The thin line between victory and defeat was never more evident than at the Gabba on Saturday night.
The win over the back-to-back premiers on their home deck in a thriller will serve to fuel the Western Bulldogs’ belief that they are not far off being a premiership contender despite missing finals last season.
Taken off: Arthur Jones was removed from the game after a high hit from Harris Andrews.Credit: AFL Photos
By contrast, the Lions were left to contemplate life without All-Australian defender Harris Andrews through suspension in an incident that left Bulldogs’ forward Arthur Jones concussed.
Andrews could miss crucial matches against Sydney, St Kilda and Collingwood if he is charged by the MRO for collecting Jones high with his forearm in the third quarter as he attempted to block the Bulldog speedster’s run.
Jones was left concussed and out of the game.
Andrews will attempt to claim it was an accident, and that he could not be expected to judge where he might contact Jones, however, if the MRO grades the incident as careless, high and severe impact, he would be liable for a three-match suspension.
Eyes on the prize: The Bulldogs and Lions played out an epic.Credit: Getty Images
Both coaches said they had not seen the incident, but Bulldogs’ coach Luke Beveridge said it must have been a hard hit to put Jones down.
The unfortunate incident left the Bulldogs without Jones as the Brisbane Lions attempted to overcome the loss early in the game of star midfielder Hugh McCluggage after he suffered a calf strain. The midfielder, who was playing his 68th consecutive game, will have scans to assess the damage.
The incident was just one moment in a high-scoring match that went goal for goal in the final 10 minutes as the Bulldogs hung on in a desperate finish after being 26 points down midway through the third quarter.
Captain Marcus Bontempelli was brilliant playing multiple roles, including as a deep forward for a patch in the final quarter, as vice-captain Ed Richards took charge in the centre to create multiple scoring opportunities for his team.
Marcus Bontempelli played multiple roles against the Lions.Credit: AFL Photos
Even ruckman Tim English bounced back from a low moment when he conceded a stoppage goal to his opponent Darcy Fort deep in the final quarter. But English wasn’t broken. He kicked a goal himself after a courageous piece of gut running allowed him to mark within 15 metres from goal.
Bulldogs coach Beveridge might have gone over the top when he sang (if that is what you want to call it) a song during a television interview in the rooms after the match. But he refused to get carried away with the five-point win. He merely admitted the fightback from a flat patch was a sign that the frustrations of 2025 might be avoided.
“We’ve got a level of confidence we weren’t too far away from those better teams last year,” Beveridge said. “Tonight was evidence that we may be bridging the gap.”
The Bulldogs’ only victory over a top-eight team in 2025 was against the Giants, but they did push every team. Their biggest losing margin in the nine defeats was just 22 points.
They deserved the win too, as their inaccuracy in the first three quarters could have been costly, while the Lions will also rue some missed chances in the final quarter.
Here I am: Ed Richards provided plenty of drive early at the Gabba.Credit: AFL Photos
Having spent the summer working on being better defensively and sticking their tackles, the Bulldogs still conceded 106 points, but Beveridge was content with what he observed, given his assessment that the new rules make defending more difficult than ever.
They also showed grit to not cough up a goal in the desperate final minutes, although the stand rule will come under scrutiny after the umpire did not pay a 50-metre penalty against Joel Freijah when he failed to stop after the Lions’ Dayne Zorko took an uncontested mark on the run in front of him.
Rory Lobb was brilliant in his 200th match, while Michael Sellwood, Lachie Jacques and Connor Budarick held up well in defence in their first match for the Bulldogs.
“We really worked hard on and mainly around the contest and defensive disciplines, but it’s important that I don’t stay in the past and we all live in the now and push ahead,” Beveridge said. “In relevant terms, based on what we achieved last year, [the win] is important for us.”
The Bulldogs now head home to play the Giants, who showed they are in good form too with a dominant win over Hawthorn at home.
They are aiming to start the season with two wins for the first time since 2021, when they made a grand final.
Do that, and Beveridge might be able to convince punters to spend 99 cents to download the song “Tooth ‘n’ Nail” he has co-written with Andrew Kidman.
“I think our supporters should download that one and see if it resonates with them because it just keeps playing over and over in my head,” Beveridge said.
That’s a better result than last year’s tune, which was called close but no cigar, playing like a cracked record to Bulldogs fans in 2026.
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