The Western Bulldogs fell seven points short in a close encounter with the Sydney Swans at Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

The Swans strung six-straight goals together during the second quarter but the Bulldogs rallied and scores were level at the last break.

Despite a late charge from the home side and some missed opportunities, an Oliver Florent goal with 20 seconds left on the clock sealed it for the Swans.

The Numbers

Key movers Jackson Macrae (34 possessions, seven marks) and Matthew Suckling (28 disposals, 11 marks) were influential for the Dogs as was Josh Dunkley (22 disposals, 11 marks), despite some missed opportunities.

Ruckman Tim English, just six games into his career, collected 16 disposals and 24 hit-outs, helping his side to an advantage in the centre clearances.

Despite the Dogs controlling some important key stats - having more inside 50s (60-42), disposals (397-345) and tackles (56-47) - they walked away without the four points.

You Can Quote Me On That

"There were some encouraging things there; the fact that we fought our way back when the Swans had momentum (in the third quarter) and that we played a pretty good brand for most of the night. We had our chances to make it a bit closer or come over the top, but we just lacked a bit of polish at the end." – Senior Coach, Luke Beveridge.

“It’s obviously not the ideal start to the year but there was a lot to like about tonight. We’ll take a lot from it and go away to a new stadium next week and see what we can produce.” – Defender, Matthew Suckling

Up Next

The Western Bulldogs will get their first taste of Optus Stadium on Saturday night when they take on Fremantle.