Point Cook has achieved the unthinkable, holding Masala scoreless in the Victorian Amateur Football Association division 4.
When the Bulldogs sensed an incredible clean sheet could be obtained, they decided to go for the rare feat and stunningly pulled it off.
The strong-willed Dogs won with an unbelievable scoreline of 27.25 (187) to 0.0 (0).
“When it became obvious we could see something that is rarely done, we decided to make a bit of a pact to do it and that’s what we did,” Bulldogs coach Ian Denny told Star Weekly.
“The backmen got together and said we’re not going to let anything through.
“I’ve been involved in footy for a long time and I can’t recall keeping a side scoreless before at senior level.
“You see games where a side kicks 35 goals or more and the opposition side always seems to get something.”
Denny is adamant the scoreline was more of a reflection of how good his side were, not how bad Masala played.
The Bulldogs have worked hard in recent weeks to perfect their team defence and this was a byproduct.
“It wasn’t as if they were that bad,” he said.
“It’s just that our defensive pressures that we’ve been working on was just as important to our players as it was to score.”
If you hone in on Masala’s record for the year, it gives a good indication of the hard work the Bulldogs players had to do to keep them off the scoreboard across four quarters.
Masala only has one win this season, but they average 46 points per game over 12 matches, so they know where the goals are located.
But Masala plays at one of the smaller grounds in division 4, while the Bulldogs play on one of the biggest at Saltwater Reserve, perhaps they got lost on the wider expanses.
“Last time they might have kicked seven or eight goals against us and they’ve done that to a lot of sides,” Denny said.
“Their ground is tiny, it’s the smallest in the competition, compared to ours which is probably the biggest.
“Normally a kick out of the middle for them means the next kick is a shot on goal, for us you’ve still got another kick away before you can score.
“On the big ground, they might have got lost going forward.”
Ricky Munn booted seven goals for the Bulldogs, while Daniel Sidwell chipped in with five.
The big news aside from the Masala duck egg was the return of Bulldogs stars Julian Mandahl (broken hand) and Phil Auciello (knee) from injuries.
The key pair got through the game unscathed.
The Bulldogs remain in third place, trailing top-two Canterbury and Westbourne Grammarians.
Westbourne had a 121-point win over Chadstone at the Westbourne School Ground with spearhead Dale Collins kicking nine goals to close to within three goals of the century for the season.
Collins should be able to ton-up when the Warriors travel to Masala on Saturday.
