Western Bulldogs vs Hawthorn
Sunday 15th July,2012, 3:15pm
Venue: Etihad Stadium
Team Selection:
Western Bulldogs
IN: R Murphy, T Williams, J Grant, R Hargrave, P Veszpremi, D Pearce
OUT: M Austin, E Wood, T Campbell
To see the full team announcement, click here.
Hawthorn
IN: S Gilham, B Sewell, L Lowden, S Burgoyne
OUT: L Franklin
Head-to-head:
Round 23, 2011: Hawthorn 16. 17. (113) defeat Western Bulldogs 10. 7. (67), MCG
Round 10, 2011: Western Bulldogs 9. 8. (62) defeated by Hawthorn 13. 13. (91), Etihad Stadium
Round 14, 2010: Hawthorn 12. 7. (79) defeat Western Bulldogs 11. 10. (76), MCG
Round 3, 2010: Western Bulldogs 14. 16. (100) defeat Hawthorn 12. 12. (84), Etihad Stadium
Round 14, 2009: Western Bulldogs 19. 19. (133) defeat Hawthorn 6. 9. (45), Etihad Stadium
Last time they met:
• Hawthorn won convincingly on the stats sheet with more disposals (WB 351, Hawks 440), marks (78, 141), scoring shots (17, 33) and inside 50m (32, 65)
• The Dogs were slightly more dangerous with the ball in hand inside their forward line converting a goal for every 3.2 inside 50s while the Hawks only converted every 4.02 inside 50s. The Bulldogs conversion rate was also higher at 58.8% (compared to Hawks 48.5%)
• The Dogs on average were a year younger in age, having played almost 17 fewer games.
• Robert Murphy was one of the main players holding up the Bulldogs defence with 10 rebound 50m - The Hawks lost in that statistic with 22 to the Dogs 47.
Recent form:
Western Bulldogs
The Dogs have been on the receiving end of some convincing defeats in recent weeks. The last time they tasted success was in Round 12 against Port Adelaide. An improved effort against Fremantle in Perth last weekend would have salvaged their confidence slightly going forward. Consistency across the four quarters and an increased intensity will be important.
Hawthorn
Hawthorn will enter Etihad Stadium on Sunday beaming with confidence after their 162 point victory over GWS Giants last weekend. The Hawks have won their past five matches by at least 46 points. They continue to gain momentum with a very solid run in Melbourne - the Hawks have not travelled interstate since Round 11 against Port Adelaide. They will take a hit this week, however, with the loss of Lance Franklin as well as a further delay to Luke Hodge’s return. Fifth on the ladder with ten wins this season, the Hawks are looking to be real contenders in the second half of 2012.
Key Players:
• Perennial ball winner Matthew Boyd has a very solid record against Hawthorn. In fact in four of their past five meetings Boyd has collected exactly 35 disposals and topped the possession count. His 200th game will add fuel to the flame.
• After the loss of Franklin, Jarryd Roughead’s six goal haul last weekend will result in all eyes on him. With premier full back Brian Lake the most likely matchup, Roughead will be under intense pressure - making a repeat performance a hard task.
• Hawthorn’s small forwards will need to produce solid performances to maintain the Hawks high scoring average. Cyril Rioli and Luke Bruest have been valuable in that area of the ground this season and will need to step up. Rioli was dangerous in the forward half last weekend booting three, while Breust has found the big sticks on multiple occasions in every game since Round 8.
• The pacey young crop of Bulldogs players will be required to provide some extra run on Sunday. The ability of Luke Dahlhaus, Christian Howard, Easton Wood and Jason Tutt to inject speed into the side will be vital.
By the numbers:
• Hawthorn kicked four goals from free kicks last weekend as well as one resulting from a 50 penalty
• The Dogs are highly competitive around the stoppages, ranked second in the league for total clearances (565) while Hawks are ranked sixth (547)
• Bulldogs are also winning in the ruck duel averaging 42.7 hit-outs per game (2.4 more than their opposition) while the Hawks average 38.4 (1.7 less than their direct opponent0
• On average the Dogs had each played 25 games less than the Fremantle outfit last weekend while the Hawks had played almost 43 games each more than the GWS line-up
Injury List:
Western Bulldogs
James Mulligan (achilles) - season
Dale Morris (leg) - indefinite
Dylan Addison (jaw) - 3 weeks
Andrew Hooper (hamstring) - 1 week
Daniel Giansiracusa (foot) - 1 week
Robert Murphy (hamstring) - 1 week
To see the full injury list, click here.
Hawthorn
Alex Woodward (knee) - season
Michael Osborne (knee) - season
Lance Franklin (hamstring) - 3 weeks
Luke Hodge (knee) - 2-3 weeks
Will Langford (shoulder) - 1 week
Max Bailey (wrist) - test
Xavier Ellis (knee) - test
