Football: Bulldogs find form over Tigers

Victories over the top two teams in successive weeks have catapulted Bunbury into top five contention with a reasonable run into the finals.

Sunday’s 12.13 to 9.9 win over South Bunbury at Hands Oval was their second over the Tigers this season.

While the Tigers were missing seven of their best 22, nothing could be taken away from the well organised Bulldogs.

They set up the win with a five goal to one first quarter with the recently promoted Ethan Maguire booting a couple of goals from snaps and 150 gamer Codey Hay starting well with a top mark in the square.

Ruckman Jacob Williams was stamping his authority on the game and the evergreen Jesse Gribble and fellow on-baller Rowan McDonnell were winning plenty of the ball around the ground.

In the second term the Tigers were able to win more of the ball with Matt Wilkinson, Damon Bull, Ryan Smith and Wes Lammie prominent.

Goals to Guy Piggott and Patrick Ryan clawed the lead back as the Tigers appeared to be getting back into the game.

A free to McDonnell and a long goal on the siren to Gribble stemmed the tide and gave Bunbury a handy lead of 28 points.

The third quarter was a dour affair with the Tigers adding two goals to one.

A minute into the final term Bulldog Cody Hay took the mark of the day in the square and followed with another a couple of minutes later to ensure a Bunbury win.

With McDonnell having goaled in between the Bulldogs led by 40 points and the result was almost beyond doubt.

Scoreboard

Bunbury 5.1 7.5 9.9 12.13 85 def Sth Bunbury 1.2 3.3 5.7 9.9 63

Goals:

BUNBURY — R. McDonnell, C. Hay 3, E.Maguire 2, J. Adamson-Holmes, C. Garlett, J. Gribble.

STH BUNBURY — G. Piggott, L. Dower 2, P. Ryan, D. Harper, F. Millar, J. Tindall, D. Bull.

Best:

BUNBURY — R. McDonnell, J. Gribble, J. Williams, G. Byrne, R. Sheehan, E. Maguire, C.Hay.

STH BUNBURY — D. Bull, M. Wilkinson, R. Smith, P. Ryan, W. Lammie, K. Bumann.