BULLDOGS TOO GOOD FOR CATS
Ben Jensen 22 August 2009

By Ben Jensen. THE WESTERN BULLDOGS held off a determined but ultimately despondent Geelong side by fourteen points at Etihad Stadium last night. The Bulldogs led for most of the game but the Cats, thanks to Ablett, Corey, Bartel, Mooney and Selwood, overcame a 30 point margin in the third quarter to get their noses in front by the final change. The Bulldogs regained the lead a few minutes into the final term, but the Cats soon struck back through Mooney. However the Bullies weren't done yet and jumped out to what would be a match-winning lead, kicking four of the last five goals to temporarily grab fourth spot and bragging rights over their west of Melbourne rivals.

By rights the Bulldogs probably should've been leading by fifty points and not thirty in the third quarter so perhaps the Cats got off lightly; they just weren't efficient enough, a story Geelong fans would be familiar with. In contrast Cameron Mooney and Tom Hawkins again combined well at the former Phone Dome, seven goals between them telling the story.

The Cats will now hope for a confidence-boosting win over Fremantle at home next weekend before what appears to be a certain first up final against in form Collingwood at the MCG. The Bulldogs though could change that script, a win over the Wobblers at Etihad next Sunday by more than a couple goals would most likely put them into third spot.

WESTERN BULLDOGS: 3.5 7.12 10.12 16.14 (110) DEFEATED
GEELONG: 3.2 5.5 11.9 14.12 (96)

GOALS
WESTERN BULLDOGS: J Hill 3 A Cooney 2 B Johnson 2 M Boyd 2 C Ward J Akermanis L Gilbee M Hahn R Murphy S Higgins S Welsh
GEELONG: C Mooney 4 T Hawkins 3 S Byrnes 2 H Taylor J Selwood M Stokes R Gamble S Mumford

BEST
WESTERN BULLDOGS: M Boyd J Harbrow A Cooney B Lake B Johnson C Ward R Murphy
GEELONG: J Selwood J Corey G Ablett M Scarlett S Byrnes C Mooney

CROWD: 46,818 at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne Docklands