Where and when: Docklands, Friday July 17, 7.40pm AEST
Head to head: Essendon 58 wins, Western Bulldogs 87 wins, two draws
Last time: Western Bulldogs 23.13 (151) d Essendon 15.15 (105), round 21, 2008, at Docklands
MISSING IN ACTION
Essendon
Angus Monfries (hamstring) – 2 weeks
Tyson Slattery (quad) – 2 weeks
Scott Gumbleton (back) – indefinite
Jason Laycock (foot) – season
David Hille (ACL) – season
Western Bulldogs
Ayce Cordy (back) – test
Jordan Roughead (quad) – test
James Mulligan (knee) – 1 week
Paul O'Shea (glandular fever) – 1 week
Daniel Giansiracusa (knee) – 5 weeks
FORM
Essendon: LWWLW
Western Bulldogs: WWWWL
SUMMARY
Essendon's late form has been good but inconsistent, as you would expect from a young and emerging team. Two weeks ago, the Bombers ended a two-game winning streak with a 35-point loss to Collingwood in the Anzac Day rematch, but rebounded in style against the Sydney Swans on Sunday at the SCG.
Their win over the Swans sees the Bombers enter round 16 placed eighth on the ladder, equal on points with the seventh-placed Carlton. There is a one-game buffer between them and the ninth and 10th-placed Port Adelaide and Hawthorn. They are also ranked sixth in the League on goals scored this season.
The Bulldogs might have lost their most recent match, but there hasn't been much faulting their form. From the past 10 games, they've lost just two – one to Geelong by two points in round nine, and the other to Collingwood last Friday night by just one.
They remain the highest scoring team in the League with 252 goals for the year, with Geelong second with 242. Their dominance in front of the big sticks had seen the Dogs seemingly seal themselves a top-four spot, but their one-point slipup to the Magpies has since had two other contenders catch up. They remain third on the table but are level on points with Collingwood and Adelaide, with the Brisbane Lions just one game off.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Paddy Ryder (Essendon)
The Bombers' big man has been working hard all year as virtually the only experienced ruckman in the side. He has been good in most games, but how will he cope when Ben Hudson and Will Minson implement their plan to physically out-muscle him early in the game?
Tom Williams (Western Bulldogs)
The unlucky defender has finally made his way back into the side after another injury-affected year. He copped a bit of criticism last week after showing rustiness but will be better for the run. Sure to stand one of the Bombers' big forwards.
QUESTION MARKS
Can this match follow Rodney Eade's prediction and eclipse the 50-goal mark?
Will this be one of the fastest, most furious and exciting contests of the year?
Will Hudson and Minson really look to out-body Ryder before the mobile Bomber out-runs them?
How hungry will the Dogs' bitter one-point loss to Collingwood make them, and will they be able to start better than they did last Friday night?
WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
Both sides have a very similar game plan, although the Bombers have the two key forward the Bulldogs desperately want, and the Dogs have that second ruckman the Dons desperately need.
Eade himself said the other day there were stark similarities between the Bombers and "what we were a couple of years ago".
Experience is what will get the Bulldogs over the line. That, and a ruck division that weighs a combined total of 214kg.
PREDICTION
Western Bulldogs by 29 points
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
