‘The Wizard’ talked the talk, but it was the fighting Bulldogs who walked the walk

In the end, Hawthorn fire starter Nick Watson ignited a blaze the Hawks could not control.

“The Wizard” terrorised the Western Bulldogs in the opening half of their clash at the MCG and in the process tormented his opponent Michael Sellwood.

In typical explosive fashion, Watson kicked three inspiring goals across the first two quarters, making the most of his midfield cameos, and lifting Hawthorn to a 27-point lead by the long break.

He ran the hapless Sellwood ragged and even appeared to have the better of the Bulldog defender in a fiery quarter-time melee that spilled over the boundary line and into the fence.

It was the sort of all-in that would have had the AFL bean counters licking their lips as they tallied up the fines.

But then Watson said something about Sellwood as he walked off the ground at the half-time break that he might, in hindsight, like to take back.

“He’s giving me a bit,” Watson told Kayo Sports at the time. “I don’t care if he talks as long as he walks the walk, so I’d love to see it in the second half.”

What he saw in the second half was a Hawthorn horror show. Luke Beveridge maintained his faith in Sellwood, and he gained the upper hand, fighting back to keep Watson to just two possessions in the final two quarters.

After the game, Sellwood told Kayo Sports that he was one of 10 children growing up, so scrapping was in his nature.

“I was one of 10 – with four older brothers – so we were always wrestling, and I was trying just to pick up the scraps, I guess.

“I’ve always had that mongrel about me that stands up well. Opposition fans won’t like it, but it is what it is.”

As the Bulldogs were getting high-fives from their fans along boundary fence after the final siren, a Hawks fan had a few choice words for Sellwood, which he said he “wasn’t happy with”.

“I’m not going to repeat what he said … but I wasn’t happy with it,” Sellwood later explained on Seven in the rooms.

“[He called me a] weak something, yeah. I pointed him out, and he cowered a bit, which was quite funny. Hopefully he gets kicked out or something.”

As Watson faded from the game and failed to kick another goal, the determined Bulldogs lifted themselves from the canvas to steal the match.

They piled on 8.2 to the Hawks’ 1.11 after half-time to seal a six point victory – 12.5 (77) to 9.17 (71).

As the game became an arm wrestle until the end, every moment counted.

None more than defender Nick Coffield charging back towards the goal square with three minutes left on the clock to knock the ball from Hawthorn forward Mitch Lewis’ hands as he appeared to cl