AFL Round 10

Western Bulldogs v Essendon
Saturday 17 May | 7:35pm AEST
Marvel Stadium, Docklands • Wurundjeri
Broadcast: Kayo/Foxtel

Tickets: Purchase Here

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: Saturday 10 May 
Where: TIO Stadium, Larrakia 
First bounce: 7:35pm AEST (7:05pm ACST) 
Broadcast: Fox Footy, Kayo Sports

Tickets: Purchase here

Don’t just witness history. Be part of it: Sign up as a Bulldogs member TODAY.    

Already a member? After the game, look out for two member-exclusive pieces of content from the coaches. Stay across your email and the Club website to access.  

Dogs fans are always welcome at Pirate Life’s venue in South Melbourne. Members receive 2-for-1 South Coast schooners every Bulldogs’ game day, as well as 10% off everything all day, every day. Just present your Bulldogs’ membership card to take advantage of this offer! 

LAST MEETING 

Round 2, 2024 
Western Bulldogs 18.7 (115) def. Gold Coast SUNS 10.7 (67) 

Forward Cody Weightman bagged an equal-career-best six goals to steer the Bulldogs to victory for their first win of the 2024 season. 

Skipper Marcus Bontempelli (31 disposals, 10 clearances and two goals) and Adam Treloar (27 touches) were typically prolific. while Tom Liberatore had an entertaining battle with Matt Rowell. 

THE LINE-UP 

In: Gallagher, Poulter   
Out: Busslinger, Treloar

Gold Coast SUNS v Western Bulldogs

Round 9 • Sat 10 May 2025, 9:35 AM

TIO Stadium, Darwin • NT

Presented By

Mimosa Homes

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Last Updated 1:09 am Tuesday, May 13, 2025

WHO TO WATCH 

One Bulldog likely looking forward to Saturday’s clash is veteran utility James Harmes. Harmes has squared off against the SUNS on 10 occasions in his career with the Dogs and Demons and has never been on the losing side. 

Harmes has enjoyed an impressive start to the 2025 season; his 22-disposal, four-goal outing against the Giants in Canberra earned him five coaches’ votes and the fan-voted CoinSpot MVP award for Round 7. 

HONOURING FIRST NATIONS BULLDOGS 

The Dogs will debut their 2025 First Nations guernsey this weekend. 

Designed by Kamilya Lowana White, a proud Aboriginal artist born and raised in Naarm, with Kija Bardi heritage on her father’s side, the guernsey honours the Bulldogs’ current First Nations players and their teammates. It also celebrates the Club’s reconciliation journey.

The ‘home’ guernseys will be available for purchase via the Bulldogs Shop, alongside an exclusive range including training shorts, media polo, Nallei Jerring Program t-shirt and wool scarf. 

For more on the guernseys, please click here. 

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY 

• Martin Pegan, afl.com.au 

Gold Coast (5-2) blew the chance to finish a round in top spot for the second time this season when overpowered by arch rival Brisbane in a high-stakes QClash last week. The Suns have another opportunity to impress with all eyes on them against another top-four contender in the Bulldogs while returning to their home away from home where they have won their past six by an average 49 points.

The Western Bulldogs (5-3) reinforced their claim to be among the genuine premiership contenders as they crushed last year's preliminary finalists Port Adelaide in wild weather in Ballarat. The Dogs are proven performers in a variety of conditions and have a better record than most visitors to Darwin with seven wins from 10 matches including being one of only two teams to beat the Suns at the venue.

Gold Coast has kept its Darwin fortress intact, holding off a barnstorming Western Bulldogs to win by 10 points in a TIO Stadium thriller on Saturday night.

The Suns had a 28-point lead midway through the final quarter and the game appeared over, but the Bulldogs had other ideas.

With two goals to Sam Davidson, one to Lachlan McNeil and another to Marcus Bontempelli, the Dogs drew within three points with three minutes remaining.

Gold Coast held on in the desperate final moments though, winning critical contests before a Ben King goal on the siren completed the 15.16 (106) to 14.12 (96) win.

In typically hot and humid conditions, Gold Coast was fractionally better in most areas and did just enough to move to a 6-2 win-loss record.

The Bulldogs will lose no fans with that performance, despite having their three-game winning streak snapped.

Gold Coast threatened to jump out to big leads on numerous occasions, but every time they got a two- or three-goal break, Luke Beveridge’s men would fight back.

Ed Richards (31 disposals, one goal and three assists) and Tom Liberatore (35, 10 clearances and 10 tackles) were arguably the two best players on the ground.

James O'Donnell was magnificent in defence, while Bailey Williams was also effective and sweeping up loose balls.

Gold Coast got out to the quick start, kicking four of the game’s first five goals, as they managed to generate turnovers in the front half of the ground and punish the Bulldogs going the other way.

Daniel Rioli thrilled the home fans when he converted on the run from 50m after some lovely hands from Noah Anderson, while Sam Flanders gave the Suns a three-goal lead after Wil Powell cleared the way for him.

The Dogs were having their way at stoppages though, particularly Bontempelli and Liberatore, and kicked three consecutive goals either side of the first change to bring the teams back together.

Matthew Kennedy continued his fine season and was the unlikely first-half target with three goals, while Coleman Medal leader Ben King gave Gold Coast some breathing space at the main break with a steady set shot.

Although the Suns had more entries forward in the opening two quarters, O’Donnell was superb in the air and Williams at ground level to help hold back the tide.

The Bulldogs will return home to Marvel Stadium next Saturday night to host Essendon in Sir Doug Nicholls Round.

GOLD COAST             4.5       6.8       12.13  15.16 (106)
WESTERN BULLDOGS         3.3       5.7       9.9       14.12 (96)

GOALS
Gold Coast: King 3, Holman 2, Graham 2, Flanders 2, Rowell, Rioli, Noble, Long, Clohesy, Ainsworth
Western Bulldogs: Kennedy 3, West 2, Vandermeer 2, Davidson 2, Sanders, Bontempelli, McNeil, Richards, Khamis

BEST
Gold Coast: Rioli, Anderson, Miller, Rowell, Noble, Jeffrey, Humphrey 
Western Bulldogs: Richards, Liberatore, O’Donnell, Bontempelli, Williams, Kennedy

INJURIES
Gold Coast: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Vandermeer (calf tightness)

SUBSTITUTES
Gold Coast: Jake Rogers (replaced Nick Holman in the fourth quarter)
Western Bulldogs: Harvey Gallagher (replaced Vandermeer at three quarter time)

Crowd: 9,816 at TIO Stadium