Top 20 Home-and-Away Wins of the Beveridge Era: 10-1

Yesterday we began our countdown of the best 20 Bulldogs performances since Luke Beveridge took over as coach. If you missed our 20-11 rankings you can read all about them here.

Here is Part 2 of our rankings, where we count down the top 10 wins of the Luke Beveridge era. Just a reminder, we are only counting wins recorded during the home-and-away season, so you won't see any finals wins on this list:

10. Round 2, 2019 – Western Bulldogs 16.10.106 def Hawthorn 13.9.86

After a thrilling round one win against the Sydney Swans, the Dogs headed to the MCG against a Hawthorn outfit who seemed to be finding its mojo again as a threat for the Premiership.

After an entertaining opening half the Dogs trailed by 30 points at three quarter time.

Both sides traded goals at the start of the fourth before the Bulldogs pulled off an incredible comeback victory, hitting overdrive shocking not only the Hawks but the 39,368 in attendance at the MCG.

It was simply an incredible final quarter that saw the Bulldogs slam nine goals to one, to run out comfortable 19-point victors and give them a 2-0 start to the year.

9. Round 9, 2015 – Western Bulldogs 16.17.113 def GWS Giants 11.2.68

When you factor in the drama that clouded the Club just seven months earlier throughout the 2014 AFL Trade Period, this game had been pencilled in by players and supporters as one to keep both eyes on. It had the makings of the competitions next big rivalry.

This was match was the second dish of a three-course meal that screamed revenge to a club who had snared our former captain Ryan Griffen and future captain in waiting a few seasons earlier in Callan Ward. The first dish being acquiring the Giants former number one draft pick in Tom Boyd on a long-term deal.

The Giants were sitting fourth (equal 2nd on percentage) while after a strong start to the season which saw us sit with a 4-1 record, the Dogs had lost the last three games and this match was just the tonic the Bulldogs needed to find its feet again in 2015.

An eight goal onslaught in the opening term  to a solitary major to the Giants was rather breathtaking and a massive statement filled with desire and thirst for revenge to a club who had taken its captain from them the year prior.

The game ultimately didn’t become the smashing that it promised to be, but it showed there was plenty of fight in the Dogs, and they sure knew how to land a blow and make a statement that something special was brewing in Melbourne’s west.

It was an emphatic victory and one that set the tone for the rest of the 2015 season.  

Will Minson celebrates another Bulldogs goal while former captain Ryan Griffen looks on. Source: Getty Images

8. Round 19, 2022 – Western Bulldogs 17.8.110 def Melbourne 15.10.100

Needing to keep winning, the Bulldogs finals hopes were hanging by a thread in ninth place, as they came up against the reigning premier at the tail end of the season.

Up against a Melbourne outfit sitting in second and a side that had the wood on us in recent encounters, none more so than the 2021 AFL Grand Final left a sour taste in our mouths.  

Trailing by as much as 27 points at the 21 minute mark of the second quarter and 13 points six minutes into the final term, the shackles were released.

The run-and-gun Dogs flipped the script with some inspirational play, none more so than Bailey Dale going back with the flight to spoil a certain goal and Riley Garcia putting us in front with mere minutes left.

This was a special night which saw the first real glimpse of star factor from promising number one draft pick in Jamarra Ugle-Hagan. The talented forward kicked his first bag of five goals against a backline featuring Steven May and Jake Lever, with his fifth and final goal the most memorable and a major exclamation mark on what was a brilliant game of Aussie Rules Football.

7. Round 21, 2024 – Sydney Swans 7.6.48 def by Western Bulldogs 12.15.87

As the 2024 season reached its crescendo, the Western Bulldogs had an opportunity to sneak into the top eight at the end of Round 21, after several teams above them faltered. All that stood in their way was overcoming the Sydney Swans at the SCG.

The only problem with that though was that Sydney were sitting pretty atop the AFL ladder, more than a game clear of everyone else. Their football had become the envy of the entire competition, and despite having dropped a couple of games leading into this one, were still the team to beat in 2024.

But the Bulldogs had other ideas, and looked to dominate the Swans right from the opening bounce. In a blistering opening term, they shot out to a 34-point lead at quarter time, keeping the Swans goalless in the process.

Over the next two quarters the Swans looked to lock down the rampaging Bulldogs and reign in the lead, but every time they challenged, the Bulldogs fought back with pairs of goals. Jamarra Ugle-Hagan was the chief architect with four goals in a dominant display, while Adam Treloar controlled things through the midfield, collecting 40 disposals in a best-on-ground display.

Halfway through the final term, the lead ballooned out to as much as 58 points, while the Swans had just four goals to their name. They made the margin look slightly more respectable with a rush of goals in the final few minutes, but this win was a testament to the reliability of the Bulldogs, particularly its defence, and played a key role as the Bulldogs charged towards finals once again.

Jamarra Ugle-Hagan kicks one of his four goals against Sydney earlier this year. Source: Getty Images

6. Round 19, 2021 – Melbourne 9.11.65 def by Western Bulldogs 13.7.85

The two best teams of the year met late on in the 2021 season, and in normal circumstances this match would’ve taken place in front of a packed MCG. Alas, COVID restrictions were in place at the time; consequently, this match was played behind closed doors, in what was a major disappointment to all involved.

In a rain-sodden affair, the Bulldogs suffered a major blow in defence early, when full-back Alex Keath went down with a hamstring injury. It forced the Bulldogs to get creative in defence, and heap an immense amount of expectations on both Zaine Cordy and Josh Schache.

But despite the Bulldogs lack of resources in defence, their exploits further up the ground worked well. The battle of the midfield was strong, but Marcus Bontempelli and Jack Macrae were having more of an impact than Christian Petracca and Clayton Olliver, while key forwards Josh Bruce and Aaron Naughton each booted two goals despite the conditions. When Bailey Smith goaled late in the half for the Bulldogs, they took a 21-point lead into the main break.

Melbourne fired back in the second half, and slowly chipped away at the lead, whittling it all the way down to just four points in the final 10 minutes. But then up stepped Bontempelli once again. He kicked one goal from a forward-50 stoppage, and then hit up Jamarra Ugle-Hagan on the lead from the resulting centre bounce. Ugle-Hagan kicked truly, and it sealed a famous Bulldogs win in a 1v2 encounter.

5. Round 15, 2019 – Port Adelaide 5.11.41 def by Western Bulldogs 10.6.66

How was the Bulldogs style of play going to work?

That was the question everyone was asking in the hour leading up to this game, as the rain poured down

at Adelaide Oval. The Bulldogs – a notoriously handball-happy team – were faced with the unenviable task of having to adapt to difficult conditions against a Port Adelaide side full of confidence; at home, and having just defeated ladder leaders Geelong the week prior.

But it was the Bullldogs who got the fast jump on Port Adelaide, in a term that surprised many. It was predictably led by Marcus Bontempelli, who controlled the football as if he was under the roof, while everyone else played like they were underwater. He had plenty of support, though; Jack Macrae and Josh Dunkley combined with Bontempelli to form an elite midfield trio, Josh Schache cropped up with an unlikely three-goal haul, and when Roarke Smith kicked his first goal at AFL level, the Bulldogs’ lead had grown to 17 points in a game where goals were proving difficult to come by.

Port Adelaide responded after half time, clawing the lead back to within a goal, but the Bulldogs steadied once more with three goals in rapid time, and ground the Power out in the final term, keeping them goalless and kicking clear to secure a big win.

Marcus Bontempelli doing what he does best: dominating. Source: Getty Images

4. Round 3, 2016 – Western Bulldogs 13.12.90 def by Hawthorn 14.9.93

After two extremely impressive victories against Fremantle and St Kilda to kickstart the season, it was time to dance with the big boys and there was no bigger test in the AFL then going head-to-head against the reigning three-peat champions to see where we stood in the grand scheme of things.

After being five goals down, such was the maturity of this youthful but vibrant group, they took it right up to the Hawks, gradually eating away at the deficit before putting in a powerful third quarter which stunned not only those at the ground, but made the football world take notice as we held a three-goal lead entering the final break.

The atmosphere was electric with a packed crowd of 46,808 being treated to a game that exceeded the hype and was almost finals like. It was a game which pushed Hawthorn to the very brink against the up-and-coming Bulldogs as they stole the four premiership points in the closing stages of the game.

Although we tasted defeat in the cruellest of ways, including losing Captain Robert Murphy for the remainder of the 2016 season with an ACL injury, I left Marvel Stadium extremely confident and proud that we were building towards something very special that year and that if a rematch happened throughout the year, the result would be different.

We might have lost this battle, but we would win the war in the end, crushing the Hawks dream of a fourth consecutive flag six months later as we would celebrate our own Premiership success.

3. Round 12, 2016 – Port Adelaide 14.13.97 def by Western Bulldogs 15.10.100

Prior to this match, the Bulldogs had never tasted victory at the Adelaide Oval, but after an enthralling two-hour shootout, the drought would eventually break in one of the more memorable matches under Luke Beveridge’s tenure.

It was the Bulldogs who got the fast start, kicking four of the opening five goals of the game. Jack Redpath in particular was a standout, booting three goals in the opening term alone. Luke Dahlhaus was taken off the ground with a knee injury, and Port Adelaide fought back hard, closing the gap to ten points at quarter time.

The Power dominated the second term. They quickly stole the lead off the Bulldogs and continued to push further. But the Bulldogs stoic defence kept them in the game, and even managed to snatch an unlikely lead at half time, after Tory Dickson converted during a very rare venture forward.

The second half was all about momentum shifts. Port Adelaide kicked the first two goals of the second half, before the Bulldogs responded with three in a row. The Power responded once more, kicking the last three goals of the third term to take a nine-point lead into the final break.

But then the Bulldogs had their turn once again. Jake Stringer stepped up, kicking two huge goals either side of a Mitch Honeychurch major to swing the nine-point deficit into a nine-point lead.

The two sides went out to trade goal for goal throughout the rest of the afternoon, but the Bulldogs eventually did just enough to hold on in a high-scoring encounter.

Jake Stringer's big final quarter played a key role in the Bulldogs' victory over Port Adelaide. Source: Getty Images

2. Round 15, 2016 – Sydney 11.13.79 def by Western Bulldogs 13.5.83

Early in Luke Beveridge’s tenure, the Bulldogs and the Swans only seemed to deal in thrillers, and this one was no exception.

Fresh off the bye, the Bulldogs made the decision to rush back Jason Johannisen from the VFL, having missed the last 10 games due to a hamstring injury (this will prove important later).

After a cagey opening term that yielded just three goals, the game sprung to life in the second term, with Jake Stringer catching fire up forward for the Bulldogs, while Lance Franklin did the same for Sydney up the other end, and the Swans went into half time with a 10-point lead.

But the Bulldogs made their move in the third term, kicking five goals in 12 dominant minutes of football. The surge was spearheaded by Tom Liberatore, who kicked two of those five goals and won countless clearances. When Lachie Hunter snuck through a snap late in the quarter, the Bulldogs had a 13-point lead heading into the final change.

The Bulldogs would be forced onto the back foot in the final term, but made the most of scarce opportunities. Will Minson was gifted a 50m penalty early in the quarter and pushed the lead out to 17 points, but Sydney – led by Franklin – came again. His fourth and fifth goals came in rapid time, and gave Sydney the lead; one which they held onto heading into the final minute.

Some crucial plays picked the lock of Sydney’s defence when it was needed most. Caleb Daniel found Marcus Bontempelli with a clever kick, and then Bontempelli found Johannisen in space a little closer to goal, with the umpire indicating that the kick had just carried the required 15m.

With the entire game coming down to the final kick of the match, Johannisen walked in and delivered truly with the set shot, giving the Bulldogs the lead with just 0:02 remaining on the clock. There was only just enough time for the umpiring to restart the play from the centre, before the siren sounded to deliver the Bulldogs a famous victory.

1. Round 5, 2015 – Sydney 10.13.73 def by Western Bulldogs 11.11.77

“Mark this day down Western Bulldogs fans. Saturday May 2nd, 2015.”

The famous words of Anthony Hudson still ring through the memories of Bulldogs fans all these years later. Little did anyone know how right he was to call that at the time, for everything great that has transpired under Luke Beveridge emanated from this very day, and despite it only being his fifth game in charge, it will forever be one of his finest hours.

The Bulldogs had started the season so well under him, winning three of their first four games, catching the imagination of everyone with their fast, attacking game plan. But this was supposed to be where it all ground to a halt. Having to travel up to the SCG, the experienced, seasoned Swans were going to put the young pups in their place. They just would.

Things looked like they were going to pan out that way early when the Swans kicked the first two goals, the Bulldogs responded, kicking the next six straight. They’d raced out to a 20-point lead early in the second term when the heavens opened and the rain teemed down.

The Swans, a side so good in difficult, greasy conditions, began to apply the clamps and slowly chipped away at the lead over the next two terms, and tried to grind the Bulldogs down. But Beveridge’s young brigade just kept finding a way to keep them at bay. New recruit Tom Boyd defied the conditions to kick two valuable goals, while Mitch Honeychurch kept managing to find enough pockets of space to kick two of his own. When Marcus Bontempelli made the most of a turnover late in the quarter, the Bulldogs led by 11 at the last change.

But still the Swans came. An immense wave of pressure eventually told at the start of the final term, and they’d managed the two goals they needed to regain the lead. But the Bulldogs weren’t done. Led inspirationally by Robert Murphy, they surged forward to have a period of dominance of their own late in the game, and it resulted in Easton Wood using all of his athleticism – leading high into the air to toe-poke the footy through on the goal line - to steal the lead back in the final five minutes.

The remainder of the match was a great struggle, with both sides desperate fighting for crucial territory. But despite a final surge from the Swans in the dying seconds, the Bulldogs did manage to hold onto to that crucial lead, and secure not only one its best victories under Luke Beveridge, but one of the best in recent memory. Bulldogs fans around the land rejoiced at the final siren, confident that the start of something truly special had just begun…

The Western Bulldogs celebrate a memorable victory after the final siren against Sydney. Source: Getty Images