Dogs celebrate Bont milestone with tense win over Swans
The Western Bulldogs have given their AFL finals hopes another shot in the arm with an entertaining nine-point win over Sydney.
Joel Freijah kicked four goals as the Bulldogs seized control early and resisted a strong Swans fightback to post the 16.9 (105) to 14.12 (96) victory at the SCG on Friday night.
It was the Bulldogs' third-straight win and improved their record to 9-6, solidifying their spot in the top eight, while the Swans (6-9) face an uphill battle to play finals.
Bulldogs superstar Marcus Bontempelli (18 disposals, one goal) celebrated his 250-game milestone but was upstaged by his protege Freijah, who kicked a career-best four majors from 23 touches.
In game 250, this is VINTAGE Bont 🙌#AFLSwansDogs pic.twitter.com/fWDhyDhuSR
— AFL (@AFL) June 27, 2025
Key forwards Sam Darcy and Aaron Naughton.added three goals each against an undersized Sydney defence, who lost Tom McCartin (illness) before the bounce and Dane Rampe (calf tightness) mid-game.
Swans superstar Isaac Heeney threatened to drag his side over the line with five goals and ruckman Brodie Grundy was outstanding after quarter-time.
Tom Papley lit a fuse when he targeted Darcy before the bounce and the Bulldogs' spearhead responded with the first two goals of the match.
Both were teed up by Tim English, who had three goal assists in the first term alone, and the Dogs led 4.2 to 3.5 after term one.
Darcy's brilliant finish on the run kick-started the second quarter and another two goals from Naughton helped the visitors skip 28 points clear before the main break.
But the Swans, despite a series of bad misses from set shots, hit back with three consecutive majors to trim the margin to nine points by halftime.
Sydney's Heeney and the Bulldogs' Freijah lit up the third quarter at opposite ends - kicking four goals and three respectively - and the lead changed hands six times as the teams repeatedly traded blows.
At one point the Dogs kicked four consecutive goals to reassert their authority, but Heeney's fourth meant the teams kicked 6.1 apiece in a rollicking third term.
The contest became an arm-wrestle in the final quarter and the Bulldogs hung on, with Hayden McLean blowing a late change to set up a grandstand finish.
McLean's miss with about one minute left continued the trend of the night, with the wayward Swans kicking 4.10 from set shots to the Dogs' 8.5.
Sydney swingman Aaron Francis faces scrutiny over a swinging arm to Lachie Bramble's body.
Francis and direct opponent Rory Lobb can also expect fines over their prolonged wrestling match in the final term.
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