Bulldogs overcome Bailey Smith drama with strong win over Giants

The Western Bulldogs have made the Bailey Smith drugs controversy yesterday’s news and relit their finals hopes with victory over the GWS Giants at the Sydney Show Grounds on Saturday night despite a spectacular seven-goal performance from Toby Greene.

The 20-point win has left the Bulldogs only a game out of the final eight with a competitive percentage after St Kilda and the Sydney Swans were beaten earlier in the round.

Robbie McComb and Josh Kelly battle for the ball.Credit:Getty

However Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge would not be drawn on the club’s finals chances.

“Every week, they’re all hard to win. And it doesn’t matter who you play. Hawthorn touched us up in Tasmania last year, and we play the Hawks this week,” Beveridge said.

“They’re playing to a very, very committed, competitive, strong brand of footy. So we’ll just worry about the Hawks, and I think everyone knows what we’ve got coming after that as well. We played most of the teams in the top eight, so it’s not going to get any easier.”

Saturday night’s match was hardly a barometer of finals football, with entertaining ball movement far more prevalent than concerted defensive pressure. The combined 230 points was the highest kicked in a match this season.

This allowed some impressive scoring feats. Bulldogs small forward Cody Weightman had five goals by halftime before suffering a dislocated elbow and Aaron Naughton, the key forward with the John McEnroe headband, kicked his fifth early in the final term.

Toby Greene usurped them both with a career-best seven goals in a losing side that included his 250th career goal.

Greene was clearly the Giants’ best while Bulldogs midfielder Jack Macrae had 37 possessions and nine tackles.