ONCE Point Cook’s greatest deficiency, defence is now under-pinning its success in Victorian Amateur Football Association’s division 4.
The Bulldogs made a preseason pledge to be tougher to score against and the raw numbers are reflecting vast improvement.
In 2011, the leaky Bulldogs conceded 117 points per game on average, making theirs one of the worst defences in the competition.
Last season, there were signs of improvement as they conceded 87 points on average, but that compared favourably with middle-of-the-road sides, not those in the upper echelon.
This season, the Dogs have added bite to their bark, conceding just 66 points per game, the kind of numbers you expect from a team that wants to improve on its straight-sets finals exit 12 months ago.
The Bulldogs offered an insight into their stingy ways in Saturday’s 48-point win over Box Hill North at Saltwater Reserve, conceding just six goals in the process.
“Defensively, I’m really happy with the way the boys are playing,” Bulldogs coach Daniel Fraser told the Weekly. “There’s been a big improvement from previous years. The back six have stuck well together; they’ve been the strength of the side.”
It was hard for either side early in the game to gain traction in the wet and muddy conditions, but the Bulldogs managed to break the shackles with a seven-goal-to-one second term. “We were a bit harder at the ball than in the first quarter and it just started to click for us,” Fraser said.
“The boys opened up the forward line, we got some really quick forward entries in there and we were able to capitalise and put some scoreboard pressure on.”
It was the only real freedom the Bulldogs had in a dour struggle.
Each side booted four goals in the third and, incredibly, both went goalless in the last.
“It was pretty tough going in that last quarter with the heavy ball,” Fraser said.
Matthew Smith, Barry Langley and Dwight Ritchie were out- standing in the boggy conditions, winning plenty of the hard ball for the Bulldogs.
Jason Whitling was the general across half-back, making good decisions, and Rick Munn produced his best game of the season, rotating between midfield and forward.
Daniel Burton was a handy inclusion on a Western Jets-free weekend.
The fourth-placed Bulldogs have the chance to squash North Brunswick’s finals hopes away at Allard Park on Saturday.
In Premier B, Werribee Districts were competitive for a half before succumbing to St Kevin’s Old Boys by 23 points at Soldiers Reserve.
In division 3, the winless Old Westbourne is one loss away from relegation after a 27-point loss to Power House at Ross Gregory Oval.
The Warriors had just one scoring shot for the day in tough conditions – a second-quarter goal to Adam Crossman.
