1. All to play for

It’s all on the line for the Western Bulldogs this week.

Despite last week’s narrow loss to Geelong, the Bulldogs well and truly remain in the finals hunt.

A win against the Eagles could propel them back into the top eight with two rounds to play.

There’s a logjam around the bottom of the top eight, from sixth-placed Collingwood (34 points) through to 12^th-placed Carlton (24 points). The Bulldogs sit in the middle of all of that, in 10^th spot with 28 points.

It’s been a season like no other, with so many twists and turns… and if the Bulldogs can turn it on the next three weeks, starting with the Eagles, they give themselves every chance of being there at the pointy end of the year.

2. Eagles’ pillars

At both ends of the ground, the Eagles boast quality big men.

Up forward, it’s the likes of the returning Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling who lead the change – plus emerging talls Oscar Allen and Jake Waterman.

Plus Liam Ryan – who may only be 179cm tall, but has a leap which makes him just as dangerous as the others in the air.

At the other end of the ground, four-time All Australian star Jeremy McGovern leads the troops, with Tom Barrass his deputy.

If the Bulldogs are to overcome the Eagles, they’ll need to compete strongly in the air all night.

3. Ruck and role

Luke Beveridge has pulled some tricks in the ruck in recent weeks.

Against the Adelaide Crows and Melbourne it paid dividends, and until quarter time against the Geelong Cats.

But will a contest with the high-flying Nic Naitanui alter the Bulldogs’ thinking this week?

Midfielder Josh Dunkley – who stands at 190cm – has fought valiantly as an undersized ruckman around the ground in recent times. Tim English has been a match-winner around the ball at different times in 2020, and also offered a forward threat with Dunkley in the ruck.

But it will be interesting to see what cards Beveridge plays against Naitanui.

4. Winging it

Two of the competition’s premier wingmen look set to go head-to-head, in Lachie Hunter and Andrew Gaff.

Hunter has played just six games this season due to various reasons but has been among the Bulldogs’ leading ball-winners in all six of those games.

He’s averaging 25.8 disposals per game, which places him sixth in the AFL.

Gaff has been equally influential for the Eagles, with his 24.2 disposals per game seeing him sit 11^th in the AFL.

The two left-footers both love to get the ball on the outside and drive their team into attack.

The Western Bulldogs’ finals hopes have been given a shot in the arm with a thrilling two-point win over premiership fancy West Coast at Metricon Stadium on Sunday.

The Dogs’ notched their most significant victory of the season – their second win against a top eight opponent in 2020 – and moved to ninth spot on the ladder with two games remaining.

A Marcus Bontempelli bomb with three minutes remaining in the last quarter - which crossed the line by the barest of margins - proved to be the winning goal in a low scoring and tense encounter.

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The Bulldogs well and truly deserved their victory, overcoming a 22-point deficit at quarter time, eventually winning the inside 50 count by 45-27.

Bontempelli and ruckman Tim English each had big moments on the dying seconds, with English raking in two towering marks to defuse late Eagles surges.

Josh Dunkley played a massive role in the midfield and up forward, winning 22 disposals, kicking a goal, laying nine tackles (including five in the last quarter) and finishing with eight score involvements.

Jack Macrae’s incredible ball-winning season continued, with the midfielder collecting a game-high 29 touches and winning five clearances.

The Bulldogs finished with the top eight possession winners on the ground, who each won 20 or more disposals.

Mitch Wallis booted two crucial goals – the sixth time this season he’s kicked multiple goals – to take his 2020 tally to 22.

Toby McLean put in an excellent performance, restricting Eagles’ star midfielder Andrew Gaff to 15 possessions while collecting 20 himself, laying nine tackles and recording eight score involvements.

West Coast was missing some of their big-name stars, including Luke Shuey, Shannon Hurn, Elliot Yeo and Nic Naitanui, who was withdrawn shortly before the first bounce.

And after missing some gettable chances in the opening term, it looked like the Eagles’ class would prove too much.

But the Bulldogs made some adjustments to their game style after quarter time, started to get on top in the clearances and dominated the territory battle. 

Scores were level at half time, and the game became an arm-wrestle in the third team with each side managing one goal each.

The teams went goal-for-goal in the last term as the lead changed hands four times, with the Dogs finishing with their noses in front when the final siren rang.

MATCH CENTRE | All the player and team stats from the Bulldogs' win over West Coast.

MATCH DETAILS

Western Bulldogs           0.3          3.8          4.10        6.13 (49)

West Coast Eagles           4.1          4.2          5.3          7.5 (47)

GOALS
Western Bulldogs:  Wallis 2, Lloyd, Dunkley, Bontempelli
West Coast Eagles:  Waterman 2, Kennedy 2, Ryan, Sheed, Cole

BEST
Western Bulldogs:  Dunkley, Macrae, McLean, Daniel, Bontempelli, Hunter, Liberatore
West Coast: Redden, Duggan, Sheed, Jetta, Waterman, Cole

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INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Nil
West Coast: Hutchings (hamstring)