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Important SN update for SouthlandThe "recruit of the year" exemplifying the Bulldogs' luxury midfield
Jaiden Sciberras • April 27th, 2025 3:42 pm
The Western Bulldogs pulled off a major heist in Canberra, dominating the GWS Giants in a classy 113-81 win.
The game was on a knife’s edge until the third term, with the Dogs piling on five straight goals to pull out to a 37-point advantage entering the final term, a margin too great for the Giants to overcome.
The story of the contest was the utter dominance on the inside by the Bulldogs' stacked midfield. Finishing the contest with +22 in the clearance count, the Dogs ran rampant in the engine room, with all seven of their rotating midfielders amassing at least 20 disposals.
Of their midfield core, it was new recruit Matt Kennedy that caught the eye of SEN’s Josh Gabelich. Finishing with 26 disposals and two goals, Kennedy has been a standout amongst his new side, playing by far his best career football in new colours.
“The last trade that was submitted on deadline day was centred around Bailey Smith,” Gabelich told SEN’s Crunch Time.
“It ended up involving Jack Macrae, but to get that deal done, the Western Bulldogs wanted to bring a midfielder in.
“That midfielder was Matt Kennedy, and right now he is mounting a case to be considered the recruit of the year.
“What he is doing across his first seven games has been remarkable. I did not know he had this level in him.
“26 (disposals) again last night, two goals, he is impacting the scoreboard. Right now, he is rated by Champion Data as the ninth ranked player in the comp.
“I can’t believe they got him in the end. He was contracted with Carlton, played all 24 games and things changed quite late in that trade period.
“What he is doing now in this evolving midfield alongside the likes of Joel Freijah, Tom Liberatore, Ed Richards, is supreme.
“I know it’s only Round 7 but he has got a case to be considered among the contenders for recruit of the year.”
Gabelich, alongside Brownlow Medallist Adam Cooney, had major praise for young gun Joel Freijah.
The 19-year-old in just his second season has become a consistent feature in Luke Beveridge’s side, collecting 27 disposals, nine clearances and eight score involvements in last night's win.
Gabelich: “Joel Freijah, he was close to best on ground last night.
“They took him at pick 45 as a wingman. Last year in his debut season he played at half back, with Bontempelli out, out of necessity they put this guy in the midfield, and in his second year he is showing so much so soon.”
Cooney: “He had 19 contested possessions last night for a guy who has bene drafted on the wing, he has played at half back, he’s played at half forward.
“He is super versatile, but what he has been able to do in the midfield, he had nine clearances and 19 contested… he is hard, he’s clean, he makes good decisions, he moves well at a good size.
“He is the perfect guy who can play anywhere in a side.
“He has probably almost found his home now in the midfield, who are you going to squeeze out?
“You’ve got Ed Richards, you’ve got ‘Libba’ (Tom Liberatore), you’ve got Kennedy who is a goal scoring mid, you’ve got James Harmes who’s kicking goals, you’ve got Marcus Bontempelli… you’ve got six genuine mids.
“Generally, when you have six or seven that run through there, one gets squeezed out or gets stuck at the half forward line and has a poor game.
“Last night, they all got into the 20’s (disposals), all had maximum impact.”
With the potential return of Adam Treloar in the coming weeks and star Marcus Bontempelli returning to full match fitness, the engine room at the Bulldogs will prove a major asset for Luke Beveridge as the season progresses.
Following their scalp over the Giants, the Dogs will head to Ballarat as they go head to head with Port Adelaide next Saturday,
