THE SYDNEY Swans have had the tables turned on them by a red-hot Western Bulldogs at Manuka Oval on Saturday afternoon.

The Swans blew Port Adelaide away last weekend with a blistering first quarter, but were on the receiving end in the nation's capital after the Dogs kicked 13 unanswered goals in a devastating burst to set up a 69-point lead at half time.

The visitors rediscovered some form in the second half, but the Bulldogs held sway to record a 40-point victory, 18.9 (117) to 12.5 (77).
 
Few Swans would have come off the ground feeling content with their own performance, although Ryan O'Keefe (31 disposals), and Adam Goodes (30, two goals) did their even best to limit the damage on a poor afternoon for the club.

Barry Hall also fought out the match well, eventually getting on top of opponent Brian Lake to finish with six goals.

Craig Bolton, who battled manfully in a defence that was often under siege, left the ground bloody and dazed after copping a heavy knock from Scott Welsh late in the last quarter.

The performance was even more puzzling as the Swans dominated the opening 15 minutes of the match.

The visitors successfully clogged up the contest, forcing the Dogs into uncomfortable territory with multiple stoppages.

Unsurprisingly the Swans benefitted, winning the contested possession count and registering the game's first two goals through Barry Hall.

But just when it seemed that the life was being squeezed out of the Bulldogs, they managed to shatter the shackles the Swans had spent the first half of the quarter applying.

It was Daniel Giansiracusa who got the Dogs rolling, winning several telling touches through the middle of the ground and twice converting in front of the sticks to grab the lead for his team.

They would not give it up for the rest of the afternoon.

Welsh sent through a long set-shot before Callan Ward and Adam Cooney made it five-straight in a blistering end to the term for the Dogs.

Their 18-point quarter time lead grew quickly when 150-gamer Lindsay Gilbee kicked beautifully for Nathan Eagleton to release Ward for his second.

The unlikely sharp shooter added a third moments later, spurring a session of push and shove after Welsh's heavy shepherd felled Jared Crouch. 

The incident failed to fire up the Swans, though, who were being completely outpointed through the middle of the ground.

It was this avenue the Bulldogs chose to go through for their eighth and tenth goals; the ninth -- Mitch Hahn's second in two minutes -- came on the back of a 50m penalty courtesy of an out-of-sorts Lewis Roberts-Thompson.

Luke Ablett kicked a behind in the 17th minute. It was the Swans first score of a quarter in which they were nominally kicking with a strong breeze.

It was to be their only score for the term. The Bulldogs added another three to set up an unassailable half-time lead.

The Swans did find some fluency and won the third quarter with better run off half-back and some good delivery into the forward line.

Hall added another two majors and was joined on the scoresheet after Luke Ablett,  Kieren Jack and Nick Malceski all goaled from broken play.

The revival continued in the final term with Goodes capping off his excellent game with a brace of goals and Hall bringing up his half-dozen.

Coach Paul Roos will be buoyed by the second-half return of ten goals to five but he will be desperate to address the lapse that cost his team the game, especially with the premiers Hawthorn looming as next Sunday’s assignment.

Western Bulldogs  5.2  13.6  16.7  18.9 (117)
Sydney Swans   2.2  2.3  7.4  12.5 (77)

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Welsh 4, Giansiracusa 3, Hahn 3, Ward 3, Cooney 2, Harbrow, Higgins, Boyd
Sydney Swans: Hall 6, Goodes 2, Malceski, Ablett, Jack, J Bolton

BEST
Western Bulldogs: Giansiracusa, Harbrow, Cooney, Higgins, Ward, Morris, Lake
Sydney Swans: Goodes, O’Keefe, Hall, C Bolton, Kirk

INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Tom Williams (plantar fascia) replaced in selected side by J Harbrow
Sydney Swans: C Bolton (cut head)

The views contained in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL