Western Bulldogs blow away GWS with huge third-quarter blitz

The Western Bulldogs unleashed their best performance of the season with a barnstorming third quarter to crush Greater Western Sydney by 32 points at Manuka Oval on Saturday night.

Luke Beveridge’s men piled on five unanswered goals in the third term to blow the contest wide open, powering to a 17.11 (113) to 12.9 (81) victory and securing back-to-back wins for the first time in the 2025 AFL season.

The triumph lifts the Bulldogs to seventh spot on the ladder, while the GWS Giants – who have now lost two on the trot – dropped from fourth to sixth after again failing to keep up with a top-eight rival.

James Harmes starred in his return to the senior side with a game-high four goals, while Joel Freijah was outstanding in the midfield, gathering 27 disposals, nine clearances and 19 contested possessions despite copping a heavy knock from Tom Green in the third quarter.

Captain Marcus Bontempelli was typically influential early before being tactically subbed out at the final change as the Western Bulldogs enjoyed the luxury of preserving their skipper after building an unassailable lead.

GWS started brightly, leading by six points at quarter time, but after the main break they were totally overwhelmed as the Bulldogs completely took control of territory, field position, and the contest.

Debutant Jedd Busslinger impressed down back for the Dogs, holding his own against Giants spearhead Jesse Hogan, while Buku Khamis and Rory Lobb rotated effectively up forward alongside milestone man Aaron Naughton.

Harmes’ third-term double underlined the Bulldogs’ superiority, while their relentless midfield led by Bontempelli, Freijah, and Adam Treloar consistently outworked the Giants around the ball.

Lachie Ash (31 disposals) and Lachie Whitfield (30) battled hard for GWS, but their ball use was often under intense pressure, as the Bulldogs racked up a massive 61 inside 50s to dominate the contest.

The visitors’ dominance was such that Bontempelli, building back to full fitness after a calf injury, was managed off with plenty of time left in the final quarter.

The Giants had no answers in the second half, failing to kick a goal in the third quarter and only managing to break through for a major 12 minutes into the last term. It was another worrying sign for Adam Kingsley’s side, who have now conceded big scores in back-to-back defeats after a strong start to the year.

The Dogs, meanwhile, look like they’re starting to click into gear, rediscovering the run, spread and ruthless ball movement that made them such a dangerous side in recent years.

GWS Giants vs Western Bulldogs final score

GWS Giants 12.9 (81)
Western Bulldogs 17.11 (113)

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