Collingwood are licking their wounds after Marcus Bontempelli produced a stunning individual performance to lead his Western Bulldogs to an impressive 18-point win at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.
Collingwood had a two goal lead heading into the final term, but the wheel turned on the back of Bontempelli, with the captain racking up 14 disposals, five clearances and four tackles in the last quarter.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: How the Western Bulldogs beat Collingwood at Marvel.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today
In fact, Bontempelli and fellow midfielder Adam Treloar combined for a whopping 27 touches in the last quarter to rip the heart out of Collingwood.
But it was another part of the Dogs skipper’s game that also helped change the game.
AFL great and Armchair Experts host Adam Cooney noticed that Bontempelli was not just winning the ball at stoppages, but he was also shutting Collingwood’s young superstar Nick Daicos.
According to Cooney, Daicos had been putting on a “masterclass” earlier, but the Dogs went to school on him as Cooney showed vision of Bontempelli and Treloar shutting Daicos down at stoppages.
“He (Daicos) is elite with his vision and his ball use,” Cooney said.
“(But) that’s what you have to do to the best, you’ve got put them under heat. You can’t just let them walk out of centre bounces like that.”
With Daicos’s influence curbed, Cooney also noticed that the young gun became agitated.
“But again not allowing Nick Daicos any space or time out of centre bounce and look he’s starting to get a little a bit frustrated,” Cooney said.
“And have a look at this by Bont again … bang … straight onto him … so that’s the difference.
“They went to work on him in the last quarter. and they got some terrific results off the back of that.”
Head here to watch Armchair Experts live and free on 7plus
But Cooney also called out an unforgiveable sin committed by the Collingwood defenders in the final stages.
“Now Collingwood defenders, they are a selfless group, they want a team defence, and they’re happy to leave their man … but if you leave your man what do you have to do? … You have to impact the contest,” he said.
Cooney then showed vision of Collingwood captain Darcy Moore and gun defender Brayden Maynard both leaving their man to attack the contest, with both attempts failing and resulting in goals for the Bulldogs.
“Darcy Moore just leaves his man, this is a 50-50 one, he’s not going to get there, he left his man, they’re trying to scramble back behind the footy, which leaves one spare forward of the ball,” Cooney said.
“That’s costly (if you don’t impact).
“These are those split decisions as a defender … there’s Maynard leaving his man … no impact on the contest … leaves Rhylee West out the back, goal, at a critical time of the game.
“So yes, they’re selfless, yes they want to help out teammates in the air but, if you do (leave your man), you have to impact the contest.
“I thought they got it wrong a few times tonight the Collingwood defenders about when to stay and when to go.
“I thought they pressed up when they should have stayed back a couple of times.”