Bulldogs crush flat Tigers

Western Bulldogs 25.17 (167) def. Richmond 7.10 (52)

An emphatic nine-goal third term has guided the Western Bulldogs to a thumping 115-point season-opening victory over a lacklustre Richmond unit at the Telstra Dome this evening.

The Dogs broke open the match in the second half, outscoring the Tigers 16 goals to two, giving the boys from the Western suburbs their highest ever score against the Yellow and Black.

It was a horrible start to the season for Richmond who never looked likely, but for last year’s fast finishers, it was a perfect start to their 2006 campaign.

Both sides were forced to make late changes with Bulldog ruckman Peter Street out with the flu, leaving man mountain Will Minson, who suffered a broken hand only two weeks ago, to face the brunt of the ruck work. Matthew Boyd was a more than handy replacement.

Richmond were buoyed by the return of Nathan Brown, who had minimal impact on the match but came through unscathed, but were without Greg Stafford who was forced out with a calf injury. Chris Hyde took his place in the starting 22.

Stand in skipper Brad Johnson was influential in accumulating 23 touches of the leather and drilling five goals.

Johnson had plenty of support with veteran Scott West (33 possessions), Daniel Giansiracusa (30), Daniel Cross (29) and the exciting Nathan Eagleton (18 disposals, four goals) enabling an influx of ball into the forward line.

The pace of the Bulldogs was no match for the Tigers and coach Rodney Eade would be delighted with the input from everyone who donned the Bulldogs Guernsey tonight.

In a night of extreme lows, it was difficult to find a player donning the Yellow and Black that played well.

Youngster Brett Deledio showed glimpses of magic, but was unable to produce the same standard through out the entire match.

Matthew Richardson spent the final term in the backline and, whilst not a force, he showed he tried hard all night amassing 15 possessions.

Nathan Brown also performed well in his return from last year's horrific broken leg, collecting 18 touches.

It was the Tigers who drew first blood through Troy Simmonds, who drilled a goal after being awarded a fifty-metre penalty - the first of three awarded for the term.

Minutes later, after behinds to both teams, Mitch Hahn intercepted a wayward Deledio kick, handpassed and received the ball to give the Dogs their first major for the season.

After a quick transition from the backline, the smiling assassin in Brad Johnson gave the Dogs their second from point-blank range and within a minute, Lindsay Gilbee added another six-pointer.

Simmonds curtailed the Bulldogs advantage with his second.

Jordan McMahon was prominent off halfback, repelling the ball nine times as the Dogs, through Wayde Skipper and handball king Cross, increased the lead.

Just on quarter time, Eagleton received the Sherrin from Matthew Robbins to give the Dogs a 20-point buffer going into the second term.

Courtesy of the new kick-in rules, players tired in the second term and after two Bulldogs goals- off the boots of Eagleton and Boyd, the Tigers gained the ascendancy, only to muck around with the ball by playing short and indirect.

Deledio showed his class by booting Richmond's only two goals for the term.

It was a frenetic stanza in which skills were replaced with a sloppy brand of football. The Tigers accumulated more of the leather, but were unable to capitalise and watched on as Hahn handpassed to Robbins who goaled on half time.

The Bulldogs went into the main break with a 29-point lead but exerted their presence in the third term.

The Bulldogs took a stranglehold on the match in the third stanza, adding nine majors to their total as the Tigers succumbed to their pace and penetrating foot skills.

Eagleton was the main culprit, adding two more to his tally as the Western Bulldogs stamped their authority.

They had 11 individual goal kickers up to three quarter time, which provided plenty of options as the Bulldogs pacy midfield brigade of Giansiracusa, West, Adam Cooney and Johnson ran the ball forward.

Richmond could only muster one goal in the third term as the Dogs extended their lead to a whopping 76 points.

Johnson was brilliant all night, but it was his final term that got the Bulldogs' fans pumping as the veteran added three more majors to his total in a lighting display of talent.

It was much of the same dominance in the final term with the Dogs netting seven goals to the Tigers' solitary major.

It was a blow out and, although it is only round one, the Bulldogs look destined for bigger things in season 2006, whilst Terry Wallace’s Tigers appear set to spend the year in the bottom half of the ladder.

Next week the Dogs tackle Melbourne on Saturday afternoon and Richmond take on last night’s loser St Kilda at Telstra Dome on Friday night.

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