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2021 Western Bulldogs season

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Western Bulldogs
2021 season
CoachLuke Beveridge
(7th season)
Captain(s)Marcus Bontempelli
(2nd season)
Home groundMarvel Stadium
AFL season5th
Finals seriesRunners Up
Leading goalkickerJosh Bruce (48)
Highest home attendance52,402 vs. Richmond (Round 7)
Lowest home attendance0 (multiple times); 7,387 vs. Brisbane Lions (Round 4) (excluding matches played behind closed doors)

The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football team based in Melbourne, Victoria. Their 2021 season was their 96th season in the Australian Football League (AFL), their seventh season under premiership coach Luke Beveridge, and their second season with Marcus Bontempelli as captain. At the end of the home-and-away season, they finished fifth with 15 wins and 7 losses despite topping the ladder for eight weeks.[1] Nevertheless, they were able to make the 2021 Grand Final against Melbourne, where they lost by 74 points to finish the year as runner-up.

Background

[edit]
Marcus Bontempelli (captain) and Luke Beveridge (coach)

The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football team based in Melbourne, Victoria, that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL). They ended the 2020 home-and-away season seventh on the ladder. Their season ended after St Kilda beat them in the first week of the finals; however, they were able to make the 2021 Grand Final against Melbourne, scheduled for Saturday 25 September 2021.

In the off season, Marcus Bontempelli was named captain of the Western Bulldogs for the second year in a row. Mitch Wallis was named as the vice-captain, replacing Easton Wood. The leadership group was abolished, with players being asked to 'take on more responsibility to guide the team forward'.[2]

Luke Beveridge was head coach for a seventh season.

The Western Bulldogs continued with Mexican foods supplier company Mission Foods as their major sponsor for 2021.

Playing list

[edit]

2020 off-season changes

[edit]

At the end of their 2020 season, the Western Bulldogs delisted 2018 leading goalkicker Billy Gowers and 2016 draftees Fergus Greene and Brad Lynch.[3] Veterans Jackson Trengove and Matthew Suckling, as well as 2017 draftee Callum Porter, were delisted after the trade period.[4] The Western Bulldogs only traded one player, Lachie Young, in the trade period, who went to North Melbourne in a three-way trade that saw the Western Bulldogs receive Brisbane Lions ruckman Stefan Martin; Brisbane and North Melbourne trade picks 63 and 70, respectively; and Lachie Young be sent to North Melbourne.[5] They received out-of-favour Collingwood midfielder Adam Treloar and picks 26, 33 and 42 in exchange for a first-round and future second-round pick.[6] Finally, Mitch Hannan was also traded to the Bulldogs in exchange for a future third-round pick.[7]

In the 2020 AFL draft, the Bulldogs drafted Next Generation Academy graduate Jamarra Ugle-Hagan with the first pick of the 2020 AFL draft[8] as well as small forward Dominic Bedendo with pick 55.[9] They also obtained midfielder/forward Lachlan McNeil at the rookie draft with pick 11.[10]

Removals from playing list
Player Reason Games played Ref.
Billy Gowers Delisted 33 [3]
Fergus Greene Delisted 5 [3]
Brad Lynch Delisted 9 [3]
Callum Porter Delisted 1 [4]
Matt Suckling Delisted 178 (76 at the Western Bulldogs) [4]
Jackson Trengove Delisted 185 (32 at the Western Bulldogs) [4]
Lachie Young Traded to North Melbourne 8 [5]
Tory Dickson Retired 114 [11]
Sam Lloyd Retired 89 (32 at the Western Bulldogs) [12]
Additions to playing list
Player Acquired Former club Former league Ref.
Mitch Hannan Traded from Melbourne Melbourne AFL [7]
Stefan Martin Traded from Brisbane Lions Brisbane Lions AFL [13]
Adam Treloar Traded from Collingwood Collingwood AFL [6]
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan No. 1, 2020 national draft Oakleigh Chargers NAB League [8]
Dominic Bedendo No. 55, 2020 national draft Murray Bushrangers NAB League [9]
Lachlan McNeil No. 11, 2020 AFL Rookie draft Woodville-West Torrens SANFL [10]

Statistics

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Playing list and statistics[14]
Player No. Games Goals Behinds Kicks Handballs Disposals Marks Tackles Notes/Milestone(s)
Adam Treloar 1 17 13 9 186 209 395 50 73 Western Bulldogs debut (Round 1)[15]
Lewis Young 2 9 1 1 47 52 99 24 14
Mitch Wallis 3 6 4 2 28 33 61 20 10
Marcus Bontempelli 4 26 31 19 396 299 695 104 127 150th game (Round 5)"[16]
Josh Dunkley 5 15 5 8 129 220 349 56 78
Bailey Smith 6 26 17 13 354 259 613 97 87 50th game (Round 9)[17]
Lachie Hunter 7 25 10 7 326 220 546 125 60
Stefan Martin 8 9 1 0 29 64 93 11 17 Western Bulldogs debut (Round 1)[15]
Hayden Crozier 9 10 0 0 111 48 159 59 14
Easton Wood 10 15 2 0 111 65 176 70 22
Jack Macrae 11 26 6 4 435 445 880 102 128
Zaine Cordy 12 19 0 0 126 57 183 67 38 100th game (Round 21)[18]
Josh Schache 13 9 5 4 67 27 94 41 11
Rhylee West 14 4 0 2 6 3 9 2 2
Taylor Duryea 15 25 1 0 281 156 437 132 38
Toby McLean 16 3 2 2 17 25 42 9 2
Josh Bruce 17 20 48 21 138 83 221 100 28 150th game (Round 21)[18]
Louis Butler 18 1 0 0 6 4 10 5 2
Cody Weightman 19 16 26 13 120 40 160 48 30
Ed Richards 20 5 1 0 43 25 68 16 9
Tom Liberatore 21 25 14 12 285 313 598 65 135 150th game (Round 2)[19]
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan 22 5 7 2 25 10 35 14 8
Laitham Vandermeer 23 11 6 8 46 50 96 24 26
Buku Khamis 24 1 0 0 7 4 11 1 1 Category-B Rookie, AFL debut (Round 8)[20]
Ben Cavarra 25 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1
Dominic Bedendo 26 0
Patrick Lipinski 27 11 2 1 74 79 153 39 22 50th game (Round 5)[21]
Anthony Scott 28 21 10 8 88 95 183 33 35 Rookie, AFL debut (Round 1)[15]
Mitch Hannan 29 17 14 13 114 53 167 59 51
Lachlan McNeil 30 13 7 8 60 51 111 21 24 Rookie, AFL debut (Round 1)[15]
Bailey Dale 31 26 9 0 447 176 623 100 26
Will Hayes 32 0 Rookie
Aaron Naughton 33 25 47 40 186 94 280 153 39
Bailey Williams 34 23 0 0 247 136 383 104 53
Caleb Daniel 35 25 1 0 364 267 631 100 58
Roarke Smith 37 14 3 4 79 88 167 29 34 Rookie
Riley Garcia 38 9 4 3 57 46 103 14 17 AFL debut (Round 11)[22]
Jason Johannisen 39 25 15 12 152 99 251 67 41
Jordon Sweet 41 5 1 2 21 22 43 12 19 Rookie, AFL debut (Round 5)[23]
Alex Keath 42 23 0 1 161 117 278 110 43 50th game (Round 2)[19]
Ryan Gardner 43 9 0 0 37 18 55 20 5 Rookie
Tim English 44 22 19 15 164 126 290 103 63 50th game (Round 3)[24]
Lin Jong 46 1 0 1 2 2 4 2 0

Season summary

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The fixture for the 2021 season was revealed in December 2020, with each team scheduled to play 22 matches and have a mid-season bye, as was normal prior to COVID-19. Only the first six rounds had times and dates set for the matches, with the remaining dates being confirmed at a later date.[25] The Bulldogs played Gold Coast, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide and West Coast twice, and the other teams once each.[26]

The Western Bulldogs' first match of the season was against Collingwood at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The Bulldogs secured their first win of the season, a 16-point win, after leading the entire game. This saw former Collingwood player Adam Treloar play against his old club for the first time.[27] In Round 2, the Bulldogs played West Coast at Marvel Stadium. The game was very even, with the lead switching 11 times throughout the game. Although the Eagles led by 2 goals at three quarter time, the Bulldogs kicked 5 goals to 2, with Bontempelli kicking the sealer, in order to secure the win, which was described as 'the best game of 2021 so far'.[28]

Round 3 saw the team make history as they brutally demolished North Melbourne in the Good Friday marquee match by 128 points, their biggest winning margin in the club's history.[29][30] Josh Bruce kicked 10 goals, the biggest amount kicked by an AFL player since Ben Brown in 2019.[31] The win propelled them to the top spot of the ladder, with a percentage of 181.6. Round 4 saw the club continue their undefeated streak, after they beat 2020 preliminary finalists Brisbane Lions by 19 points on a windy day at Mars Stadium in Ballarat.[32] Ruckman turned forward Tim English, new recruit Adam Treloar and the ever-consistent Jack Macrae were named as the team's best on ground after they collected a combined 78 disposals and 4 goals.[33]

The Bulldogs went undefeated for the first five games in a season for the first time since 1946 as they beat Gold Coast by 62 points in a fierce display at Marvel Stadium, scoring 11 goals to 1 in the opening half as 150 gamer Marcus Bontempelli led the way. After conceding the third quarter to the Suns, they pulled away in the final quarter to win by their 2nd biggest margin up to that point.[34][35][16] Their undefeated streak continued the following week as the Bulldogs pulled away in a back and forward slog against Greater Western Sydney to claim the victory by 39 points.[36][37] Lin Jong came back into the team only to injure his hamstring in his fourth game in the senior team since 2018, while the ever-consistent Josh Dunkley dislocated his shoulder and ruckman-turned forward Tim English suffered a head knock.[38][39]

The Bulldogs suffered their first loss for the season in Round 7 after they lost to reigning premiers Richmond by 22 points. Despite leading at half time, they could not hold out against the Tigers, who had been inaccurate in the first half.[40][41] After being down 27 points at one stage in the third quarter, the Bulldogs grinded out a win against Carlton in Round 8, with Bruce and Bontempelli among the best performers for that game after collecting 32 disposals and 5 goals, respectively.[42][43] The next week saw the team travel to Adelaide Oval to face Port Adelaide, where they secured a 19-point win.[44] After kicking 6 goals to 2 in the first term, the exact opposite occurred in the second, with the Bulldogs conceding 6 goals and kicking 2 themselves.[45] However, they managed to pull through with late goals to Cody Weightman and Aaron Naughton, sealing the win.[46]

The Bulldogs again made history in Round 10, recording their biggest-ever win against the Saints[47] and recording two 100-point wins for the first time in one season.[48] Their 111-point victory saw the Bulldogs narrowly keep on top in the first quarter, with a 3-goal-to-2 quarter seeing inaccurate kicking from both sides. However, from there, the Bulldogs would kick 18 of the next 21 goals, with 5 players for the Bulldogs scoring multiple goals.[49][50][51] Round 11 saw the Bulldogs get handed their second loss for the season after they were dominated by Melbourne for the majority of the game, resulting in a 28-point loss.[52] The game was played without crowds due to the impact of the pandemic lockdown occurring in Victoria that week.[53][54] The team secured another win against Fremantle at Perth Stadium in Round 12, running out 28-point victors after some inaccurate kicking at goal.[55][56] It was their first win in the state of Western Australia since the 2016 Elimination Final against the West Coast Eagles, which that year saw them progress into the 2016 finals series.[57]

The Western Bulldogs lost their ladder position in the last few weeks of the home-and-away season, slipping from first to fifth. However, they scored wins against Essendon, Brisbane, and Port Adelaide in the finals to qualify for the 2021 Grand Final against Melbourne.

Results

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AAMI Community Series results
Game Day Date Result Score Opponent Score Ground Attendance
G B T G B T
1 Sunday 8 March Won 15 16 106 Melbourne 10 7 67 Marvel Stadium 7,931
Regular season results[58]
Round Day Date Result Score Opponent Score Ground Attendance Ladder
G B T G B T
1 Sunday 19 March Won 10 9 69 Collingwood 7 11 53 Melbourne Cricket Ground A 46,051 6th
2 Sunday 28 March Won 14 16 100 West Coast 14 9 93 Marvel Stadium H 21,391 5th
3 Saturday 2 April Won 25 17 167 North Melbourne 5 9 39 Marvel Stadium A 28.483 1st
4 Saturday 10 April Won 10 13 73 Brisbane Lions 8 6 54 Mars Stadium H 7,387 1st
5 Friday 17 April Won 17 16 118 Gold Coast 8 8 56 Marvel Stadium H 18,920 1st
6 Saturday 23 April Won 15 14 104 Greater Western Sydney 9 11 65 Manuka Oval A 10,064 1st
7 Sunday 30 April Lost 7 13 55 Richmond 11 11 77 Melbourne Cricket Ground A 52,402 2nd
8 Sunday 9 May Won 16 11 107 Carlton 13 13 91 Marvel Stadium H 27,663 2nd
9 Sunday 15 May Won 15 6 96 Port Adelaide 12 5 77 Adelaide Oval A 32,787 2nd
10 Saturday 22 May Won 21 18 144 St Kilda 5 3 33 Marvel Stadium H 28,720 1st
11 Friday 28 May Lost 8 11 59 Melbourne 13 9 87 Marvel Stadium H 0[a] 2nd
12 Sunday 6 June Won 13 15 93 Fremantle 9 11 65 Optus Stadium A 32,875 2nd
13 Bye
14 Friday June 18 Lost 11 12 78 Geelong 12 11 83 GMHBA Stadium A 6,583 2nd
15 Sunday June 27 Won 13 20 98 West Coast 6 7 43 Optus Stadium A 0[b] 2nd
16 Sunday July 4 Won 16 12 108 North Melbourne 11 13 79 Marvel Stadium H 18,216 1st
17 Sunday July 11 Lost 8 12 60 Sydney 11 13 79 Marvel Stadium H 24,817 2nd
18 Saturday July 17 Won 14 6 90 Gold Coast 11 13 79 Metricon Stadium A 8,244 2nd
19 Saturday July 24 Won 13 7 85 Melbourne 9 11 65 Melbourne Cricket Ground H 0[c] 1st
20 Saturday July 31 Won 15 15 105 Adelaide 8 8 56 Mars Stadium H 0[d] 1st
21 Sunday August 8 Lost 12 12 84 Essendon 15 7 97 Marvel Stadium H 0[e] 2nd
22 Saturday August 14 Lost 9 10 64 Hawthorn 5 7 37 UTAS Stadium A 7,822 4th
23 Friday August 20 Lost 10 4 64 Port Adelaide 9 12 66 Marvel Stadium H 0[f] 5th
EF Sunday 29 August Won 13 7 85 Essendon 4 12 36 UTAS Stadium H 9,760
SF Friday 4 September Won 11 13 79 Brisbane Lions 11 12 78 The Gabba A 30,647
PF Saturday 11 September Won 17 14 116 Port Adelaide 6 9 45 Adelaide Oval A 26,400
GF Saturday 25 September Lost 10 6 66 Melbourne 21 14 140 Optus Stadium A 61,118
Key
H Home game
A Away game
EF Elimination final
SF Semi-final
PF Preliminary final
GF Grand final

Notes

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  1. ^ Crowds were not permitted for the Round 11 clash between the Western Bulldogs and the Demons due to the COVID-19 lockdown occurring at the time in Victoria.
  2. ^ Crowds were not permitted for the Round 15 clash between the Western Bulldogs and the Eagles due to the detection of a positive COVID-19 case in Western Australia.
  3. ^ Crowds were not permitted for the Round 19 clash between the Western Bulldogs and the Demons due to the COVID-19 lockdown occurring at the time in Victoria.
  4. ^ Crowds were not permitted for the Round 20 clash between the Western Bulldogs and the Crows due to the COVID-19 lockdown occurring at the time in Victoria.
  5. ^ Crowds were not permitted for the Round 21 clash between the Western Bulldogs and the Essendon Bombers due to the COVID-19 lockdown occurring at the time in Victoria.
  6. ^ Crowds were not permitted for the Round 23 clash between the Western Bulldogs and the Port Adelaide Power due to the COVID-19 lockdown occurring at the time in Victoria.

Ladder

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Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts Qualification
1 Melbourne (P) 22 17 4 1 1888 1443 130.8 70 Finals series
2 Port Adelaide 22 17 5 0 1884 1492 126.3 68
3 Geelong 22 16 6 0 1845 1456 126.7 64
4 Brisbane Lions 22 15 7 0 2131 1599 133.3 60
5 Western Bulldogs 22 15 7 0 1994 1501 132.8 60
6 Sydney 22 15 7 0 1986 1656 119.9 60
7 Greater Western Sydney 22 11 10 1 1768 1773 99.7 46
8 Essendon 22 11 11 0 1953 1790 109.1 44
9 West Coast 22 10 12 0 1752 1880 93.2 40
10 St Kilda 22 10 12 0 1644 1796 91.5 40
11 Fremantle 22 10 12 0 1578 1825 86.5 40
12 Richmond 22 9 12 1 1743 1780 97.9 38
13 Carlton 22 8 14 0 1746 1972 88.5 32
14 Hawthorn 22 7 13 2 1629 1912 85.2 32
15 Adelaide 22 7 15 0 1616 1971 82.0 28
16 Gold Coast 22 7 15 0 1430 1863 76.8 28
17 Collingwood 22 6 16 0 1557 1818 85.6 24
18 North Melbourne 22 4 17 1 1458 2075 70.3 18
Updated to match(es) played on 21 August 2021. Source: AFL
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "AFL Tables - Ladders - Year by Year". afltables.com. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  2. ^ "Wallis appointed as Bont's deputy for 2021". Western Bulldogs Media. 18 February 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d "Bulldogs confirm list changes". Western Bulldogs Media. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d "Dual premiership player among three Dogs delisted". AFL Media. 17 November 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Trade: Young becomes a Roo". North Melbourne Kangaroos Media. 10 November 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  6. ^ a b Schmook, Nathan (12 November 2020). "Last-minute drama: Treloar becomes a Bulldog at the death". AFL Media. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  7. ^ a b Schmook, Nathan (10 November 2020). "Crafty forward enters Kennel for future pick". AFL Media. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  8. ^ a b "2020 Draft, Pick 1: Jamarra Ugle-Hagan". Western Bulldogs Media. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  9. ^ a b "2020 Draft, Pick 55: Dominic Bedendo". Western Bulldogs Media. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  10. ^ a b "2020 Rookie Draft: McNeil arrives, Smith returns". Western Bulldogs Media. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  11. ^ Whiting, Michael (27 September 2020). "Dog's days are over: Premiership hero calls time". Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  12. ^ Noakes, Cameron (15 December 2020). "Retirement shock: Dogs forward, ex-Tiger quits despite contract". AFL Media. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  13. ^ Cleary, Mitch (10 November 2020). "Big Lion, young Dog find new homes in three-way trade". AFL Media. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  14. ^ "2021 Player Stats". AFLTables. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  15. ^ a b c d Cotton, Ben (17 March 2021). "Bulldogs to unveil FOUR Round 1 debutants". ZeroHanger. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  16. ^ a b Ryan, Peter (17 April 2021). "Bulldogs party as 'The Bont' celebrates 150th in style". Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  17. ^ "Round 9 • Port Adelaide v Western Bulldogs - Line Ups". afl.xom.au. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  18. ^ a b "Round 21 • Western Bulldogs v Essendon - Line Ups". afl.com.au. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  19. ^ a b "Western Bulldogs vs West Coast - Line Ups". afl.com.au. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  20. ^ Healy, Jonathan (9 May 2021). "Dogs stun Blues with final-quarter fightback". AFL Media. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
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  22. ^ "Round 11 • Western Bulldogs v Melbourne - Line Ups". afl.com.au. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  23. ^ "Sweet to debut". Western Bulldogs Media. 16 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  24. ^ "North Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs - Line Ups". afl.com.au. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  25. ^ Schmook, Nathan. "Full AFL fixture reveal: Six rounds locked in, floating schedule unveiled". AFL.com.au. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  26. ^ "Fixture breakdown: Double-ups, byes, what your club says". AFL Media. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  27. ^ Cleary, Mitch (19 March 2021). "Treloar gets the last laugh as Dogs dominate disposals". AFL Media. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  28. ^ Twomey, Callum (28 March 2021). "What a game! Bont inspires Dogs in an instant classic". AFL Media. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  29. ^ Francis, Kieran (2 April 2021). "Western Bulldogs record biggest win in club history against pitiful North Melbourne, Josh Bruce kicks 10 goals". sportingnews.com.au. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  30. ^ Ryan, Peter (2 April 2021). "Josh Bruce kicks 10 in record-breaking Bulldogs win". The Age. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  31. ^ Cleary, Mitch (2 April 2021). "Bruce boots massive bag in brutal demolition of dismal Roos". AFL Media. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  32. ^ "Dogs master Lions in windy Ballarat to stay perfect". AFL Media. 11 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  33. ^ "Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane Lions - Player Stats". AFL Media. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  34. ^ Michael, Luke (17 April 2021). "Dogs ride 11-goal burst to continue perfect start". AFL Media. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  35. ^ Savage, Nic (17 April 2021). "Gold Coast Suns narrowly avoid historic low against Western Bulldogs". news.com.au. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  36. ^ Pegan, Martin (23 April 2021). "Injuries galore as Dogs break Giant shackles late to stay perfect". AFL Media. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  37. ^ Coch, Lukas (23 April 2021). "Western Bulldogs maintain unbeaten start to AFL season with 39-point win over GWS Giants". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  38. ^ Pegan, Martin (23 April 2021). "'It's an emotional night': Dogs count cost of brutal win". AFL Media. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  39. ^ Balmer, Matt; Waterworth, Ben (24 April 2021). "'That's shattering': Injury carnage as Dogs stars face lengthy sideline stints". Fox Sports. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  40. ^ Beveridge, Riley (30 April 2021). "Still the team to beat: Injury-hit Tigers end Dogs' undefeated streak". AFL Media. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  41. ^ Laughton, Max (30 April 2021). "'Second-rate' Dogs flaw utterly exposed; Tigers beast roars back into form: The 3-2-1". Fox Sports. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  42. ^ Healy, Jonathan (9 May 2021). "Dogs stun Blues with final-quarter fightback". AFL Media. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  43. ^ Leonard, Owen (9 May 2021). "Dogs hound brave Blues into submission". Herald Sun. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  44. ^ "Western Bulldogs beat Port Adelaide by 19 points, Richmond defeats GWS by four, after wins for Sydney, Nth Melbourne and Brisbane". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 15 May 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  45. ^ Barrett, Steve (15 May 202). "Western Bulldogs outmuscle Power to move to the top". The Age. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  46. ^ Michael, Luke (15 May 2021). "Brilliant Bulldogs bare their teeth in powerful win over Port". AFL Media. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  47. ^ Twomey, Callum (22 May 2021). "Dogs maul Saints, but Treloar injury sours win". AFL Media. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  48. ^ "AFL Report - Bulldogs back on top with triple-figure win". Western Bulldogs Media. 22 May 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  49. ^ Laughton, Max (22 May 2021). "Dogs reclaim ladder lead ahead of defining month; Saints' season from hell is over: The 3-2-1". Fox Sports.
  50. ^ "Adelaide Crows pip Melbourne in AFL thriller, Western Bulldogs hammer St Kilda by 111 points". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 22 May 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  51. ^ Gould, Russell (23 May 2021). "Dogs hand Saints brutal reality check with third thrashing of the year". news.com.au. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  52. ^ Twomey, Callum (28 May 2021). "What a statement! Dees dismantle Dogs to take top spot". AFL Media. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  53. ^ Lerner, Ronny; Bruce, Jasper (28 May 2021). "Eerie scenes as AFL blockbuster proceeds without a crowd". news.com.au. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  54. ^ Ryan, Peter (27 May 2021). "No blockbuster for Bulldogs as AFL counts lockdown cost". The Age. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  55. ^ Laughton, Max; Cotton, Ben (7 June 2021). "Injury 'carnage' puts Freo's season in peril, Dogs break Optus Stadium hoodoo: The 3-2-1". Fox Sports. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  56. ^ Schmook, Nathan (6 June 2021). "Purple pain: Dogs too good for injury-devastated Dockers". AFL Media. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  57. ^ "AFL TEAM - Round 12". Western Bulldogs Media. 4 June 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  58. ^ "2021 Season Scores and Results". AFL Tables. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
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