Preview: Western Bulldogs v Fremantle
VENUE & TIME: Etihad Stadium, Saturday 1 August, 2.10pm (AEST)
HEAD TO HEAD: Played: 18, Western Bulldogs 11, Fremantle 7
LAST TIME: Western Bulldogs 25.7 (157) def Fremantle 13.16 (94), Round 1 2009 at Subiaco
WALKING WOUNDED: The Bulldogs lost star forward pair Robert Murphy and Shaun Higgins to hamstring injuries last week. Murphy will miss 1-2 weeks while Higgins could be sidelined for as many as three. Daniel Giansiracusa (knee) also remains at least three weeks away. Stephen Tiller and Sam Reid will both have their groins tested.
Fremantle could regain a key senior trio with Luke McPharlin (calf), Des Headland (hamstring) and Byron Schammer (calf) to be tested. Brett Peake will also have to prove his fitness after picking up an ankle injury against West Coast last round. Roger Hayden (leg) is still up to a fortnight away from resuming while Michael Johnson will be lucky to play another match this year as he continues to battle an ankle complaint. The season has finished for Ryan Crowley (foot), Rhys Palmer (knee), Ryan Murphy (finger) and Tim Ruffles (knee).
FORM: The Bulldogs have been one of the in-form teams of the competition, winning eight of their past 11 matches by an average of eight goals. However, the worry for the Doggies, who now hold on to third position by percentage alone, is that their three losses in that period came against fellow top-four teams. They are now 0-4 this season against sides in the top quadrant of the ladder.
Fremantle ended its nine-match losing streak against its cross-town bunny West Coast last round with a thrilling five-point win in the Western Derby. The Dockers have now won five in a row against their arch nemesis but the extension of their dominance against the Eagles has provided a rare highlight this season. Fremantle is 15th with just four wins to its credit.
WHO'S HOT: Matthew Boyd continues to enhance his reputation as one of the elite midfielders in the league. The 26-year-old stood out once again for the Bulldogs during their 45-point loss to St Kilda last week, racking up 39 disposals (11 contested) and kicking a goal. He has played every game this year, averaged 28 touches and has arguably become their most effective on-baller.
Fremantle behemoth Aaron Sandilands returned to the senior line-up last week after a two-week injury-enforced layoff and reaffirmed his status as the No.1 ruckman in the competition. He was simply superb, gathering 30 disposals, 31 hitouts and a goal to win the Ross Glendinning Medal.
WE THINK: The Western Bulldogs will be smarting after missing another opportunity to defeat a top-four team last weekend. While they lost to Geelong and Collingwood by a measly total of three points in Rounds 9 and 15 respectively, their inability to claim a big scalp in 2009 so far will not be sitting easy with them. And unfortunately for Fremantle, it has the unenviable task of copping the full brunt of the Doggies' frustrations this weekend. This David v Goliath encounter has 'lambs to the slaughter' written all over it. The team the Dockers fielded last week was on average more than two years younger than the one the Bulldogs selected and almost a total of 850 games less experienced. Add to this the huge gulf in talent between these two teams on the fast track of Etihad Stadium which is tailor-made for the Dogs' style of play, and things could get messier than when Darren Jarman is forced to wait more than five minutes after placing his order at McDonald's.Western Bulldogs by 76 points.