Marcus Bontempelli’s class swept the Western Bulldogs to their second straight win against a top-five side from last season, thrashing arch-rivals GWS by 81 points on Saturday – a level Giants coach Adam Kingsley admitted “undercuts the nature of the competition”.
Bontempelli seemed to do what he wanted in the first half to set up his team’s victory, and Kingsley could not hide his disappointment at his team’s inability to withstand the heat.
“We’ve been really frustrating the last two outings against this group of guys, and maybe the edge is dampening the competitiveness a little bit,” Kingsley said.
The dogs did it: Aaron Naughton and Marcus Bontempelli.Balance: AFL Pictures
“We need to compete better to make it the competition it has been and deserves to be.”
The clash did not amount to a grudge match – it was more like boys against men.
The Bulldogs had 21 goals – six from Aaron Naughton and four from Sam Darcy – as they restricted their listless opposition to seven. The game was won from full control clearance.
The Bulldogs captain, arguably the most dominant player in the competition, was allowed to roam unhindered in the first half and had 18 possessions and three goals by the break.
Kingsley sent Xavier O’Halloran on in the second half, but it was too late.
Bontempelli didn’t add to his goal tally after the break but finished the game with 33 goals and of course three Brownlow votes.
Adam Kingsley had a home truth on his side after the loss to the Bulldogs.Balance: Getty Images
Even seasoned Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge was moved to praise his captain after the game.
“It’s rare that I stand in front of a group and smoke because, you know, I don’t want him to feel bad,” he said.
“He knows what I think about him, how I feel about him. But, yes, after today, it was important to recognize how well he played. He was very good.
“By far he was the most influential player. He and Aaron (Naughton). I mean, Aaron’s game was incredible as well.”
When asked how Bontempelli maintained his good looks after 13 years in the AFL, Beveridge pointed to work-life balance.
Luke Beveridge addresses his men at Marvel Stadium.Balance: AFL Pictures
“As you know, he got married (in October). His wife, Neila, is pregnant, so he’s going to be a father a little later. There’s a lot going on in his life,” Beveridge said.
“They’ve opened Arthur’s Cafe (Arthur’s Milk Bar in Kew) and that helps sometimes, you know, to distract. But he never needed that.
“He has a good career and a fair focus outside the game, and I think he has the same balance.”
The Giants arrived in Melbourne in a non-competitive position, which is surprising considering their past, and the fact that they were beaten by the Bulldogs by 88 points at the same venue in round 21 last year.
On Saturday, they were outgained 45 to 26, midfield 20 to 10 and shortstop 25 to 16. The Bulldogs scored 10 more points inside the 50-yard line.
It was the Bulldogs, not the Giants, who chased it all down – none other than junior forward Rhylee West, who dribbled past Giants midfielder Clayton Oliver for a late second-quarter field goal and brought down Giants captain Toby Greene in a brutal tackle moments later.
For a while, it looked like Greene would return the fire and add spice to the contest. But this was no old competition. This was not the Greene of old.
“With Toby, when I got him, he grabbed my jumper, but I didn’t want to try to fight him or anything,” West said after the game.
“I was quite a bit of a wuss from trying to get there. So I thought, ‘No, just stop. Let me kick it, Toby, thanks’.”
West’s two-yard effort was indicative of how the Bulldogs pushed down to help their defense – an area that was lacking last year.
“Obviously we analyzed that in the offseason,” West said. “I think the 18-man defense – where we can help if we can get down low and put pressure and get back on goal.
“I think that’s good for us. So, yeah, obviously we looked at how we wanted to defend at the end of last year. And, yeah, I think it’s going to continue a lot this year.”
The Giants arrived in Melbourne unprepared for the fight. They forgot about the competition and forgot about Bontempelli. Maybe the two were connected.
During a recent State Of Origin project in Perth, Greene said he and Bontempelli shared a coffee.
“I couldn’t care less about the Dogs and that rivalry anymore,” Greene told the Herald in February. He might want to reconsider that approach.
