tally of 1.6 from the second period illustrated their problems after a first quarter in which the Pies went goal for goal with the Dogs, both teams notching three apiece with only one behind between them. 

That the Dogs were able to stay in touch was a testament to their ability to hang in and scrap in the face of the Collingwood pressure, a quality that should never be underestimated.

That they didn't do better themselves could be sheeted back to their own inaccuracy by foot, their errant kicking too often lacking penetration and accuracy. Their uncharacteristic hesitancy and waywardness denied them scoring chances from a realistic range in a first half that was short of the standards they have set in previous matches this season.

The third term saw this Collingwood theme continue in what was, nonetheless, an entertaining contest, as tight arm wrestles so often are. They may not please the aficionados, who would prefer a more traditional series of one-on-one contests, but they do ensure that interest levels are maintained and that no side is truly out of contention until late in the game.

The Pies, however, still looked the most likely and their hard running physicality seemed to be paying dividends midway through the third term when goals to Ben Crocker and Adam Oxley, without reply, had allowed them to stretch their lead to a game high 15 points.

The Bulldogs have enjoyed great success in the first half of the season with their attacking thrusts from half back, but Collingwood were able to smother that threat and prevent Luke Beveridge's side from rebounding as often as they would like.

Still, when Luke Dalhaus took a diving mark right on the boundary line with barely 20 seconds remaining in the third quarter and goaled from an acute angle the Dogs had closed to within three points, and the Collingwood army was wondering if its failure to put its opponents away when it had the chance was going to prove costly.

As minds and bodies tired after an intense contest, Buckley's interchange options were non-existent, and Collingwood could only look on as Josh Dunkley ran into an unguarded goal to boot the Bulldogs in front for the first time since the opening minutes of the game.

But the Pies are nothing if not game and Adam Treloar gave them hope with a slashing long range goal to regain the advantage before Tory Dickson - and then Easton Wood with an inspirational effort from distance - put the Bulldogs in the driving seat.

Matthew Suckling's shot from outside 50 in the 19th minute put the Dogs 14 points up, and that broke the game open, with only one winner likely from that point on.