Bunbury Bulldogs maintain top spot, put an end to Collie Eagles’ SWFL finals hopes in the wet at Payne Park

A battered, bruised and severely undermanned Collie Eagles side were outclassed by Bunbury on Sunday in another massive blow to their hopes of a second-straight finals campaign. The Bulldogs led from start to finish at Payne Park for the 6.17 (53) to 2.3 (15) victory, which keeps them on top of the ladder for a fourth consecutive week. Completely starved of inside 50s and struggling to move the ball out of their back half, the Eagles gave up a number of forward entries early in the game before James Hawksley opened the scoring for the Bulldogs. After being dominated for most of the first term, the Eagles did manage a five-minute purple patch just before time-on when Kaleb Michalak converted a set shot to cut the margin to three-points at quarter-time. But it would be their best period of footy for the game, with the Bulldogs acclimatising to the difficult conditions better in the second quarter and finding some overlap run. Hawksley added a second after quarter-time and Jake Symington also found range as the Eagles were held to one behind for the term, thanks to an unflagging defensive performance by Bunbury pair Jacob Wintle and Kane Bumann. The pair were forced to deal with the surprise inclusion of former Fremantle Docker Joel Houghton and the threat of Cam Davidson. But Houghton went nearly unsighted, while Davidson had to work up on to centre-wing for his possessions. Dylan Heasman became the best player on the ground after half-time and used his nous and his pace to run into an open goal in the opening minute, putting the Eagles more than five goals back. Skipper Brad Blake worked hard to drive his side forward off half-back while Jayen Farrant and Blake La Rosa also worked hard for the home side as Jesse Gribble took control to add a fifth. It would take the Eagles until the two minute mark of the final term to add another through superboot Adam Bignell from beyond the arc, but it was all said and done by then, and the Dogs ran out 38-point victors. The win leaves Bunbury on top, despite Augusta-Margaret River’s percentage boost against Eaton. For Collie, their injury crisis took another victim with back-up ruckman Michalak leaving the ground during the third quarter, while a shoulder injury did not stop Dogs young gun Jett Rigby running out the game. To play finals, the Eagles must now beat both Donnybrook and Busselton and rely on South Bunbury losing to both Eaton and Bunbury.