Head to head: St Kilda 71 wins, Western Bulldogs 70 wins, three draws
Last time: Western Bulldogs 15.16 (106) d St Kilda 11.13 (79), round 11, 2008 at Docklands
MISSING IN ACTION:
St Kilda:
Jarryd Allen (torn hip muscle) - indefinite
Sean Dempster (ACL) - indefinite
Max Hudghton (calf) - 1 week
Steven King (hamstring) - TBA
Justin Koschitzke (hamstring) - TBA
Western Bulldogs:
Tim Callan (ribs) - test
Adam Cooney (knee) - test
Jamason Daniels (quad) - test
Chris Ogle (glandular fever) - test
Paul O’Shea (hip) - indefinite
Jordan Roughead (shoulder) - test
Stephen Tiller (groin) - test
Tom Williams (foot) - test
FORM
St Kilda: WWWWW
Bulldogs: WWWLL
SUMMARY
Both these sides got off to flying starts but only the Saints have been able to keep their form going. The Bulldogs have dropped two winnable games over the past few weeks and have a few glaring weaknesses in their makeup.
'Lacking tall forward options' seems to be the cry of the broken record down at Whitten Oval, but it was evident in the loss to Carlton on Sunday.
With Jason Akermanis back from suspension and Robert Murphy finding his feet after a lengthy absence, the Dogs forward line will be stronger this week, but it will not have an easy time of it against the miserly St Kilda defence, which has let through just 262 points from five games so far.
Plenty has been made about St Kilda's defensive pressure, but its accuracy for goal has also been a big reason for its success. The accuracy is a reflection on delivery to the corridor as much as it is a reflection on the temperament of the forward line.
Plenty has been made about St Kilda's defensive pressure, but its accuracy for goal has also been a big reason for its success. The accuracy is a reflection on delivery to the corridor as much as it is a reflection on the temperament of the forward line.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Nick Dal Santo (St Kilda)
Apart from a relatively quiet game against Port Adelaide last week, Dal Santo has been in blistering form for the Saints in 2009. This week marks his 150th AFL match and he will be keen to put on a good show. With a more than able supporting cast of Lenny Hayes, Leigh Montagna and Luke Ball in the midfield, Dal Santo could tear the Bulldogs apart if he gets a chance.
Jason Akermanis (Western Bulldogs)
He’s not exactly prone to having dull seasons and this one has been no exception. A couple of poor games to start with, then a match winning role against Richmond before earning a week’s suspension. He has made the headlines once again this week for declaring his possibly intention to play on beyond this year. Throughout his career Akermanis has been able to back his bold statements up with sublime on-field performances. Can he do it once again?
QUESTION MARKS
Have the Saints peaked too early or is this a sign of things to come for 2009?
Does St Kilda have enough tall timber, with Justin Koschitzke and Steven King likely to miss through injury?
Can the Bulldogs convert their opportunities in front of goal?
WHO WILL WIN AND WHY?
One of many encouraging signs for the Saints in last week’s win over Port Adelaide was that not only the usual suspects got the job done. Nick Dal Santo, Leigh Montagna and Brendon Goddard have all had fantastic seasons to date but they were not among the best against the Power. Lenny Hayes and Nick Riewoldt stepped up to lead the charge.
The Bulldogs have no such depth and rely on the same formula (Morris shutting down a forward, Cross getting 30 touches, Johnson to kick a bag of goals) to win a game.
Saints for mine.
PREDICTION:
St Kilda by 32 points.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
