THE WESTERN Bulldogs delivered coach Rodney Eade a 50th birthday present he will never forget when they staged one of the greatest turnarounds in club history to beat St Kilda 19.11 (125) to 13.9 (87) at Telstra Dome.
Trailing by 37 points at quarter time, and seemingly gone for all money after being completely outplayed, the Dogs kicked 18 goals to six in the remaining three terms to win coming away from a side many tipped to push for a premiership in 2008.
The turnaround was quite simply amazing.
Led by midfielders Adam Cooney and Ryan Griffen, who had 53 possessions and kicked five goals between them, the Dogs played an irresistible brand of running football to which St Kilda had no answers.
Cooney and Griffen got great support from Jason Akermanis and Mitch Hahn who shared six goals between them, ruckman Ben Hudson who was superb after quarter time, ball winners Scott West, Matthew Boyd and Daniel Cross and youngster Josh Hill.
Hill kicked two goals, including a brilliant solo effort soon after half-time, had 18 possessions and, apart from one untimely mistake that cost a goal, played with poise and precision.
Early on in the match the Dogs were anything but poised.
Fifteen minutes into the contest and the pre-game concerns of defending St Kilda’s tall timber had crystallised before their very eyes.
Justin Koschitzke, Fraser Gehrig and Nick Rieowldt shared four goals between them to ignite an early Saints avalanche to which the Dogs had no answer.
By quarter time the Saints had taken seven marks inside 50 to the Bulldogs none, led the inside 50 count 16-8, had 14 more handball receives and piled on seven goals to one to lead by 37 points.
Even with three quarters to go it was hard to see how the undersized Dogs could get back into the contest.
A fly on the wall of the quarter-time huddle reported Eade’s message to his troops was simple. Run, run and keep running.
The troops listened.
Inspired by Griffen, Cooney, Cross, West and Hill, the Dogs scratched their way back.
Griffen was simply his superb. His 25-mtere dash out of the centre and subsequent long-range goal on the run epitomised the Dogs' willingness to change the stagnant, stop-start play of the first term with a play-on, run-at-all-costs style designed to run the Saints off their feet.
All over the field the Bulldogs got on top, resulting in a five-goals-to-two second term to cut the deficit to 18 points at the main break.
With all the momentum the Dogs found another gear early in the third term. Mitch Hahn got the ball rolling with an early goal, Hill backed it up with a brilliant individual effort to kick his second and when Akermanis drilled another from a tight angle, the Dogs, for the first time in the match, hit the front.
It was a lead they would not surrender.
Two more goals, including a trademark Akermanis special from a set shot near the boundary, had the Bulldogs seven points up at three-quarter time.
Needing only to maintain its run to keep the tiring Saints at bay, the Dogs did just that, and more.
Sensing a kill the Doggies rammed on five goals to two in a one-sided final stanza to score one of its most memorable wins under Eade.
It was a fairytale end to a fairytale night for the Dogs and their fans. Importantly, it signalled Eade and his men were going to be a force in 2008.
WESTERN BULLDOGS 1.2, 6.6, 11.9, 19.11 (125)
ST KILDA 7.3, 9.6, 10.8, 13.9 (87)
Goals
Western Bulldogs: M Hahn 3, R Griffen 3, J Akermanis 3, A Cooney 2, J Hill 2, J Harbrow 2, R Murphy, W Minson, S Welsh, C Wight. St Kilda: J Koschitzke 3, N Riewoldt 2, L Ball 2, S Milne 2, J Gram, F Gehrig, L Montagna, A Schneider.
Best
Western Bulldogs: A Cooney, R Griffen, J Hill, D Cross, D Morris, R Murphy. St Kilda: S Fisher, A Schneider, J Gram, N Dal Santo, L Ball, R Harvey.
Injuries
Western Bulldogs: N Eagleton (ankle) replaced in selected side by J Harbrow. St Kilda: M Gardiner (calf) replaced in selected side by R Clarke.
Reports: Nil.
Umpires: C Donlon, H Kennedy, B Rosebury.
Crowd: 38,667 at Telstra Dome.
