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But questions will continue to rage about whether Justin Longmuir can alter Fremantle’s game plan which looks more and more obsolete by the week.
Cold reception
Rory Lobb’s return to Optus Stadium wasn’t lost on his former teammates, who made it clear how they felt about his decision to move from Fremantle to the Western Bulldogs in the off-season.
Rory Lobb was the centre of attention throughout the match.Credit: Getty Images
Alex Pearce was the first to bump Lobb, and it turned into a mini melee before the first bounce, as Jack Macrae led the defence of his new teammate before Jordan Clark threw Lobb to the ground.
While Lobb didn’t have high numbers, he played his role as a leading half-forward. He took a strong contested mark at halfback in the first quarter to relieve some pressure for the Dogs, and kicked a goal in the second that silenced the boos which followed him throughout the evening.
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Lobb finished with 11 kicks and a handball, six marks and 1.3.
Kicking at goal
It’s funny how often the easy is made to look hard and the hard is made to look easy, not just in footy but in many sports.
That summed up the Bulldogs’ first half. They sprayed 3.7 in the opening term, missing a number of relatively simple opportunities, and when Cody Weightman pulled a set shot from straight in front early in the second, it looked like the yips contagion had spread through the team.
But Bailey Williams defied the trend, selling candy to Caleb Serong before slotting a lovely goal on the run from a tight angle to finally give the Dogs some reward for their efforts.
The Western Bulldogs proved too good for the Dockers. .Credit: Getty Images
And the margin was extended to a then game-high 25 points when Aaron Naughton got the next goal, nailing a set shot from the opposite pocket on the wrong side for a left-footer.
The weight of numbers told in the end, with 3.7 at quarter-time turning into 17.16 by the final siren.
Icing on the cake
From start to finish, it was clear who the most influential person on the ground was - Dogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli.
But when he took a big contested mark and kicked his second goal, with less than 10 minutes left on the clock, it sealed the complete captain’s performance.
He finished with 31 disposals, 10 tackles, eight clearances and two goals, and, little doubt, three Brownlow votes.
FREMANTLE 3.1 6.2 9.6 10.9 (69)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 3.7 8.9 12.11 17.16 (118)
GOALS: Fremantle: Sturt 2, Frederick 2, Walters, Jackson, Schultz, O’Meara, Darcy, Amiss
Western Bulldogs: Naughton 3, Williams 3, Bontempelli 2, Treloar 2, Lobb, Weightman, English, Liberatore, Daniel, Scott, McNeil
BEST: Fremantle: Darcy, Serong, Ryan, Brayshaw. Bulldogs: Bontempelli, Liberatore, Treloar, Williams, English