AFL Round 1

Western Bulldogs v North Melbourne 
Saturday 15 March | 7:35pm AEDT 
Marvel Stadium, Docklands • Wurundjeri 
Broadcast: Kayo / Foxtel 

Tickets: Purchase here

The Western Bulldogs kick off their 2025 season with a Saturday night home game against North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium.

Before the game, visit the Fan Zone outside Gate 7 for giveaways, inflatables, badge making, and more!

Love the Game, Not the Odds is the official match day partner for Round 1. It's Australia's longest-running initiative against sports gambling, and has partnered with the Bulldogs since 2016.

NEED HELP ON MATCH DAY? 

The Bulldogs’ membership team will be at the match-day pavilion near Gate 1 (Barkly Street end). 

To contact us before match day:

• 📆 Monday – Friday, 10 AM – 4 PM
• 📧 membership@westernbulldogs.com.au
• 📞 1300 46 36 47

When and where: Sunday 11 August, 4.10pm AEST, Adelaide Oval 
Broadcast: Fox Footy, Kayo
Head-to-head: Played 49 (won 27, lost 22)
Last time we met: Round 10 2023, WB 11.19 (85) def. Adelaide 5.10 (40)

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What it means

With just three games to go in the home-and-away season, there are still at least four teams vying for a spot in the top eight - meaning every win the Dogs can continue to register will be crucial. Adelaide have proven they can match those above them – beating GWS, St Kilda and Essendon, while falling just five points short to Geelong in recent weeks. The Dogs currently sit half a game clear in the eight, but will know how quickly tides can turn if they aren’t wary.

Who to watch

Tom Liberatore was subbed out of the Melbourne game as a precaution, so should be right to make the trip over to South Australia this weekend. The 32-year-old has endured a rollercoaster 2024 campaign – playing just 14 matches - but in the last month has been important in the Dogs’ wins. Averaging 21 disposals, six tackles and six clearances from his last four matches – you can expect the son of a gun to be just as impactful and physical against the Crows. 

Third time lucky?

This Sunday will mark the Bulldogs’ third trip to Adelaide Oval this season. What they hope it will also mark however is their first win at the venue – having lost to both Geelong (Gather Round) and Port Adelaide. The Dogs’ last triumph at Adelaide Oval was in the 2021 Preliminary Final, and are 0-2 from their games against the Crows there. Will this Sunday be the day that all changes?

The Western Bulldogs' four-game winning streak has come to an end at the hands of the Adelaide Crows on Sunday afternoon.

In his 100th game, Darcy Fogarty kicked an equal career-high five goals and handed off another to guide the Crows to the 17.9 (111) to 9.18 (72) victory on Sunday.

The Bulldogs were riding a four-match winning streak and would have risen to within a victory of the teams sitting second to fourth if they had beaten the Crows.

But the loss leaves the side in seventh spot with a 12-9 record, two wins adrift of the top four with just two rounds remaining.

Despite inaccuracy Sam Darcy was prominent throughout with 21 disposals, five marks and a game-high 11 score involvements.

Marcus Bontempelli overcame a quiet start to finish with 26 possessions and two goals.

Matt Crouch (32 disposals, seven clearances) and Lachlan Sholl (34 disposals) racked up big numbers for Adelaide, while Reilly O'Brien (59 hit-outs) monstered Tim English (15 hitouts) in the ruck.

Although the Bulldogs won the inside 50m count 59-43, Adelaide kicked 6.1 from centre clearances in an impressive display.

The only concern for Adelaide was an injury to Tex Walker, who was subbed off in the third quarter after being accidentally poked in the right eye by English.

The Crows stunned the Dogs with five goals to one in the opening quarter.

Alarm bells were ringing when Ben Keays' third goal of the match late in the second quarter extended the margin to 33 points.

Bontempelli, who had been held to just nine disposals up until that moment, won a free kick in the dying seconds of the half before converting after the siren to give his team a pulse at the long break.

A strong mark and goal by Bontempelli to start the third quarter reduced the gap to 20 points, but it was the Fogarty show for the rest of the term.

He kicked two goals and set up another to Josh Rachele as the margin ballooned to 41 points at three-quarter time.

Star Bulldogs forward Aaron Naughton was subbed with management mid-way through the third term.

ADELAIDE                     5.2     9.6     14.7    17.9 (111)
WESTERN BULLDOGS   1.4    4.10    6.14     9.18 (72)

GOALS
Adelaide: Fogarty 5, Keays 3, Thilthorpe 2, Rachele 2, Curtin 2, Walker, Rankine, Dawson
Western Bulldogs: Bontempelli 2, Ugle-Hagan, Williams, Treloar, Richards, McNeil, English, Darcy

BEST
Adelaide: Dawson, Fogarty, Keayes, Sholl, Crouch, Hinge
Western Bulldogs: Bontempelli, Treloar, Liberatore, Darcy, English

INJURIES
Adelaide: Walker (eye)
Western Bulldogs: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Adelaide: Zac Taylor, replaced Taylor Walker at three-quarter time
Western Bulldogs: Caleb Daniel, replaced Aaron Naughton in the third quarter

Crowd: 39,177 at Adelaide Oval