AFL round six St Kilda vs Western Bulldogs live updates — blog ...

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge was under pressure this week, following a poor loss to Essendon.

Tonight's win over St Kilda is a major relief for the premiership-winning coach.

He has praised his team for how they responded to the loss last Friday night.

"After last week, we had a good chat after the game. There's a real closeness within our football club," he said.

"The theme from the players is stick together. Obviously, off-field and on-field.

"We talked about the cohorts within the group. The different roles that they play that are similar and how they help each other.

"There was some real cohesion and uniformity in that. Between the players and their conversations and our coaches, building them into tonight's performance, I thought everyone did an outstanding job."

Ross Lyon is speaking to the media.

He has mentioned, like he did before the match, he was worried about facing a desperate Bulldogs side, after two short turnarounds.

This was their third game in 11 days, two of them outside Melbourne.

"I don't want to make excuses because I want to give credit to the Bulldogs, but certainly, in my group there was no angst after the game," he said.

"We've got to prove it was an aberration and there was a lot of mitigating circumstances that really challenged us."

AAP

Aaron Naughton has kicked an equal career-best bag of six goals as the Western Bulldogs eased some of the considerable pressure on coach Luke Beveridge with a 60-point thumping of St Kilda.

Under a blowtorch all week, the Bulldogs entered the contest without star duo Tom Liberatore and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan but were dominant from the outset in the 19.10 (124) to 9.10 (64) victory at Docklands Stadium on Thursday night.

The Dogs kicked seven goals in an explosive opening term to take an early stranglehold on the contest and were never seriously challenged by the listless Saints.

Beveridge had been heavily criticised during the build-up over perceived mixed messages in the media, unusual selection calls and his team's on-field performances.

But the Dogs' impressive display against a fellow finals contender has allowed their coach to breathe easier, and squared their season record at 3-3 ahead of an interstate trip to face Fremantle in round seven.

Naughton shone as the focal point in attack against an undersized St Kilda defence without Ugle-Hagan, who was unavailable due to private family reasons, while Cody Weightman provided an early spark with three goals.

Jack Macrae had his best outing of the season with 30 touches, five clearances, seven tackles and a goal.

Adam Treloar (30 disposals, nine clearances, one goal) and Ed Richards (18 touches, three clearances) also shone in a dominant midfield.

The Bulldogs won a lop-sided centre clearance tally (16-9) and also won the tackle count (70-52).

They got on top despite operating without stoppages beast Liberatore, who is in concussion protocols, and with captain Marcus Bontempelli (24 touches, three clearances) a touch below his silky best.

Bontempelli finished with three goals — all in the second half — while Bailey Dale responded in positive fashion after being made the substitute last week.

Dale tallied a game-high 39 touches across half-back and kicked a vintage long-range goal, and Buku Khamis also impressed in defence.

St Kilda coughed up a triple-figure score for just the third time in Ross Lyon's second stint as coach and suffered their worst defeat of the season after three previous losses by a combined 13 points.

Tim Membrey (three) was their only multiple goal-kicker in the absence of injured spearhead Max King (knee).

Saints captain Jack Steele (27 disposals, five clearances) and Marcus Windhager (29, five) fought hard in a losing cause.

A great night for Adam Treloar.

He snagged 30 disposals, nine clearances and a goal.

Could not fault him this evening.

Something for your next trivia night.

Jason Johannisen had a nice game this evening. 

He had 31 disposals and 12 marks.

He said players needed to step up after the loss to Essendon last week.

"It was a frustrating loss last week. So we knew we had to rectify," he told Network Seven.

"Just the demographic of our group — a lot of experience a lot of youngsters … which need some reminders of what we need to do to make it look like a Bulldog game. We did that tonight."

Bailey Dale had a brilliant game.

He had 39 disposals and kicked a goal.

Dale said after a week of speculation around the team, the win was important.

"Obviously a lot of noise during the week,"

"We just knew we had to come back out here and try and play a hard brand of footy. Move the footy, I think we did that."

A dominating evening for the Western Bulldogs.

Luke Beveridge's men answered many questions tonight.

St Kilda were poor.

They never really looked in this contest.

The final term was an improvement, but the Bulldogs had the match well and truly won by then.

Cooper Sharman kicked a goal for the Saints on the siren.

Tim Membrey has had a brilliant final term.

He has three goals, which is one positive to take out of tonight.

In bad news, substitute Dan Butler has limped off the field.

Looks like a hamstring. I hope I am wrong.

Tim Membrey has not had a memorable night, but he has not given up. 

He has put himself in the position to kick two goals and he takes it.

Rory Lobb is also back on the park.

Seven minutes have gone by in the final term and we have our first goal.

It's not quite cue in the rack, but the Bulldogs are happy to pass the footy around.

Marus Bontempelli is awarded a free inside 50 and he nails the set shot.

Footage of Rory Lobb walking down the tunnel has just been shown.

Looked like he was limping, and favouring his lower left leg.

12 goals from 12 set shots.

That is excellent kicking.

They have been given a heap of opportunities, and taken them well.

Rory Lobb has come back into the team this week and has left his mark.

Lobb has achieved 11 disposals, 7 marks and 2 tackles.

It was going to be interesting to see how Lobb would perform tonight.

He was part of a video on social media platform TikTok, where it said the rest of his career would be in the VFL.

It was a video that did not sit well with Geelong premiership champion Cameron Ling.

Ling was talking about it during the ABC Sport broadcast from Docklands.

"What does he bring to the table structurally? Other than what they've already got.

"Given his output which is well well below what he's getting paid, I feel like he brings nothing to the table.

"With the attitude stuff on social media, I'm not picking him. No way. Give me Caleb Daniel. I know they're not the same kind of player but he gives more."

Another dominant quarter for the Western Bulldogs.

Luke Beveridge — after a week of pressure following a poor showing against the Bombers — must be loving this.

His team has been brilliant.

The Bulldogs have made their sub.

Ryley Sanders is in. Laitham Vandermeer has been subbed out. 

Vandermeer was part of a heavy collision which he came out second best.

Marcus Bontempelli has a goal, to go with another solid day of statistics.

St Kilda have their first goal of the second half.

It came from a kick in from the back.

Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera had a brilliant kick into the corridor. 

Bradley Hill gets it and continues the move.

Mitch Owens gets on the end of some passing inside 50 and boots the goal. 

This has been a terrific display from Aaron Naughton.

He takes a great mark inside 50 (his sixth mark for the match) and slots his sixth goal for the day.

Six is an equal career-high.

St Kilda have no answer.

St Kilda have activated their sub.

Zak Jones is out for the rest of the game.

Dan Butler is in.