The Western Bulldogs bounced back from their shock loss to West Coast with an impressive 18-point win over Brisbane at the Gabba last Saturday night.
The Bulldogs are currently in third spot on the AFL ladder and need to win one of their last two matches against Geelong and Collingwood to secure a top four berth and the all-important double chance. Geelong has won four of its past seven matches but three of those wins were by less than a kick against Hawthorn, Adelaide and Sydney while the other was against bottom-placed Melbourne at Skilled Stadium. The Cats will finish the home-and-away season in second place.
MEDICAL ROOM: The Western Bulldogs welcome back Daniel Giansiracusa and Shaun Higgins from knee and hamstring injuries respectively but Tom Williams (broken foot) and Ryan Griffen (hamstring) won’t be back until at least the first week of the finals. Midfielder Daniel Cross will miss another week with an ankle injury. For the Cats, Paul Chapman, Max Rooke, Darren Milburn and David Wojcinski return from injury but Steve Johnson (hip), skipper Tom Harley (knee) and the much-improved Travis Varcoe (shoulder) will miss. Brad Ottens will have to wait another week to make his long-awaited return from a knee injury while Matthew Egan (foot), Josh Hunt (knee) and youngster Mitch Brown (leg) won’t play again this season.
KEY MATCH-UPS: Matthew Boyd vs. Gary Ablett
Ablett starred in his side’s thrilling five-point win over Sydney last Saturday night with a game-high 44 possessions, one goal and five inside 50’s.
Shutting down the run of Ablett will be a key for the Bulldogs if they are going to have any hope of securing a much-needed win.
Boyd did a good job on the Geelong star in the second half of the round nine clash between these two sides and looms as the obvious candidate to run with Ablett once again on Friday night.
It is vital for the Dogs that Boyd is proactive at the stoppages and is damaging with his use of the football as it will force Ablett to be accountable which in turn will help limit his impact on the contest as a creative midfielder.
Andrew Mackie vs. Jason Akermanis
The last time these two sides met Akermanis almost lifted his side to a memorable win in what was his 300th game – he finished the match with 25 disposals, nine marks and four goals.
Akermanis is good overhead for his size and also dangerous at ground level, so you would expect Mackie who is capable of matching the former Lions star in the air and mobile enough to go with him when the football hits the deck to be line-up on the three-time premiership player.
The Bulldogs will need to be quick and clean with their use of the football going forward otherwise Akermanis will struggle to have a meaningful impact on the contest.
Expect Mackie, who has averaged 21 possessions per game in 2009, to run off Akermanis at every available opportunity and try and hurt him on the rebound.
Dale Morris vs. Paul Chapman
Chapman has been one of his side’s most damaging players in 2009, averaging 28 touches per game and booting 27 goals in 16 matches.
The Cats will need Chapman to fire if they are going to kick a big enough score to overcome a Bulldogs side that has the best attack in the AFL.
Morris looms as the obvious candidate to match-up on Chapman as he has the ability to match him in the air and also at ground level.
If Morris is going to have any hope of winning his duel with Chapman he will need his teammates to suffocate Geelong’s running game with their relentless tackling pressure otherwise the underrated Cat will receive enough quality supply to have an impact on the scoreboard.
Cameron Ling vs. Adam Cooney
Cooney has been one of the Bulldogs most influential midfielders this season, averaging 26 disposals per game.
The 2008 Brownlow medallist is damaging with his ability to break the lines and will need to be kept quiet if the Cats are going to contain the Bulldogs’ dangerous mid-sized forwards.
Ling is regarded as the best tagger in the midfield and will run with Cooney in what shapes as being a pivotal duel in determining the outcome of this match.
Not only will Ling make Cooney earn every possession he will also try and hurt him going the other way – the Geelong midfielder has averaged 22 disposals this year and is capable of pushing forward and kicking goals.
It is vital for the Bulldogs that Cooney works hard going both ways.
VERDICT: The Western Bulldogs will head into this blockbuster clash with some confidence given that they would have secured the four premiership points in match between these two sides earlier in the year if skipper Brad Johnson had converted after the siren. However, they will be without two of their top-line midfielders in Cross and Griffen this time around. The Cats’ depth in the middle should prove to be the difference in what shapes as being an engrossing contest. Cats by 15 points.
WESTERN BULLDOGS v GEELONG
WESTERN BULLDOGS
B: Jarrod Harbrow, Brian Lake, Dylan Addison
HB: Ryan Hargrave, Dale Morris, Lindsay Gilbee
C: Liam Picken, Matthew Boyd, Nathan Eagleton
HF: Brad Johnson, Mitch Hahn, Robert Murphy
F: Jason Akermanis, Will Minson, Scott Welsh
Foll: Ben Hudson, Adam Cooney, Shaun Higgins
I/C: Daniel Giansiracusa, Josh Hill, Sam Reid, Callan Ward
Emg: Andrejs Everitt, Brennan Stack, Easton Wood
In: Giansiracusa, Higgins
Out: Tom Williams (foot), Easton Wood
GEELONG
B: Darren Milburn, Matthew Scarlett, Corey Enright
HB: David Johnson, Harry Taylor, Andrew Mackie
C: Joel Corey, Cameron Ling, Jimmy Bartel
HF: Paul Chapman, Cameron Mooney, Max Rooke
F: Mathew Stokes, Tom Hawkins, Shannon Byrnes
Foll: Shane Mumford, Joel Selwood, Gary Ablett
I/C: Tom Gillies, Ryan Gamble, David Wojcinski, Mark Blake
Emg: Kane Tenace, Tom Lonergan, Simon Hogan
In: Chapman, Rooke, Wojcinski, Milburn, Gamble
Out: Steve Johnson (hip), Tom Harley (knee), Travis Varcoe (shoulder), Simon Hogan, Tom Lonergan
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