Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne
Sunday 1 September 2013, 4:40pm
Etihad Stadium

Head to head:

R14, 2013 – Melbourne 15.13 (103) defeated Western Bulldogs 15.10 (100), MCG
R4, 2012 – Melbourne 9.13 (67) defeated by Western Bulldogs 13.10 (88), MCG 
R15, 2011 – Western Bulldogs 19.13 (127) defeated Melbourne 8.15 (63), Etihad Stadium
R7, 2010 – Melbourne 9.12 (66) defeated by Western Bulldogs 10.10 (70), MCG   
R8, 2009 – Melbourne 15.7 (97) defeated by Western Bulldogs 15.14 (104), MCG

Last time they met:

  • In their second game under interim coach Neil Craig, the Demons secured an upset victory to snap a six-game losing streak against the Bulldogs.
  • The Bulldogs trailed by 44 points halfway through the final term but rallied to kick the last seven goals of the match, ultimately falling three points short.
  • Melbourne won both the disposal count and tackle count for the only time in their 21 matches thus far this season.
  • The Demons also moved the ball more effectively than the Dogs. Melbourne took 80 uncontested marks to 44, racked up 211 uncontested possessions to 176 and operated at 75% disposal efficiency to 67%.
  • The Bulldogs outmuscled the Demons at the stoppages, finishing with nine more clearances and a +30 contested possession advantage.
  • Tom Liberatore starred in the Bulldogs’ final-quarter stand. His 36 possessions included eleven inside-50s and twelve clearances.
  • Ryan Griffen also excelled with 31 disposals and three goals.
  • Melbourne’s best included Jack Watts, who took nine marks and booted a career-best four goals.

Recent Form:

Western Bulldogs

The Bulldogs’ late-season charge looked all but over when the Brisbane Lions pulled 57 points ahead in the second quarter of last week’s Gabba clash. While a second-half revival brought the Dogs back into the contest and within seven points by game’s end, coach Brendan McCartney expressed disappointment with his team’s efforts overall. The Bulldogs convincingly won the contested possessions, clearances and inside-50s. Yet the Dogs failed to apply their trademark pressure to the Lions with eight fewer tackles despite Brisbane winning more of the ball. Looking over the past month, the Bulldogs have led the competition for contested possessions and clearances and rank second in both areas overall this season. The team boasts two wins from its past four matches and a four wins within the past eight. Adam Cooney has been cleared to play this weekend after missing the Brisbane match with a stomach bug, while Liam Jones continued to push his case for a senior call up after booting six goals for Williamstown. The Bulldogs will be eager to finish their season of development on a high note with an eighth win this weekend.

Melbourne

With just two wins thus far in season 2013, things haven’t come easily for a Melbourne side on the rebuild. Since their dramatic victory against the Bulldogs in round 14, the Dees have dropped their past eight matches by an average of 57 points. Statistically, the Demons’ performance makes for difficult reading. The side ranks 18th for total disposals, contested possessions, clearances and points scored this season. Their best effort in recent weeks came against the Gold Coast Suns at Metricon Stadium in round 20, a game in which Melbourne won most key statistics but suffered from poor conversion to eventually succumb by 13 points. Arguably, a tough draw has compounded the Demons’ problems. After starting the year with 12 of its first 14 matches at the MCG, Melbourne was given its traditional home ground just once in its final eight weeks. The Demons will look to repeat their round 14 performance against the Dogs this weekend, ending their disappointing 2013 campaign with a flourish.

Key match ups and game breakers:

  • Bulldog Will Minson has taken his game to a new level this season in the ruck and around the ground. Minson has played all 21 matches and has accumulated an astonishing 812 hitouts, the most of any player in the competition. Additionally, he ranks third at the Club for clearances, fourth for contested possessions and fifth for tackles. By contrast, Melbourne’s ruck division lacks a focal point and has been cruelled by injuries in 2013. None of Mark Jamar, Jake Spencer, Jack Fitzpatrick or Max Gawn have managed more than 12 games this season. If Minson can out-point his comparatively inexperienced opponents, he will provide Bulldogs onballers with perhaps a decisive edge at the stoppages.
  • Melbourne’s disposal efficiency, while ranked 14th overall this year, far exceeded that of the Bulldogs (75% to 67%) when the teams last played. Consequently, the Demons committed 11 fewer clangers than the Dogs and registered five more inside-50s. Nathan Jones (26 disposals at 92% efficiency), Dean Terlich (24 at 83%) and James Frawley (20 at 95%) all used the ball clinically and must this time be pressured heavily by the Bulldogs to stifle the Demons’ forward thrusts.
  • While recent MCG clashes between the two sides have been tight affairs, Melbourne cannot claim such a record at Etihad Stadium. The Demons have lost their past 15 matches at the ground to various opponents by an average of 50 points. The hoodoo dates back to 2007, when Melbourne won their last Etihad match in round 19 against the Bulldogs. With five wins and eight losses at Etihad this season, the Dogs will hope to exploit the smaller playing surface in what has historically proven a significant home ground advantage against Melbourne.