Sport
26 May, 2026
Bulldogs bite by comfortable 51-point margin
Avoca returned to the winners’ list in emphatic fashion on Saturday, defeating Dunolly by 51 points at Avoca Public Park.
The Bulldogs set the tone early, booting five first-quarter goals to open up a 20-point lead at quarter time. Their ball movement and ability to capitalise on opportunities inside 50 proved the difference throughout the afternoon.
Jordan Thomas was a constant threat up forward for Avoca and played a starring role with five goals, while Alex Riches provided excellent support with four majors of his own. The pair proved difficult for Dunolly’s defence to contain as the Bulldogs consistently generated repeat entries.
Dunolly remained within striking distance during the second quarter thanks largely to Joel Fisher, who finished with four goals for the afternoon, but Avoca always appeared to have the answers.
The Bulldogs extended their lead during the third term with another five goals to one, taking a commanding 49-point advantage into the final change. Daniel Howell, Scott Cawthan and Toby Beavis were influential around the contest, while Campbell Blair and Darcy Carey also provided strong support.
To their credit, Dunolly continued to battle hard in the final quarter and managed five goals for the term, with Mitchell Goodwin, Dylan Burt and Lachlan Watson all contributing strongly around the ground.
However, Avoca’s class and cleaner ball use across four quarters proved too much. The Bulldogs finished with 18 goals from 27 scoring shots in one of their most complete performances of the season.
Avoca named Daniel Howell, Scott Cawthan, Toby Beavis, Jordan Thomas, Campbell Blair and Darcy Carey among their best players.
Dunolly’s better contributors were Mitchell Goodwin, Joel Fisher, Dylan Burt, Lachlan Watson, Mathew Bradley and Bailey Morton.