Greater Western Sydney has obliterated a despondent Western Bulldogs by 82 points at UNSW Oval, thanks in part to a 34-disposal effort from Lachie Whitfield and a monster six-goal haul from Jeremy Cameron.
The Giants thumped their opposition in the forward half, kicking 20 goals for the game opposed to the the Bulldogs' meagre seven.
The disappointing day for the the Dogs only got worse with Tom Liberatore suspected to have ruptured his ACL in the first quarter.
From the onset the Giants looked ominous, with Adam Tomlinson and Josh Kelly at the forefront of a frenetic GWS start.
The duo racked up 10 and 13 disposals in the first quarter respectively, as the Giants sought to overrun run the Bulldogs through their trademark style of rebounding in waves.
Jonathan Patton and Jeremy Cameron provided the opening two goals of the game, as the Giants piled on four unanswered goals by the 18th minute mark; a rout seemingly on the cards.
The Bulldogs, inspired by Lachie Hunter, responded with three goals of their own, to cut the margin down to five points at the first break, but not before disaster struck.
Liberatore went down with what is suspected to be yet another ACL injury, and will have scans within the next 24 hours to determine the extent of the injury.
The tenacious midfielder grabbed his right knee after it suddenly buckled while chasing a loose footy on the boundary, and was helped off the field by trainers.
Despite the loss of Liberatore, the second quarter began with promise for the Bulldogs after Bailey Dale marked inside the 50 in the opening minute, yet failed to put the Dogs in front after hitting the post.
The initial surge however, was as good as it got for Luke Beveridge’s men, as the Giants proceeded to pile on seven goals to one in the second term.
The Giants' efficiency heading into the forward 50 was outlined by the fact they trailed the Bulldogs for the inside 50 count, yet led by 42 points at the main interval.
Toby Greene and Josh Kelly once again starred on for the Giants, with the former having eight score involvements, three goal assists and three goals to his name at half-time.
The start of the third quarter once again provided a shade of hope for the Bulldogs, as Jordan
Roughead slotted home from 40 metres out.
But again mirroring the second quarter, the Giants added another six unanswered goals to place a demoralising 70-point lead over the Bulldogs, with the usual suspects in Cameron (six goals), Coniglio (29 touches), Kelly (23 touches), and Greene (10 score involvements, four goal assists) all too hot to handle for the weakened Bulldogs.
A dead-rubber fourth term began with yet another goal for the imperious Giants through their star forward in Greene, before the Bulldogs added the next two as the Giants lifted the foot off their throat.
The Giants continued to lock the ball in their half, eventually adding another two goals, including a goal for debutante Zac Langdon, to run out as comfortable 82-point winners.
Luke Dahlhaus, along with Jack Macrae Hunter, provided little highlights to the Dogs' poor display, with 29, 31 and 32 disposals respectively.
GWS will move into next week hoping to boost their already sizeable percentage against the Magpies, while the Bulldogs will have their sights firmly set on next week's with West Coast.
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 4.2 11.4 17.4 20.13 (133)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 3.3 4.4 5.6 7.9 (51)
GOALS
Greater Western Sydney: Cameron 6, Greene 4, Patton 2, Coniglio 2, Kelly 2, Shiel, Tomilinson, Langdon, Himmelberg
Western Bulldogs: Roughead 2, Honeychurch, Suckling, Dale, Dunkley, Gowers
BEST
Greater Western Sydney: Cameron, Whitfield, Greene, Shiel, Kelly
Western Bulldogs: Hunter, Dahlhaus, Macrae, McLean, Roughead
INJURIES
Greater Western Sydney: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Liberatore (knee)
TALKING POINTS TO COME...
1. HARD-RUNNING GIANTS DO IT AGAIN
The Giants once again showcased their ability to overload their opponents through efficiency, hard work and plenty of run.
GWS ended up with +77 uncontested possessions, +51 uncontested marks, +21 contested possessions, and operated at around 80 per cent by foot for the whole match, highlighting their success in their game plan of attacking in waves, which proved to be too strong for the disappointing Bulldogs.
Speed from the likes of Tim Taranto, Whitfield and Coniglio were unable to be seriously challenged from anyone in the Bulldog line-up, and was integral to the Giants' swift victory.
2. IS THIS THE YEAR OF TOBY GREENE?
There aren'y too many players who polarise fans of the AFL like Toby Greene, with the forward’s
unquestionably elite ability more than matched by his misdemeanours on the field.
But it was the forward’s shining ability on the ball in the forward half today which could change the opinion of his critics.
Greene's 25 touches coming at 80 per cent efficiency, coupled with four goals, four assists, 10 marks (five inside 50) and 12 score involvements for the game shows only a glimpse of his talent, which has been stagnated by off-the-field issures.
With the Bulldogs unable to handle his tactical nous and finesse, perhaps this may be the year for Greene to put together a solid and controversy-free season.
3. WHERE TO NOW FOR THE BULLDOGS?
Stats can sometimes tell a different story as to what played out on the field, however today was not one of those days.
The Bulldogs looked a side bereft of belief for much of the game, showcased by their spectacular inferiority in efficiency by foot (-25 per cent), uncontested possessions (-77 differential), and uncontested marks (-51).
Sure, the loss of Tom Liberatore would have had adverse impact on the fortunes of the Dogs, however such discrepancies in uncontested footy highlight a lack of hard work, running, and defensive structure - something Luke Beveridge will be keen to avoid next week at home against West Coast.
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