The Footscray Bulldogs produced a dominant victory over Carlton in the final round of the VFL home and away season at Mission Whitten Oval on Sunday.  

Featuring the highly anticipated return of Adam Treloar, the Bulldogs ran out winners 21.20 (146) to 4.7 (31). 

The match ignited within the first 50 seconds when Buku Khamis slotted the opening goal, setting the tone for a high-tempo match for the Dogs.  

Keeping the ball consistently in the forward pocket, Footscray finished the first quarter 15 points ahead - a lead the Bulldogs would never relinquish. 

Carrying the momentum into the second quarter, the Bulldogs added 22 points across the next 30 minutes.  

Goals were shared across the forward line, with Khamis and Will Lewis each registering majors as the team continued to dominate possession. 

After half-time, Footscray extended their advantage further.  

Play remained concentrated in the forward pocket, with every stoppage and contest seeing the Bulldogs controlling the tempo and denying the Blues any meaningful scoring opportunities. 

In the fourth, Phoenix Spencer opened with a goal inside the first 90 seconds, with the hosts piling on a six-to-one goal quarter to run out 115-point victors. 

From start to finish, the Bulldogs impressed across every facet of play with their forward pressure, midfield discipline, and defensive resilience producing a clinical performance. 

In the midfield, Adam Treloar and Michael Sellwood led the way with 40 and 27 disposals respectively.  

Treloar’s influence in his return was undeniable, adding 10 tackles, and nine marks.   

Nick Coffield also stood out, collecting 32 disposals,  seven marks and four tackles to keep the Bulldogs moving. 

Billy Crofts (24 disposals, six marks), Taylor Duryea (29 disposals, 10 marks) and Ryan Gardner (20 disposals, nine marks) were also impactful. 

Up forward, Caleb Poulter and Buku Khamis were standouts. Poulter kicked six goals from 22 disposals and nine marks, while Khamis contributed three goals.

Will Lewis also impressed with three goals from 13 disposals and four marks, providing further firepower in the forward line. 

With 11 consecutive victories, the Footscray Bulldogs now eagerly await the VFL finals, with the fixture to be confirmed in due course. 

Match Summary:

Footscray Bulldogs: 3.4 6.9 15.17 21.20 (146) 
Carlton: 1.1 3.4 3.5 4.7 (31) 

Goals: Poulter 6, Lewis 3, Khamis 3, Jaques 2, A. Jones, Muratore, Walker, Treloar, Scott 

Best: Treloar, Poulter, L. Smith, Jaques, Crofts, Coffield