All the key talking points for the Western Bulldogs’ Round 2 match against Hawthorn at the MCG on Sunday afternoon.
Changes, we’ve seen a few
What’s that, you say? A Bulldogs team staying the same for two straight weeks? You read right – stability reigns early in the season for the Dogs.
A revolving door of injured players has seen the Bulldogs forced to chop and change their team over the last two years, with coach Luke Beveridge rarely getting the continuity he’s been after.
Despite an injury scare for Matt Suckling early in the week, there was no need for the tri-colours to move the magnets when their 22 was submitted to the AFL on Friday afternoon.
That has to be a good thing, doesn’t it?
The colosseum
It’s the home of football. The hallowed turf. The place where dreams are made and where premierships are earned.
We say this every year, but the Dogs rarely get to stretch their legs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Nonetheless, it’s always special when they do.
This season, a rare treat sees the boys play their two allocated home-and-away games in the space of three weeks – Sunday’s clash with the Hawks and the Round 4 blockbuster against the Pies.
Last year’s two trips to the ‘G finished in losses (although this game wasn’t too bad). Before that, it was six straight wins at the venue, including a couple of half-decent ones in September of 2016.
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The past is the past
There wouldn’t have been much looking in the rear-view mirror for the Bulldogs when they were preparing for this week’s game.
A quick glance over the shoulder reveals just one win against the brown and gold in the last 11 contests between the teams, dating back to 2010.
Interestingly though, only three of those games have been played at the MCG (five at Docklands and three in Tasmania), with the last one there the 2016 semi-final.
So, what does this all mean? Probably nothing, but at least now you’re armed with all the stats to throw at your friends at the pub, in your living room or in the Great Southern Stand on Sunday arvo.
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Doc vs the Hawks
Taylor Duryea was Hawthorn’s 2018 Clubman of the Year, and he’s already feeling at home at the Kennel after a strong pre-season and encouraging debut last week against the Swans.
The mature-aged recruit was a savvy target by the Dogs’ list management team last November, with his leadership and tidy left foot already making a big impact.
On Sunday, the 27-year-old is unsurprisingly expecting some lip from his old mates.
We suspect it’ll come with a tinge of respect for the two-time premiership Hawk, and it probably won’t be one-way traffic either.
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