VIDEOS: Match highlights | Petrie flies high and goal | Cunnington hard at it | McIntosh goes down | Brad Scott press conference

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LED BY a dominant Brian Lake in defence, the Western Bulldogs have defeated a disappointing North Melbourne by 18 points on Sunday afternoon at Etihad Stadium.

The Bulldogs wrested the game from North with six goals to three in the second quarter to take a 19-point lead into half-time, and held on to win 15.11 (101) to 12.11 (83).
 
In that second quarter they took advantage of numerous poor decisions from North Melbourne, whose players turned the ball over going forward on several occasions.
 
Too often the Kangaroos' kicker was like an ambitious golfer trying to carry water, underestimating the range and coughing it up.

 Each time the Kangaroos made a mistake, the Bulldogs found space on the fat side of the ground and Daniel Giansiracusa, Ayce Cordy, Tory Dickson and Shaun Higgins took advantage.
 
At the other end of the ground Lindsay Thomas was squandering chances, missing two sitters from 20m out.
 
Dickson had three goals by half-time and Higgins and Giansiracusa two each.
 
It proved the difference.

Western Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney was his usual understated self after the game, but was heartened by what he saw.

"We've been very patchy - which everyone's been well aware of - with the ball. And I think today we were OK in all three areas for a bit longer against a footy club we respect," McCartney said. "We've now got three wins, and we get onto next week and try to do it again."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott said the team failed to execute the basics and were given a lesson in how to win clearances and the contested ball.
 
"We didn't execute what we were trying to do well at all," Scott said.
 
The Bulldogs defended well, with Lake good again and their midfield working back to support. Scott said at times it looked as though the Kangaroos were kicking the ball to Lake, with the delivery making it hard for Drew Petrie to quell the rebounding defender's influence.

North Melbourne's Scott Thompson was the best player for the Kangaroos.
 
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Daniel Cross had done some exceptional interception work in the second quarter and topped it off with an intercept and goal early in the third quarter.
 
That third term was end-to-end football with both teams kicking five goals apiece.

However the Bulldogs were winning the stoppages with Ryan Griffen, Tom Liberatore and Mitch Wallis very effective and North Melbourne was constantly on the back foot. With Adam Cooney a late withdrawal - he is expected back next week - the Bulldogs' youngsters stepped up.
 
Whenever the Kangaroos hit back, the Bulldogs had an answer. Two consecutive crumbing goals to Justin Sherman midway through the third quarter kept the margin wide enough for North to feel under constant pressure.

"It was a hard slog, but we got there," McCartney said. "We've got a long way to go, we know we're a work in progress."
 
North Melbourne's Hamish McIntosh went down heavily in the third quarter with what appeared to be a right knee injury and was subbed off. However he looks likely to only miss one week.
 
In the last quarter the Kangaroos stayed within striking distance but could never reduce the margin below two goals.
 
The Bulldogs won with an honest performance and hunted the ball with more purpose. Scott said the Dogs deserved the win.

"I thought the Western Bulldogs out pressured us, out contested us out ran and beat us in almost every facet of the game," Scott said. "I thought they were fantastic today so full credit to them."

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NORTH MELBOURNE      3.1   6.5    11.8   12.11   (83)                  
WESTERN BULLDOGS           3.3   9.6      14.8   15.11   (101)          
 
GOALS
North Melbourne: Thomas 3, Petrie 3, Anthony 2, Cunnington, Harper, Adams, Edwards
Western Bulldogs: Dickson 4, Giansiracusa 3, Higgins 2, Sherman 2, Cordy, Wallis, Cross, Murphy
 
BEST
North Melbourne: Thompson, Swallow, Anthony, Wells
Western Bulldogs: Lake, Griffen, Boyd, Dickson, Higgins, Liberatore, Hargrave
 
INJURIES
North Melbourne: Hamish McIntosh (knee)
Western Bulldogs: Adam Cooney replaced in the selected side by Clay Smith
 
SUBSTITUTES
North Melbourne: Brad McKenzie replaced Hamish McIntosh at three-quarter-time.
Western Bulldogs: Clay Smith replaced Jordan Roughead in the last quarter.
 
Reports: Nil
 
Umpires: Nicholls, Wenn, Jennings

Official crowd: 20,885 at Etihad Stadium

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs

VIDEOS: Match highlights | Petrie flies high and goal | Cunnington hard at it | McIntosh goes down | Brad Scott press conference

Can't view the videos? Visit the NMFC YouTube Channel