Hawthorn vs Western Bulldogs
Saturday 20 July, 1:45pm
Venue: Aurora Stadium

Head-to-head:
Round 16, 2012: Western Bulldogs 6. 8. (44) defeated by Hawthorn 17. 14. (116), Etihad Stadium
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)

Last time they met:

  • Ryan Griffen laid ten tackles – four more than any Hawthorn player
  • Brownlow votes: Sam Mitchell 3, Brad Sewell 2, Matthew Boyd 1
  • The Bulldogs were trailing by 19 points at half time before Hawthorn dominated the second half
  • Hawthorn found more of the ball with 397 disposals to the Bulldogs 347, they also had more inside 50s (Haw62, WB38) and clearances (47, 26). The Bulldogs won in marks (88, 109), tackles (56, 61) and hitouts (41, 37)
  • Tory Dickson was a strong contributor in the Bulldogs forward line with four marks inside 50, one goal, two behinds and a goal assist

Recent form:

Western Bulldogs
A highly competitive performance against top four fancies Essendon will give the Bulldogs a boost in confidence that they can push top tier sides when they stick to their structures. Their fierce tackling and defensive pressure kept the Bulldogs in the game until late in the final quarter, while ball movement was also noticeably better.

Hawthorn
Only one side has been able to defeat Hawthorn this year, as they continue to grow as Premiership contenders. Kicking 23 more goals than any other side this season, the Hawks have been restricted to less than 100 points on just four occasions. While star forward Lance Franklin has a question mark over his fitness for Saturday’s clash, their spread of goal kickers and multi-pronged attack is still capable of producing a dominant score.

Key match ups and gamebreakers:

  • Family ties could be stretched if Jordan Roughead is sent to Hawthorn’s in-form forward Jarryd Roughead, with the cousins potentially set to line up on each other at points in the match on Saturday. The Hawks’ leading goal kicker this year is averaging over three goals in the past ten games and is equal first in the race to the Coleman medal. For the Bulldogs, Jordan Roughead has been a find in the back line this season and will relish the tough task if given the opportunity.
  • Both teams also boast a small forward who can prove a game changer in Luke Dahlhaus and Cyril Rioli. While Rioli is again finding his feet after a long layoff on the sidelines, his form earlier in the season shows he is more than capable of being damaging on the scoreboard. Dahlhaus saw a return to form in round 15, kicking three goals and lifting his side in the second half.
  • The Hawthorn midfield has been prolific in creating inside 50 entries this season, with five of their players contributing to over 50 this season in Jordan Lewis (64), Luke Hodge (63), Sam Mitchell (56), Shaun Burgoyne (52) and Liam Shiels (51). Midfield pressure from the Bulldogs will therefore be paramount in restricting Hawthorn’s chances to create a score.