1. Win it in the middle

No surprise here – this one will be won in the middle.

Both sides boast plenty of star power around the ball, with the contested ball kings set to get to work.

Marcus Bontempelli v Christian Petracca. Jack Macrae v Clayton Oliver. Tom Liberatore v Jack Viney.

Everywhere you look, there’s not just quality, but players who won’t give an inch.

The clearance battle will be critical in this one.

WHO YOU GOT? | ENTER THE DRAW TO WIN ONE OF 10 MISSION FOODS BOBBLEHEADS BY PREDICTING WHO WILL TAKE THE MOST MARKS – EASTON WOOD OR JAKE LEVER – IN THE ROUND 13 MATCH BETWEEN THE BULLDOGS AND DEMONS.

2. Flying forwards

Josh Bruce, come on down.

The off-season acquisition returns after being managed for a week, joining Aaron Naughton who’s fresh from a six-goal haul against the Adelaide Crows.

They’ll have some big guns to contend with in the Dees’ defensive 50, in Steven May and Jake Lever.

Bruce and Naughton have yet to play a handful of games together.

And even when they did, Naughton was working his way into the early part of the season after an injury-interrupted pre-season.

Could this be the start of a fruitful forward partnership for the rest of 2020?

 
3. The big improver

We’ll have to start calling Bailey Williams ‘Mr 189 per cent’

Because that’s how much he’s improved this year, according to Champion Data’s AFL Player Ratings system.

In fact, according to those ratings, he’s the most improved player in the AFL in 2020.

Williams has been a mainstay of the Bulldogs’ backline this season, providing plenty of rebound and an aerial presence. His 614 metres gained against the Crows were second only to Bailey Smith (813).

He’s fast become another threat for the Dogs, alongside the likes of Caleb Daniel and returning duo Hayden Crozier and Jason Johannisen.

 
4. Eight-point game

In the scheme of this season, this is a big game. A huge game.

Both teams have six wins to their name in 2020.

The Dees sit inside the top eight, just, on percentage. They’re two points behind seventh-placed Collingwood, and six points adrift of Richmond.

The Bulldogs sit outside the top eight, in 10^th spot, with some costly margins in defeat impacting their percentage.

A win looms as crucial for the Bulldogs’ finals hopes, particularly with clashes against the third-placed Geelong Cats and fourth-placed West Coast Eagles to follow.

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge used a 1950s boxing match to inspire his troops in a crucial Sir Doug Nicholls Round clash with Melbourne on Saturday.

Despite taking some blows late in the second term, the Bulldogs counter-punched with a brutal burst of attacking football in the third quarter to set up a 28-point victory at Metricon Stadium. 

The Dogs kicked six goals from 10 inside 50s in the pivotal third quarter, keeping the Demons goalless, after trailing by seven points at half time.

Mitch Wallis kicked a career-high four goals (taking his season tally to 20), benefiting from another strong performance from the midfield group.

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Captain Marcus Bontempelli was a star performer again with 22 touches (16 contested), a goal and five tackles, while Bailey Smith’s enormous season continued with 26 disposals and a goal.

Dashing defenders Jason Johannisen (21 possessions at 90% efficiency), Bailey Williams (19 disposals) and Caleb Daniel had a big say in the outcome, particularly in the defining third quarter.

The win was the Bulldogs’ second in a row, and seventh win of the year, ahead of a season-defining fortnight of games against Geelong and West Coast.

MATCH CENTRE | View player and team stats from the Bulldogs and Demons clash.

The Bulldogs started the game brightly and could have built a strong early lead if they capitalised on their inside 50 dominance in the first term (13-5).

The Demons were efficient when they went forward, as the teams went goal-for-goal in the second term, but the Dogs conceded the last two goals of the second quarter to trail by seven points at the long break as Melbourne got on top.

Bulldogs’ forward Josh Bruce was switched into the ruck during the second half and Tim English pushed forward, and English booted one of his team’s six majors from a strong contested mark as they surged to a match-winning lead.

Wallis’ fourth six-pointer, a brilliant mark and goal as Melbourne was mounting a charge in the fourth quarter, eased the nerves of Dogs’ fans as their team marched to victory.

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MATCH DETAILS

Western Bulldogs            2.4          4.4          10.5        12.8 (80)

Melbourne                         1.3          5.5          5.8          7.10 (52)

GOALS

Western Bulldogs: Wallis 4, McLean, Vandermeer, Liberatore, Bontempelli, Smith, Williams, English, Cavarra

Melbourne: Weideman 2, Melksham, Oliver, Fritsch, McDonald, Spargo

BEST
Western Bulldogs: Bontempelli, Liberatore, Smith, Wallis, Macrae, Hunter

Melbourne: May, Viney, Petracca, Weideman

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INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Nil

Melbourne: Sparrow (shoulder), Jones (quad) replaced in selected side by Hannan