A Port star is set for MRO scrutiny after their heavy loss to the Dogs
After a tight start to the game in windy conditions at Mars Stadium, the Dogs kicked 18 goals to the Power's three after quarter-time in a complete domination, 20.11 (131) to 5.11 (41).
FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer.
Tim English (27 touches, 30 hit-outs, three goals, game-high 17 score involvements) was enormous and Adam Treloar (27 disposals) didn't miss a beat in his return from injury.
The likes of Marcus Bontempelli (23 touches, three goals), Ed Richards (30 disposals, two goals) and Matthew Kennedy (26 touches) also shone through the midfield.
It marked the Dogs' third straight victory to climb into the top four, if only momentarily, despite battling a horror injury run in the early rounds of the season.
The Power meanwhile had their three-game winning streak snapped, while Willie Rioli could come under scrutiny from the Match Review Officer for an off-ball hit on Bailey Dale.
Make it three straight wins — and convincing wins at that — for the Bulldogs as Luke Beveridge's side continued its strong form.
After navigating injuries, the Jamarra Ugle-Hagan situation and Beveridge's own uncertain future in the early rounds, the 5-3 Dogs are arguably playing as well as they have since that 2016 flag run.
So big was this victory in Ballarat that it saw the Dogs improve their percentage to 127 – third behind only Gold Coast and Collingwood.
Beveridge is simply coaching as well as we've seen during his time at the Kennel and surely in line for a contract extension beyond this year.
His side clearly played the windy conditions in country Victoria better than Port Adelaide to control play and field position in Saturday afternoon's clash.
Four-time premiership Hawk Jordan Lewis believes the Dogs 'played the conditions perfectly'.
'They've been able to control the ball by kick mark, which Port haven't been able to do,' he said.
'A little bit too classy.'
English, who was best-on-ground, was proud of the way his side's 'brand' adapted to the windy conditions.
'We were just trying to play our brand of football,' the star ruckman told Fox Footy post-match.
'Obviously there's changes in the numbers game playing against the breeze and with the breeze.
'We tried to play our brand and use some short hit ups and able to get it in deep to our forwards, who provided a great contest.'
It's frightening to consider the Dogs are only just starting to get their troops back now.
After welcoming the likes of Bontempelli and Treloar back into the fold in recent weeks, we're starting to see Beveridge's side at full strength.
Couple that with how well the team has been playing this year when undermanned and there's so much potential at Whitten Oval in 2025.
Just when we were staring to gain confidence in Port Adelaide during a three-game winning streak, this feels like a big regression.
The Power were made to look second rate in Ballarat in a disappointing showing from Ken Hinkley's 4-4 side against an opponent it was seen as equal enough to.
It's a result that could be soured by Rioli having a potential Match Review Officer case to answer for following an off-ball hit to Dale in the third quarter.
'You can see (Rioli) trying to get away then makes contact with Bailey,' former Hawks sharpshooter Ben Dixon said.
'Willie was a little bit disappointed with himself when he came off the ground.
'The MRO will surely have a look at that one.'
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Courier-Mail
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Ralph on fears of St Kilda player exodus Video Player is loading. Play Video This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Learn More X Loaded : 5.13% 0:00 00:00 / 00:00 Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. 03:11 SUBSCRIBER ONLY Ralph on fears of St Kilda player exodus more becoming... more increasingly agitated with the situation ahead of the trade period. AFL: Jon Ralph gives an update on the situation at St. Kilda Saints where senior players are... ... more '6.30 tonight (Tuesday), in my car, in my driveway, (Wilkie said): 'Ross I've never entertained going anywhere else, I love St Kilda, I love what we're doing',' Lyon said. 'There's a lot of half-baked stories, that's what I see. 'I heard the (Michaelangelo) Rucci stuff, I listened to it. I thought it was two old blokes having a beer and a barbecue in the backyard. 'There was no substance, no rigour, I said 'Ruc, you send me postcards from Italy herding the sheep and counting the sheep. 'To be honest, you're a Port Adelaide nuffy, let's move on. 'Does he write content for the Port Adelaide SANFL club, is he a mad Port Adelaide, are they trying to get us into a bit of turmoil? Callum Wilkie of the Saints. Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images. 'It's all part of the theatre, it's all part of feeding the chooks. 'I hear the noise about contracted players... I would think contracted players are at your club unless you decide otherwise.' Lyon also addressed reports about the club's interest in Harley Reid, curiously suggesting West Coast officials are frustrated by Reid's ongoing contract saga — and the club's failure to lock the young star down. 'I do love Tim, but he got this one wrong,' Lyon said. 'You just voiced, Don Pyke the (West Coast) CEO, who we love and respect, is frustrated at their end for whatever reason for Harley and negotiations. 'Clearly they think there is something in the ether that is getting in their way. Well it certainly isn't me.' Lyon said he has never spoken to Reid personally. However, he did not address the possibility of Reid speaking to other figures at the Saints. Originally published as AFL coach bakes 'nuffy' journo as St Kilda crisis addressed
The Advertiser
an hour ago
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The troubled forward has been back at training, at times, following an extended break. Bulldogs assistant coach Brendon Lade believed Ugle-Hagan had "put himself back a couple more weeks". "The way the VFL is playing at the moment he might be lucky to get a game," Lade told 3AW on Sunday. Beveridge called Lade's comments "tongue-in-cheek". "I think it was more about how well Footscray are going, rather than Jamarra's preparation," Beveridge said. "Ladey' will live and learn. "That's the thing about taking lines like that in different contexts, it can come back to bite you. "So he's learned an early lesson, if he's hopefully part of that market for a senior coaching job." Beveridge was also bullish on the senior coach prospects of another assistant at the club. Former Eagles coach Adam Simpson said last week Bulldogs assistant Daniel Pratt was more than ready to be a senior coach.
Perth Now
2 hours ago
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Western Bulldogs star on verge of remarkable return
Injury-plagued Western Bulldogs star Adam Treloar is pressing to return via the VFL this week following his latest calf setback. Coming off a career-best season in 2024 when he was named All-Australian for the first time, Treloar has been restricted to a career-low of just four games this year. The 32-year-old again trained strongly at the Whitten Oval on Wednesday, following a match simulation session last weekend. The Bulldogs will be extra careful with Treloar given his wretched run with soft-tissues this year. But the star midfielder is being strongly considered to play for Footscray in the VFL on Sunday when they host Carlton. "He's had a couple of good weeks, almost surprising weeks," Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said of Treloar, who is a "chance" this week. "Encouraging stuff, to the point where now we can consider him for some state league minutes. "My philosophy around playing players who are under prepared is they can't compromise the team at any level. "But we believe that he won't, because he's done the necessary preparations. "We just need to firm it up, it's still early in the week and we've got another session on Friday." The Bulldogs need to win both of their remaining games against West Coast and Fremantle to be guaranteed of playing finals. Even if they only win one and finish the season on 14 wins, it will likely not be enough to qualify. If that happened the Bulldogs would have a strong case to be one of the most unlucky teams of all-time given 12 or 13 wins is usually enough to make finals, and no team has ever missed out with 14. Even if the Bulldogs and their VFL team make strong runs into the finals, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan is increasingly unlikely to make an appearance at any level. The troubled forward has been back at training, at times, following an extended break. Bulldogs assistant coach Brendon Lade believed Ugle-Hagan had "put himself back a couple more weeks". "The way the VFL is playing at the moment he might be lucky to get a game," Lade told 3AW on Sunday. Beveridge called Lade's comments "tongue-in-cheek". "I think it was more about how well Footscray are going, rather than Jamarra's preparation," Beveridge said. "Ladey' will live and learn. "That's the thing about taking lines like that in different contexts, it can come back to bite you. "So he's learned an early lesson, if he's hopefully part of that market for a senior coaching job." Beveridge was also bullish on the senior coach prospects of another assistant at the club. Former Eagles coach Adam Simpson said last week Bulldogs assistant Daniel Pratt was more than ready to be a senior coach.
