#nathan mullenger-mchugh

[onehundredandten-percent]

[footyplusau]

Lions stun Dogs in thriller

NEW BRISBANE Lions skipper Dayne Beams has led his young cubs to a confidence-boosting eight-point win against a young Western Bulldogs line-up that contained just nine of last season’s premiership team.

Despite the Western Bulldogs dominating field position in the final quarter, the Lions hung on to win their first game under new coach Chris Fagan, 0.10.6 (66) to 1.6.13 (58).

Full match coverage and stats

There were plenty of excuses for the Bulldogs however, as they played with one fewer than the Lions with just seven on the bench. 

Although the result was not critical, a knee injury to Roarke Smith in the third quarter meant the night ended on a sour note for the Bulldogs. 

Another serious knee injury to Dog ‘a bitter pill to swallow’

However, given their poor form in 2016, it was an impressive effort from the Lions.

They gained the ascendancy at the stoppages with veteran Lions big man Stefan Martin too strong in the ruck contest for Tim English, who tried hard in his first game. 

Dayne Zorko was relentless and Beams showed his class early in his return from a knee injury. Daniel Rich and Tom Rockliff also hit the contest hard and showed the way for the young group.

In the finish it was red-time goals to hot-headed Lion Mitch Robinson at the end of the first and third quarters that sealed the deal for the Lions, who controlled the ball well in the first half and played solid tempo football. 

By contrast, some of the young Bulldogs were slow to pull the trigger and despite the best efforts of Lin Jong, who battled hard in the middle and Liam Picken who was playing his first game after suffering a fractured cheekbone in February, they could not reel the Lions in, making it particularly tough with seven behinds in the final quarter.

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said despite the obvious disappointment the injury to Smith created, there were positives in the way the young group battled out the game.

“You don’t anticipate that you are going to be that far down but I loved the way as a group they all fought back and made it close in the end. That was really encouraging,” Beveridge said.

“Brisbane looked pretty sharp with their pace and their pressure so it was good to claw our way back into the contest.”

The Bulldogs expect Marcus Bontempelli to play his first game next Thursday against Gold Coast and will play a more experienced team in their final hit-out before round one. 

It’s good to remind them of what winning feels like: Fagan

Lions coach Chris Fagan said he was pleased to win the game in the end and for two-and-a-half quarters the Lions played the way he hoped they would eventually play for four quarters.

“It’s good to come on the road, win a game of footy against a great opposition, a team that won the premiership last year, albeit we know they had a number of players out but you still have to do it. We’ll take a bit of confidence from that,” Fagan said.

WHAT WE LEARNED Western Bulldogs: With just nine players from last season’s premiership team playing, Travis Cloke rested, and one less player than their opposition on the bench, the Western Bulldogs were well below full-strength. It showed in the first half however, as with last season, the game was a good chance for their young players to have a hit-out before the Bulldogs’ opening round clash against Collingwood.

Brisbane Lions: Dayne Beams makes a huge difference around the contest, as he is so good at gathering the ground ball and distributes it in a calm manner. The Lions looked organised and did not give the ball up easily. Although they handballed around stoppages and released, it was noticeable they were prepared to slow the game down when appropriate more often than last season.

NEW FACES Western Bulldogs: Tim English competes hard, is willing to fight for the ball on the ground and will only get better. It’s easy to see why the Bulldogs used their first pick to take a ruckman in the NAB AFL Draft. In the third quarter Nathan Mullenger-McHugh laid a superb tackle, while Patrick Lipinski was handy up forward, clean in his possession and used it well. Lewis Young had six touches and is a good size and shape for a young player. 

Brisbane Lions: Jake Barrett was lively, kicking the first goal of the game and providing link-up run to finish with 17 touches. Matthew Hammellmann is a big-bodied defender who will take time but he is a good size.

NEXT UP The Western Bulldogs play on the Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium against the Suns next Thursday night in what will be close to a full dress rehearsal. The Brisbane Lions fly to Adelaide to take on the Crows at Hickinbotham Oval.

WESTERN BULLDOGS      0.2.2   0.2.4   1.5.7   1.6.13   (58)                   BRISBANE LIONS               0.4.2   0.6.3   0.9.6   0.10.6   (66)          

SUPERGOALS Western Bulldogs: Suckling Brisbane Lions: Nil 

GOALS Western Bulldogs: Jong 2, Stringer 2, C. Smith, Dale Brisbane Lions: Close 2, Robinson 2, Bell 2, Barrett, Keays, Zorko, Hipwood 

BEST  Western Bulldogs: Picken, Jong, Dunkley, Suckling Brisbane Lions: Martin, Beams, Zorko, Bewick, Andrews 

INJURIES Western Bulldogs: Roarke Smith (knee) Brisbane Lions: Nil  

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Stevic, Findlay, Foote, Mollison 

Official crowd: 4901

The post Lions stun Dogs in thriller appeared first on Footy Plus.

from Footy Plus http://ift.tt/2lD7k4j via http://footyplus.net

[footyplusau]

Final teams: Dogs v Lions

Marcus Bontempelli is a late out for the premiers

STAR midfielder Marcus Bontempelli will appear in the final game of the JLT Community Series, with the Western Bulldogs resting him for the clash against the Brisbane Lions.

The club said the 21-year-old’s load was being managed and he would be ready to play against Gold Coast in week four of the pre-season series. 

Off-season recruit Travis Cloke is also a late out along with premiership Dogs Matthew Boyd and Zaine Cordy.

The defending premiers decided to expose several youngsters to senior football with Tim English, the club’s first pick at the 2016 NAB AFL Draft, playing his first game for the Bulldogs. 

He will be joined by Patrick Lipinski and Lewis Young, who joined the club at pick No.28 and pick No.49 respectively in the draft.

The Western Bulldogs will also run one less player on the interchange bench, with seven players starting on the pine. 

The Brisbane Lions will play their first game under new captain Dayne Beams after his appointment was announced on Tuesday. 

Lions recruit Jake Barrett will also play his first game for his new club as the team takes in a relatively strong line-up, with the injured Allen Christensen and Josh Schache the only notable absentees. 

Josh Walker as well as young guns Jarrad Jansen and Rhys Mathieson are the other late outs.

Follow it LIVE: Dogs v Lions

THURSDAY, MARCH 2 Western Bulldogs v Brisbane Lions, Etihad Stadium, 7.40pm AEDT

WESTERN BULLDOGS Out: Zaine Cordy, Marcus Bontempelli, Matthew Boyd, Travis Cloke 

BRISBANE LIONS Out: Josh Walker, Jarrad Jansen, Rhys Mathieson 

WESTERN BULLDOGS 1. Matthew Suckling, 8. Stewart Crameri, 9. Jake Stringer, 10. Easton Wood, 11. Jackson Macrae, 14. Clay Smith, 16. Toby McLean, 17. Tom Boyd, 19. Lukas Webb, 20. Josh Dunkley, 22. Mitch Honeychurch, 25. Marcus Adams, 26. Declan Hamilton, 27. Patrick Lipinski, 31. Bailey Dale, 32. Kieran Collins, 33. Lewis Young, 34. Bailey Williams, 36. Brad Lynch, 37. Roarke Smith, 38. Dale Morris, 40. Nathan Mullenger-McHugh, 42. Liam Picken, 44. Tim English, 46. Lin Jong

Notable absentees: Bob Murphy, Luke Dahlhaus, Lachie Hunter, Tom Campbell, Tom Liberatore

BRISBANE LIONS 1. Ben Keays, 4. Ryan Bastinac, 5. Mitchell Robinson, 6. Hugh McCluggage, 7. Tom Bell, 8. Rohan Bewick, 9. Dayne Beams, 10. Daniel Rich, 12. Stefan Martin, 15. Dayne Zorko, 17. Claye Beams, 18. Nicholas Robertson, 26. Tom Cutler, 27. Darcy Gardiner, 28. Lewis Taylor, 30. Eric Hipwood, 31. Harris Andrews, 32. Sam Mayes, 33. Michael Close, 35. Ryan Lester, 37. Jacob Allison, 38. Tom Rockliff, 40. Matthew Hammelmann, 43. Jake Barrett, 44. Archie Smith, 45. Jack Frost

Notable absentees: Jarrod Berry, Allen Christensen, Daniel McStay, Marco Paparone, Josh Schache, Alex Witherden

The post Final teams: Dogs v Lions appeared first on Footy Plus.

from Footy Plus http://ift.tt/2lX1lKl via http://footyplus.net

[footyplusau]

JLT Series: Marcus Bontempelli back for Western Bulldogs

Western Bulldogs star Marcus Bontempelli will have his first official run of the season when he lines up against Brisbane in Thursday night’s JLT Community Series clash at Etihad Stadium.

Bontempelli, who enjoyed a stunning 2016, becoming an All Australian and claiming the best and fairest in a premiership year, sat out the six-point loss to Melbourne in the opening round of matches. 

Ready for action: Marcus Bontempelli. Photo: Getty Images/AFL Media

He appears set for another strong campaign, where his ability to win the ball in the contest, then distributing with class, makes him an irresistible force.

Easton Wood, Dale Morris, Matthew Boyd, Liam Picken and Matthew Suckling will also have their first official runs of the new campaign.

Skipper Bob Murphy, Tom Liberatore and Luke Dahlhaus will be rested, while reserve ruckman Tom Campbell recovers from the ankle injury he hurt in last weekend’s intra-club clash.

Former Magpie Travis Cloke, who impressed in his first match with his new club, retains his spot. Stewart Crameri, who returned against the Demons from a year-long anti-doping suspension, also retains his spot.

The clash will be a significant moment for Brisbane’s Dayne Beams, who was named as Lions captain on Tuesday. It will also be his first match since a season-ending knee injury in round eight last year.

However, the Lions will be without young forward Josh Schache (knee strain) and forward Jonathan Freeman (fractured cheekbone), who are fighting to be fit for round one. Allen Christensen, who has reinjured his troublesome collar-bone, will also be missing.

Squads: Western Bulldogs:

1. Matthew Suckling, 4. Marcus Bontempelli, 5. Matthew Boyd, 8. Stewart Crameri, 9. Jake Stringer, 10. Easton Wood, 11. Jackson Macrae, 12. Zaine Cordy, 13. Travis Cloke, 14. Clay Smith, 16. Toby McLean, 17. Tom Boyd, 19. Lukas Webb, 20. Josh Dunkley, 22. Mitch Honeychurch, 25. Marcus Adams, 26. Declan Hamilton, 27. Patrick Lipinski, 31. Bailey Dale, 32. Kieran Collins, 33. Lewis Young, 34. Bailey Williams, 36. Brad Lynch, 37. Roarke Smith, 38. Dale Morris, 40. Nathan Mullenger-McHugh, 42. Liam Picken, 44. Tim English, 46. Lin Jong                  

Brisbane Lions:

1. Ben Keays, 4. Ryan Bastinac, 5. Mitchell Robinson, 6. Hugh McCluggage, 7. Tom Bell, 8. Rohan Bewick, 9. Dayne Beams, 10. Daniel Rich, 12. Stefan Martin, 14. Josh Walker, 15. Dayne Zorko, 16. Jared Jansen, 17. Claye Beams, 18. Nicholas Robertson, 26. Tom Cutler, 27. Darcy Gardiner, 28. Lewis Taylor, 30. Eric Hipwood, 31. Harris Andrews, 32. Sam Mayes, 33. Michael Close, 35. Ryan Lester, 36. Rhys Mathieson, 37. Jacob Allison, 38. Tom Rockliff, 40. Matthew Hammelmann, 43. Jake Barrett, 44. Archie Smith, 45. Jack Frost

The post JLT Series: Marcus Bontempelli back for Western Bulldogs appeared first on Footy Plus.

from Footy Plus http://ift.tt/2myNSXk via http://footyplus.net

[footyplusau]

The Bont is back

Bulldogs superstar Marcus Bontempelli will play for the first time in 2017

WESTERN Bulldogs midfield superstar Marcus Bontempelli will suit up for the first time this year in Thursday night’s JLT Community Series clash with the Brisbane Lions at Etihad Stadium.

It will be the 2016 best and fairest’s first hit-out since last year’s premiership win, while it also looms as Lions midfielder Dayne Beams’ debut in his new role as his club’s captain.

Beams, named as Tom Rockliff’s successor on Tuesday, will lead a largely unchanged Lions outfit in his first run for the year.

While the Dogs have called up experienced heads Matthew Boyd, Matthew Suckling, Easton Wood, Dale Morris and Liam Picken, the Lions have opted for minimal changes to their side that was beaten by Gold Coast on the first weekend of the series.

Tom Bell, Tom Cutler, Eric Hipwood and rookie Matthew Hammelmann have been named in a line-up that again won’t feature Allen Christensen, Marco Paparone and Josh Schache, as well as draftees Jarrod Berry and Alex Witherden.

Meanwhile, the Dogs have named 14 players for their first hit-outs for the year, including 2016 draftees Tim English, Patrick Lipinski and Lewis Young, and new rookie Nathan Mullenger-McHugh.

Captain Bob Murphy, Luke Dahlhaus, Lachie Hunter, Tom Campbell and Tom Liberatore have been left out of the side, along with injured ruckman Jordan Roughead.

THURSDAY, MARCH 2 Western Bulldogs v Brisbane Lions, Etihad Stadium, 7.40pm AEDT

WESTERN BULLDOGS 1. Matthew Suckling, 4. Marcus Bontempelli, 5. Matthew Boyd, 8. Stewart Crameri, 9. Jake Stringer, 10. Easton Wood, 11. Jackson Macrae, 12. Zaine Cordy, 13. Travis Cloke, 14. Clay Smith, 16. Toby McLean, 17. Tom Boyd, 19. Lukas Webb, 20. Josh Dunkley, 22. Mitch Honeychurch, 25. Marcus Adams, 26. Declan Hamilton, 27. Patrick Lipinski, 31. Bailey Dale, 32. Kieran Collins, 33. Lewis Young, 34. Bailey Williams, 36. Brad Lynch, 37. Roarke Smith, 38. Dale Morris, 40. Nathan Mullenger-McHugh, 42. Liam Picken, 44. Tim English, 46. Lin Jong                  

Notable absentees: Bob Murphy, Luke Dahlhaus, Lachie Hunter, Tom Campbell, Tom Liberatore

BRISBANE LIONS 1. Ben Keays, 4. Ryan Bastinac, 5. Mitchell Robinson, 6. Hugh McCluggage, 7. Tom Bell, 8. Rohan Bewick, 9. Dayne Beams, 10. Daniel Rich, 12. Stefan Martin, 14. Josh Walker, 15. Dayne Zorko, 16. Jared Jansen, 17. Claye Beams, 18. Nicholas Robertson, 26. Tom Cutler, 27. Darcy Gardiner, 28. Lewis Taylor, 30. Eric Hipwood, 31. Harris Andrews, 32. Sam Mayes, 33. Michael Close, 35. Ryan Lester, 36. Rhys Mathieson, 37. Jacob Allison, 38. Tom Rockliff, 40. Matthew Hammelmann, 43. Jake Barrett, 44. Archie Smith, 45. Jack Frost

Notable absentees: Jarrod Berry, Allen Christensen, Daniel McStay, Marco Paparone, Josh Schache, Alex Witherden

The post The Bont is back appeared first on Footy Plus.

from Footy Plus http://ift.tt/2myqkBT via http://footyplus.net