St Kilda bounced back from back-to-back losses to Essendon and North Melbourne with a solid win over Melbourne in round 22 to become just the fourth club in history to win at least 20 games in a season.

The Saints then earned a week off with a 28-point victory over Collingwood in the first qualifying final. The Western Bulldogs responded to a disappointing 14-point loss to Geelong in the second qualifying final with a 51-point demolition of Brisbane in a cut-throat semi-final at the MCG last Saturday night.

VENUE and TIME: MCG, Friday 18 September, 7.45pm

HEAD TO HEAD: Played: 146: St Kilda 73, Bulldogs 70, Drawn 3

LAST TIME: St Kilda 16.10 (106) d Bulldogs 9.7 (61) at Etihad Stadium, Round 17, 2009

IN FINALS: St Kilda 0, Bulldogs 2

RECENT HISTORY: St Kilda has won six of its past 10 matches against the Western Bulldogs.

MEDICAL ROOM: For the Saints, untried youngster Paul Cahill (ankle) and Xavier Clarke (knee) won’t play again this season while Jarryd Allen was forced into early retirement because of an ongoing hip injury. The Bulldogs have no injury concerns and like St Kilda will go into this clash with an unchanged line-up.

KEY MATCH-UPS: Clinton Jones vs. Adam Cooney

Cooney was among his side’s best in the win over the Lions with 32 possessions and one goal.

Last year’s Brownlow medallist is damaging with his ability to break the lines, kick goals and set up scoring opportunities for his teammates.

Shutting down his run and carry will be a key for St Kilda if they are going to contain a Bulldogs side that has the most potent attack in the AFL.

The last time these two sides met in round 17 Jones kept Cooney to 23 largely ineffectual possessions.

Expect Jones to be given the task of tagging the Bulldogs star once again in what shapes as being a pivotal duel in determining the outcome of this match.

In that round 17 clash the Saints tagger laid a game-high seven tackles.

If Cooney is going to have any chance of having a meaningful impact he will need his teammates to block for him at the stoppages as Jones will apply relentless pressure all night.

Dale Morris vs. Nick Riewoldt

Riewoldt added yet another honour to his impressive CV during the week – he was named captain of the All-Australian team for the first time.

The Saints skipper admitted he was proud of the achievement but his focus is on leading the club to their first premiership since 1966.

If the Bulldogs are going to have any hope of overcoming St Kilda they will need to contain Riewoldt who has booted 73 goals this season.

Morris is usually given the job on Riewoldt and you wouldn’t expect it to be any different this time around.

It is vital for the Dogs that they suffocate St Kilda’s classy on-ball division with their tackling pressure otherwise Riewoldt who is virtually unstoppable on the lead will feast on plenty of quality supply and kick a bag.

Sam Fisher vs. Brad Johnson

Johnson was held goalless the last time these two sides met and will be keen to put in a big performance to help lift his side into their first grand final since 1961.

Fisher has the ability to match the Bulldogs skipper in the air and is also mobile enough to go with him when the football hits the deck so you would expect him to be given first crack at the 348-game veteran.

When these two teams last met the Dogs had just the four running bounces.

They will need to back themselves and break the lines otherwise the likes of Johnson will struggle to receive enough of the football to have an influence on the outcome of the contest.

Liam Picken vs. Nick Dal Santo

Dal Santo was instrumental in the Saints’ 45-point win over the Western Bulldogs in round 17 with a game-high 39 possessions and five inside 50’s.

The 25-year-old is an integral part of the St Kilda midfield with his ability to continually set up scoring opportunities for his teammates with his clean use of the football.

Picken did a superb blanketing job on Brisbane’s Justin Sherman last weekend and looms as the obvious candidate to tag Dal Santo.

The Bulldogs will need Picken to be switched on defensively for the full four quarters and apply relentless pressure otherwise Dal Santo will cut them to shreds with his sublime skills.

VERDICT: The Western Bulldogs have lost their last five preliminary finals and unfortunately for long-suffering Bulldogs supporters we expect it to be a sixth straight loss on Friday night. The Bulldogs lack of a genuine key forward means they need to continually deliver the football inside 50 with precision to have any hope of kicking a winning score but their midfield won’t be given any time or space by a St Kilda outfit that has consistently strangled the life out of sides this season. Saints by 23 points.

ST KILDA v WESTERN BULLDOGS
ST KILDA
B: Jason Blake, Zac Dawson, Steven Baker
HB: Brendon Goddard, Sam Fisher, Sam Gilbert
C: Farren Ray, Lenny Hayes, Nick Dal Santo
HF: Andrew McQualter, Justin Koschitzke, Clint Jones
F: Stephen Milne, Nick Riewoldt, Jason Gram
Foll: Steven King, Leigh Montagna, Adam Schneider
I/C: Luke Ball, Raphael Clarke, Robert Eddy, Michael Gardiner
Emg: Sean Dempster, Jack Steven, David Armitage

No change

WESTERN BULLDOGS
B: Jarrod Harbrow, Brian Lake, Scott Welsh
HB: Ryan Hargrave, Dale Morris, Lindsay Gilbee
C: Callan Ward, Matthew Boyd, Daniel Cross
HF: Brad Johnson, Mitch Hahn, Robert Murphy
F: Jason Akermanis, Will Minson, Shaun Higgins
Foll: Ben Hudson, Adam Cooney, Ryan Griffen
I/C: Tim Callan, Nathan Eagleton, Daniel Giansiracusa, Liam Picken
Emg: Josh Hill, Wayde Skipper, Tom Williams

No change

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