The Western Bulldogs host Gold Coast Suns in Darwin tonight for their annual home game at the Top End. Join us at 7.40pm AEST for minute-by-minute commentary and live score updates.
After a slow start, the Bulldogs have won three of their last four games to get their season back on track, but we must demonstrate some caution about that statistic.
As impressive as the Bulldogs were last weekend in dismantling the more fancied North, the other two wins have been against current cellar-dwellers Melbourne and GWS.
Nevertheless, that’s a whole lot better than what the young Suns have managed, being one of two teams yet to win a game after seven rounds.
The great paradox with the Suns is that for the two weeks when their skipper Gary Ablett was out, the Suns’ up-and-coming players responded, took on more responsibility and pushed some sides until the very end, most notably falling short by 7 points against Fremantle.
With a couple of senior players returning to the team last weekend, the Suns completely fell asleep in the last quarter to allow the even-younger Giants to completely run over the top of them.
The performance raised serious questions about the fitness of the Suns, their willingness to work harder when the game turns, and their ability to run out a game against even below-average opposition.
Bluey McKenna will certainly be expecting better tonight in terms of lifting the work rate and being that bit more accountable.
The biggest concern for the Suns is that they are at the very bottom of the pile in the key areas of disposals, contested possessions and tackles.
For the Bulldogs, they have been able to tighten things up down back with the return to form of Brian Lake and Ryan Hargrave, while Bob Murphy continues to be one of the best rebounders off half-back in the competition.
In the middle, Bulldogs skipper, Matty Boyd, is in good form and leads from the front. The stronger body of Karmichael Hunt might be a good match-up on him, but can he run with him for four quarters?
Liam Picken will have the job on Gary Ablett, one of the very rare bright spots for the Suns. Ryan Griffen and Josh Caddy will be another good match-up worth keeping an eye on.
With Nathan Bock out for the season all of a sudden the Dogs look taller than usual up forward, with Ayce Cordy starting to hold his marks, while Liam Jones and Tory Dickson have a chance here to continue some fine form.
Some interesting debuts for both teams tonight. Daniel Pearce for the Bulldogs is an athletic midfielder from the Oakleigh Chargers who also played basketball with the Bulleen Boomers.
Fletcher Roberts for the Bulldogs from Sandringham is a young tall forward who is still bulking up. Alex Sexton for the Suns is a midfielder and local boy who has come through the Suns academy and has also been part of the AIS-AFL set up.
The Bulldogs are on the verge of a 4-4 win record after 8 matches, and their greater capacity to win the contested ball count will see them cruise to a 30 point win, despite the Suns lifting after their effort last weekend.
Can the Suns get on the board for 2012 or will the Dogs improve to 4-4 tonight? Find out as we cover live scores and commentary from 7.40pm AEST as the action unfolds in Darwin.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
That's it for me, thanks for joing me tonight, enjoy the rest of your weekend.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
FT WB 9.18 (72) Suns 4.10 (34) It wasn't a great night for footy with conditions quite slippery from the humidity. Suns led after the first two breaks in a low scoring game by winning the contested footy. In the second half, the dogs turned around the contested footy count, and eventually drew ahead, but the key to their win was being able to spot up players through the middle more cleanly than the opposition was able to do, the Suns relied a bit more on handball, and it really wasn't a night for relying on too much handball. Boyd, Ablett and Iles all had 29 possessions. Horsley was good for the Suns in only his 4th game with 27 disposals and 7 tackles. Lake was very solid in defence, he had 24 possessions and 9 marks. Griffen celebrated his 150th game with 26 possessions and 7 tackles. Dogs move to 4 wins out of 8 games, the Suns still seeking their first win, but Bluey would be very happy with the effort for two and a half quarters.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Q4 1 min to go WB 9.18 Suns 4.10 Ablett chases down Hargrave and wins the free, only a minute left for the suns to try and finish with a goal, Brown with mark, very wide, treid to spot up Hunt, can't get it to him, and that should just about be it
The Cattery
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Q4 1 min to go WB 9.18 Suns 4.10 long shot from Dahlhaus just misses
The Cattery
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Q4 2 min to go WB 9.17 Suns 4.10 Libba with long shot from 50m, misses
The Cattery
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Q4 4 min to go WB 9.16 Suns 4.10 Grant wins the free, has a shot from the tight angle, across the face of goal
The Cattery
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Q4 6 min to go WB 9.16 Suns 4.10 Murphy has had a quite night, haven't be able to rely on his rebound tonight, strong mark to lake on point of centre square, back into 50
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Q4 7 min to go WB 9.16 Suns 4.10 Minson taps, Horsley sharks it, Brown tackles Murphy, HIggins on left, Clay Smith wins free, high contact,
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Q4 8 min to go WB 9.16 Suns 4.10 Dickson marks on wing, on his own, he's taking his time as we start to enter junk time Gia contest mark against Hunt, Gia recovers better and grabs footy on bounce, quickly into fwd 50, Stanley with mark
The Cattery
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Q4 10 min to go WB 9.16 Suns 4.10 Ablett roves it off the pack in middle, back to Iles, Stanley, Shaw on lead, barely forward of centre, Wilkinson free on outer wing, puts it into fwd 50, Boyd with mark
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
You have to have courage
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Q4 11 min to go WB 9.16 Suns 4.10 Cross with the big shot from 50m, and Wilkinson bravely went back with flight of ball
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Q4 12 min to go WB 9.15 Suns 4.10 Boyd had half an hour then to pick it up and shoot, eventually got it, but sprayed it wildly!
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Its the good thing about the father-son rule ... what other team could a Libba play for but the Doggies ?
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Q4 13 min to go WB 9.15 Suns 4.10 Skinner gets involved again, Iles clears, Bennell, Iles takes it back, long kick, Hargrave over the top with big spoil, some strong tackling on the wing here,
The Cattery
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Q4 14 min to go WB 9.15 Suns 4.10 So the debutant for the Suns, Sexton, product of their academy, has had a few nice touches since coming on Skinner works hard to get the footy, then snaps from distance - and that's a very nice goal!! locals enjoyed seeing the local boy do that!!
The Cattery
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Q4 14 min to go WB 8.15 Suns 4.10 Suns are just playing out time now nice tap on to Sexton, spots up Zac Smith - and that's a goal - coast to coast!
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Q4 15 min to go WB 8.15 Suns 3.10 LIbba with close in work, quick hands, Gia with loose ball, goes long, ball eventually rushed
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Q4 15 min to go WB 8.14 Suns 3.10 Picken wiht th emark on 50m, on his range, that is a beautiful kick at goal!
The Cattery
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Q4 16 min to go WB 7.14 Suns 3.10 that's a big break now, 28 pt lead, the biggest of the match Hunt bursts through the middle, shrugs on tackle, shrugs another caught by the third!