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The last match of the bye rounds sees the Western Bulldogs host a fired up Melbourne Demons at Etihad Stadium. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage of the match, starting from 3:20pm (AEST).
It’s the start of a season-defining few rounds for both sides.
Reigning premiers the Bulldogs got touched up last week against the Sydney Swans and will be looking to prove that they belong in the top eight by the end of the round.
A loss here could be disastrous for Dogs, after failing to protect Norm Smith Medallist Jason Johannisen last week.
On the other foot, the Demons are coming off the back of an inspired Queen’s Birthday win against Collingwood where Jack Watts made a magical moment by sealing the victory with just seconds to spare.
The Demons have a new sense of belief as they have climbed up the ladder to sixth position and will be hoping to cement their stay inside the eight
The Dogs have rung in the changes, with Dale Morris, Zaine Cordy, Tom Boyd, Tom Liberatore, Mitch Honeychurch all coming in for Travis Cloke (Soreness), Fletcher Roberts (Omitted), Marcus Adams (Foot), Matthew Boyd (Omitted), Tim English (Omitted). It also will be Honeychurch’s first game in a year.
The Demons are welcoming stability in their line-up as they remain unchanged from a winning line-up. The Dogs have had ten days between games, while the Demons have had six, so it will be interesting to see how match fitness plays out during the match.
The Dogs have won 11 of the past 13 meetings between the sides, and have remained undefeated at Docklands all season. The Demons haven’t defeated the Dogs at Docklands since 2007.
Prediction
The stats don’t lie. The recent match-ups make it very hard to tip against the Dogs – while the Demons are in form, I’m going against the grain here and expecting the reigning premiers to bite back as they go in favourites.
Bulldogs by eight points.
Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match, starting from 3:20pm (AEST).
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