THE WESTERN Bulldogs have staged a stunning fightback against a spirited Greater Western Sydney to win by 27 points on a sand-covered Star Trak Oval in Canberra.
The Giants led at every change - as occurred when the two sides met at the same ground last year - but once again it was the Bulldogs who stormed home with six unanswered goals to finish 17.8 (110) to 12.11 (83) victors on Saturday.
Two final-quarter goals by impressive Bulldogs forward Liam Jones helped snatch the victory away from the Giants, who didn't have the legs to replicate last week's late winning surge against Melbourne.
View Coach McCartney's review of the Bulldogs 27-point victory.
The result leaves both sides with two wins and two losses after four rounds.
Stewart Crameri (four goals) and Jones (three goals) took the lion's share of the scoring for the Dogs, while Matthew Boyd was outstanding with 39 possessions.
Having hosted the Sheffield Shield final just three weeks ago, the Canberra surface was controversially covered in a layer of sand, forcing uncharacteristic errors and threatening injury for both sides.
The Dogs' Dale Morris might find himself in hot water after a trip on Will Hoskin-Elliot in the first quarter, the duo immediately coming off injured and failing to return.
GWS ruckman Shane Mumford was a late withdrawal, but his back-up Jonathan Giles more than managed to hold his own against All-Australian representative Will Minson.
The Giants dominated the first quarter with 22 inside-50s to the Dogs' six to earn a 26-point lead.
Key Giants forwards Jeremy Cameron, who booted three goals for the match, and Jonathon Patton both stood up early in their side's five-goal first-term haul.
Cameron's goal was particularly impressive, firing off a lightning-quick left foot snap in heavy traffic from an acute angle that put the Giants out in front - a lead they wouldn't surrender until midway through the final quarter.
The Bulldogs hit back in the second term with the help of an advantageous breeze, kicking three straight majors before Cameron intervened with his second of the match and 100th of his career.
That swung the momentum back GWS' way to give them a 20-point half-time lead.
Bulldogs captain Ryan Griffen temporarily came off midway through the third quarter after a rib-rattler from Jacob Townsend that wouldn't have looked out of place on a rugby pitch.
It didn't halt the Dogs' momentum, however, pegging the lead back to eight points heading into the final term after the once-steady breeze died.
With the stage set for a grandstand finish, the Giants extended their lead in controversial circumstances when the Dogs' Shaun Higgins was controversially denied a free kick.
The home side immediately scored up the other end to give themselves a nine-point lead, but the Dogs would show their class to bounce back.
Vote for the Western Bulldogs' most valuable player in the 27-point win over the GWS Giants, in the Round 4 Mission Fans' MVP Award.
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 5.3 8.7 11.8 12.11 (83)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 1.1 5.5 10.6 17.8 (110)
GOALS
Greater Western Sydney: Cameron 3, Tomlinson, Kennedy, Patton, Giles, Sumner, Hampton, Haynes, Greene, Kelly
Western Bulldogs: Crameri 4, Jones 3, Tutt 2, Hunter, Murphy, Picken, Giansiracusa, Boyd, Young, Griffen, Higgins
BEST
Greater Western Sydney: Shaw, Hunt, Giles, Patton, Treloar, Ward, Coniglio, Plowman
Western Bulldogs: Boyd, Higgins, Picken, Macrae, Crameri, Murphy, Jones, Giansiracusa
INJURIES
Greater Western Sydney: Mumford (general soreness – replaced in the selected side by Adam Tomlinson), Hoskin-Elliott (left leg), Hunt (knee)
Western Bulldogs: Morris (left leg)
SUBSTITUTES
Greater Western Sydney: Jed Lamb replaced Will Hoskin-Elliott in the second quarter
Western Bulldogs: Jason Tutt replaced Dale Morris in the second quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Leppard, Wenn, Armstrong
Official crowd: 7863 at StarTrack Oval
