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The Western Bulldogs have thumped the Gold Coast Suns, winning by 54 points in Cairns.
Final score
Western Bulldogs 16.14 110
Gold Coast Suns 8.8 56
The Western Bulldogs are hoping to keep their struggling title defence alive when they take on the Gold Coast Suns in Cairns. Catch all the live scores, highlights and action on The Roar from 4:35pm (AEST).
The Dogs have been hammered with the premiership hangover tag all season as they continue to stumble their way through at the wrong end of the standings.
Sitting in 11th, they can mathematically make their way into the eight with a win today but they’d need to really pile on the points to make that a reality.
More realistically, they can jump up a spot or two and sit on the fringe of the finals equation with equal competition points but an inferior percentage.
The Dogs picked up a much-needed win last week over the Blues in a scrappy 20-point victory.
Despite getting up over Carlton, they have still lost four of their last six games in a forgettable mid-season run, slipping out of the eight and leaving them reeling on the ladder.
The situation is worse for the Suns who have lost four of their last five and sit down in 15th with their finals hopes dashed for another year.
After being demolished by the Swans in Round 16, the Suns backed it up last week against the Magpies, letting in over 100 points for their 10th loss of the season.
Gold Coast have conceded an average of 102 points a game this season, the second worst in the league and one of just three sides to let in triple figures.
The Bulldogs are in an interesting position in terms of their stats, averaging just 80 points a game, the third lowest in the league, but average just 85 points a game in defence, one of the best in the league.
The Suns have lost the last three games in a row against the Bulldogs and have won just three times from nine clashes between the two.
Team News
Easton Wood returns for the Bulldogs from a striking suspension in the one and only change for Luke Beveridge.
Jake Stringer is the man to fall out of the side thanks to a hamstring injury that knocked him out of the Blues clash last week.
For the Suns, Gary Ablett continues his shaky season with an injury, succumbing to the same hamstring issue that has plagued his 2017 campaign.
Co-captain Steven May has also been ruled out with a hamstring injury, while Jarryd Lyons misses out with an ankle problem.
Jack Scrimshaw will make his AFL debut this week, joining Brayden Fiorini and Jesse Lonergan as additions to the side.
Prediction
The Suns have been below par for much of the year but when they fire they have really shown the signs of a side that can contest for a finals spot in the years to come.
Today though, without Ablett and against a hungry ‘Dogs side needing to win to keep their season ticking, it will be a tough one to bring home.
Bulldogs to win by 32.
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