1. Josh x 2

With no Aaron Naughton and no Sam Lloyd, the Bulldogs will be without their two top goal-kickers from 2019.
Bulldogs fans will be hoping a Josh can step up to fill that void.
And this week, there’s going to be two of them close to goal.
Off-season recruit Josh Bruce has two goals in his first four games as a Bulldog, while Josh Schache joins him in the line-up this week for the first time in 2020.
Both have the capability to kick a bag of goals and will be hoping they can do just that.

2. Tim’s Gold-en opportunity

Tim English will no doubt remember his last outing against North Melbourne.
The Roos won by 25 points and his opposite number, Todd Goldstein, was best afield with 28 disposals and 57 hit-outs.
Still only 22 years old, English is a star in the making and learning with each game.
He’s been impressive the past two weeks as the Bulldogs have rediscovered their winning ways and will be out to continue that form against one of the best ruckmen in the business.

3. Battle of the young guns

Two of the competition’s rising stars will go head to head in the middle of the ground.
Jy Simpkin is having a breakout year for the Roos, averaging 24.3 disposals per game.
The 22-year-old’s average of 6.5 clearances per game puts him among the competition’s elite.
But the Bulldogs have a young gun who has found a new level in 2020 too – his name is Bailey Smith.
The mulleted midfielder is relishing more opportunity around the ball and has arguably been his side’s most consistent performer this season, averaging 22.3 disposals.

4. Can the Dogs maintain the rage?

For the past two weeks, the Bulldogs have been ferocious – both with their attack at the ball and at the opposition.
Can they continue to maintain that level of intensity?
Because when they bring that, they play a brand of footy that stacks up against the best.
The recent track record between the Roos and Dogs suggests anything short of it won’t be enough to get it done.
Four of the past five games between the two teams have been decided by seven points or less.

A six-goal haul to star forward Josh Bruce has helped the Western Bulldogs to a commanding 49-point win against North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium.

Bruce’s equal career-best performance was complimented by a host of strong performers across the board, as the Bulldogs led from start to finish on their way to a 13.9 (87) to 5.8 (38) triumph on Saturday night.

BULLDOGS v KANGAROOS Full match coverage and stats

It gives the Bulldogs a third consecutive win for and takes them inside the top eight for the first time in 2020.

The Bulldogs completed the game with 20 fit players, after concussions to Bailey Smith in the first quarter and the impressive Laitham Vandermeer just before three quarter time.

Remarkably, it was a job done without starring roles being played by usual suspects Marcus Bontempelli and Jack Macrae, and with the likes of Josh Dunkley, Lachie Hunter, Aaron Naughton and Sam Lloyd on the sidelines.

The Bulldogs controlled the ball, with 334 disposals to the Kangaroos’ 267, and were able to capitalise heading forward, with 15 marks inside 50 to just six.

A six-point lead at the first change was extended to 20 points at the major break, thanks to Bruce’s third major after the siren.

It was in the third term the Bulldogs kicked away, with a string of five unanswered goals – including Bruce’s fourth and fifth – giving them a 43-point advantage at the final interval.

Mitch Wallis and Josh Schache each added a second major in the last quarter, before Bruce’s sixth capped off the night.

Ruckman Tim English continued his stellar month of football, racking up 22 disposals and eight marks to win his battle with Kangaroos star Todd Goldstein, while tough midfielder Tom Liberatore (23 disposals, five clearances) was important in the clinches.

Toby McLean played an important shutdown role on Shaun Higgins (14 disposals) while finishing with 22 disposals himself.

In defence, the Bulldogs were superb for a third week in a row.

Alex Keath and Zaine Cordy were strong in the key posts as Ben Brown went goalless, while Easton Wood was at his dynamic best on return from injury, dominating in the air with nine marks.

Breaking the lines and driving the Bulldogs from defence to attack were Jason Johannisen and Caleb Daniel, who each finished with 22 disposals and more than 400 metres gained.

The Bulldogs will now head to a Gold Coast hub, ahead of matches against Carlton and Essendon. 

WESTERN BULLDOGS      2.2   5.5   10.6   13.9 (87)
NORTH MELBOURNE        1.2   2.3    3.5    5.8 (38)

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Bruce 6, Wallis 2, Schache 2, Dale, Vandermeer, Richards, 
North Melbourne: Goldstein 2, Taylor 2, Zurhaar

BEST
Western Bulldogs: Bruce, Liberatore, English, Wood, Johannisen, McLean, Keath, Daniel
North Melbourne: Simpkin, Tarrant, Anderson, Dumont, Goldstein, Polec 

INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Smith (concussion), Vandermeer (concussion)
North Melbourne: Thomas (concussion), Cunnington (TBC), Higgins (leg)