Western Bulldogs vs Carlton
Saturday 21st July, 2012, 7:40pm
Venue: Etihad Stadium
Team Selection:
Western Bulldogs
IN: D Giansiracusa, P Veszpremi, M Austin, D Pearce, J Grant
OUT: R Hargrave (omitted), J Sherman (omitted), C Smith (calf), L Markovic (hamstring), T Dickson (adductor)
To see the full team announcement click here.
Carlton
IN: P Bower, J Russell, T Bell, B Thornton, L Casboult
OUT: A Walker (calf), M Kreuzer (hip), L Henderson (groin), K Lucas (hamstring), C Judd (suspension)
Head-to-head:
Round 16, 2011: Western Bulldogs 14. 12. (96) defeat Carlton 9. 15. (69), Etihad Stadium
Round 15, 2010: Carlton 8. 10. (58) defeated by Western Bulldogs 20. 6. (126), Etihad Stadium
Round 5, 2009: Western Bulldogs 13. 12. (90) defeated by Carlton 21. 7. (133), Etihad Stadium
Round 17, 2008: Western Bulldogs 15. 8. (98) defeated by Carlton 18. 18. (126), Etihad Stadium
Round 10, 2007: Carlton 21. 12. (138) defeats Western Bulldogs 19. 14. (128), MCG
Last time they met:
• Adam Cooney played one of his best games for the season with 31 disposals, five marks, five clearances, one goal and taking away two Brownlow Votes
• The Skipper also put in a solid showing with a career high 12 tackles
• Marc Murphy was damaging for Carlton with his 34 possession game earning him the three Brownlow votes. He also had five marks, ten clearances, seven inside 50s and a goal.
• Carlton dominated in the ruck with Robert Warnock and Matthew Kreuzer having a combined total of 62 hit-outs to the Bulldogs 34 (Ben Hudson had 27 hitouts)
• Kade Simpson was the only multiple goal scorer for Carlton on the night slotting through two
Recent Form
Western Bulldogs (W L L L L, 14th)
The Bulldogs have been on the receiving end of some solid losses in recent weeks. While Lukas Markovic will miss this week against Carlton with a hamstring injury, the Dogs forward stocks could be bolstered with Daniel Giansiracusa in the mix for selection after missing three matches with a foot injury. Winning contested ball will be a major focus this week after Hawthorn got the better of them last Sunday.
Carlton (L L L W L, 12th)
The Blues are making one last charge towards a potential finals berth - every game from this week on will be crucial. The loss of Captain Chris Judd through suspension will put a dent in their midfield stocks but still have the depth in to cause headaches in Murphy, Carrazzo and McLean. While Carlton started the season in fine form, finding consistency has been an issue in recent weeks. An upset win over Collingwood in Round 15 kept their finals aspirations alight.
Key Players:
• With four of their top six goal kickers restricted to the sidelines this weekend, Eddie Betts will need to be in scintillating form. Kicking four or more goals on five occasions this year he will need to be kept in check
• If Giansiracusa is deemed fit to play he will be a welcome inclusion to the Bulldogs forward line. Working in tandem with Shaun Higgins and Tory Dickson this season, the three mid-sized forwards have produced a fair result so far and will be looking to improve
• Carlton is ranked 4th in hit outs in the league this season but those figures may not represent this weekend’s ruck duel. With Rob Warnock serving a one week suspension in the VFL it is likely Matthew Kreuzer will shoulder the majority of Carlton’s ruck duties. In the past three rounds Kreuzer has averaged 20.7 hit-outs while Will Minson has had 30 on average.
• The onus will be on Marc Murphy to step up and take responsibility in the midfield this weekend with the loss of Judd. Likely to gain the attention of in-form tagger Liam Picken he will need to be on his game
By the numbers:
• Carlton and Western Bulldogs are both placed in the top four in the league for clearances this season but the Blues will be without their main clearance winner Judd who has averaged over 6 clearances per game.
• While ranked 11th in total disposals in the league, Carlton is solid in their defensive efforts ranking 4th in tackles in the league.
• The Dogs are ranked third in the competition for contested possessions as opposed to Carlton who is ranked 9th. The Bulldogs are also ranked 3rd in uncontested possessions to Carlton’s 13th.
• The teams both average 40 clearances, 89 marks and 52 inside 50s per game this season.
Injury List
Western Bulldogs
James Mulligan (achilles) - season
Dale Morris (leg) - indefinite
Dylan Addison (jaw) - 2 weeks
Lukas Markovic (hamstring) - TBA
Easton Wood (general tightness) - TBA
Andrew Hooper (hamstring) - test
Daniel Giansiracusa (foot) - test
To see the full injury list, click here.
Carlton
Jeremy Laidler (knee) - season
Shaun Hampson (knee) - season
Sam Rowe (testicular cancer) - indefinite
Kade Simpson (jaw) - 3 weeks
Andrew Walker (calf) - 3 weeks
Jarrad Waite (back) - 1 week
Zach Tuohy (back) - test
