SUNDAY’S clash between the Western Bulldogs and theKangaroos will be remembered for being Glenn Archer’s 300th match.
Bulldog midfielder Daniel Giansiracusa has his own Archer mementofrom the occasion – a golf ball shaped lump on his forehead courtesy of amarking contest with the champion Shinboner in the first quarter.
“I didn’t see him coming but I heard the crowd go up so Ithought he must be in the vicinity,” Giansiracusa said.
“He’s hard at it, Arch, and he’s done it for 300 games.”
But Giansiracusa said he doesn’t believe the hypesurrounding Archer’s milestone was too much for handle for the Bulldogs.
“I don’t think it’s daunting, we’ve had those games for Granty[Chris Grant] and Westy [Scott West] so you talk about it and you know they’regoing to come out pumped up,” Giansiracusa said.
In the absence of Daniel Cross, Ryan Griffen, NathanEagleton and Robert Murphy, Giansiracusa stepped up as one of the side’s keymidfielders.
He showed he was up to the task with 27 possessions and threegoals in what was his best personal performance for the season.
Not that he would admit it.
“I wouldn’t know. It’s hard to say you’ve played well whenyou’ve just been beaten,” he said.
“Crossy’s probably one of the best midfielders in thecompetition and you notice when he and the others aren’t there but that’s achallenge for us and an opportunity but today [Sunday] we didn’t take that.”
The Bulldogs have a hard month ahead with games against PortAdelaide, West Coast, Geelongand St Kilda.
“The whole year’s tough, there are no easy games,”Giansiracusa said.
“We’ve got a big nine games of footy to go and it’s in ourown destiny.”