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Melbourne
115
Match Complete
Western Bulldogs
65
| Fourth Quarter | ||||
| T. McDonald |  | 28:06 | ||
| A. Neal-Bullen |  | 25:11 | ||
| Rushed | | 23:33 | ||
| 22:22 | | Rushed | ||
| B. Brown | | 18:56 | ||
| B. Grundy | | 15:16 | ||
| J. Melksham | | 12:51 | ||
| 10:22 | | T. Liberatore | ||
| Rushed | | 8:34 | ||
| B. Brown | | 4:29 | ||
| J. Melksham | | 1:58 | ||
| 13.8 (86) | Third Quarter [+] | 8.10 (58) | ||
| K. Chandler | | 31:36 | ||
| K. Pickett | | 29:43 | ||
| K. Chandler | | 27:30 | ||
| 25:09 | | J. Macrae | ||
| E. Langdon | | 22:20 | ||
| B. Brown | | 19:20 | ||
| 18:13 | | A. Treloar | ||
| 14:06 | | A. Naughton | ||
| K. Chandler | | 10:58 | ||
| 8:25 | | O. Baker | ||
| K. Pickett | | 6:35 | ||
| B. Grundy | | 1:55 | ||
| 9.4 (58) | Second Quarter [+] | 5.9 (39) | ||
| M. Gawn | | 29:43 | ||
| B. Brown | | 28:01 | ||
| C. Spargo | | 25:40 | ||
| K. Pickett | | 23:02 | ||
| C. Spargo | | 20:54 | ||
| 20:14 | | Rushed | ||
| 19:40 | | B. Smith | ||
| 16:58 | | J. Ugle-Hagan | ||
| 13:33 | | M. Bontempelli | ||
| 11:15 | | J. Johannisen | ||
| Rushed | | 10:31 | ||
| B. Brown | | 8:29 | ||
| 5:33 | | J. Ugle-Hagan | ||
| 4:12 | | A. Naughton | ||
| 1:14 | | B. Williams | ||
| 3.3 (21) | First Quarter [+] | 2.4 (16) | ||
| 28:08 | | A. Naughton | ||
| T. Sparrow | | 26:35 | ||
| C. Petracca | | 25:37 | ||
| 24:19 | | J. Ugle-Hagan | ||
| 23:04 | | J. Ugle-Hagan | ||
| 19:35 | | M. Bontempelli | ||
| 14:26 | | S. Darcy | ||
| K. Pickett | | 12:40 | ||
| M. Gawn | | 10:00 | ||
| 8:27 | | T. Liberatore | ||
| K. Pickett | | 6:01 | ||
| C. Petracca | | 2:19 | ||
Show Preview
Two of last year‘s top eight teams in the Western Bulldogs and the Melbourne Demons clash at the MCG once more for their second consecutive round one showdown and a rematch of their 2021 grand final. Join The Roar for live scores and rolling coverage from 7:25pm (AEDT).
The 2021 premiers enter this season having had a disappointing finals series in 2022, where they were eliminated in straight sets by Sydney and then Brisbane.
To get them back into premiership contention, the Demons went out and made a few moves in the off-season, the largest being trading for Brodie Grundy while losing Luke Jackson to Fremantle. Demons fans will be hoping that this is an upgrade in the second ruck position for them, as Grundy is an All-Australian ruckman in his own right from his time at Collingwood, and that a pairing with Max Gawn will allow for each to reach their lofty bests.
Melbourne also traded for Lachie Hunter and Josh Schache from the Bulldogs in the off-season; both additions will be looking to make an impact at their new club. The Demons will be looking to continue in the vein of form and style that they showed in their pre-season match against Richmond a fortnight ago, with their fast ball movement, overlap running and handballs and precision movement from half-back all on display.
If they can manage that style and bring the pressure they did in their premiership run of 2021, expect them to be a tough team to beat this week for the Bulldogs, and for the rest of the season, regardless of the opponent they face.
The Bulldogs of 2022 were a poor imitation of their 2021 selves after a grand final in which they were quite thoroughly beaten. It required Carlton to do the unfathomable last season and lose their last two games – both from winning positions – in order for the Dogs to barely scrape their way into the finals series at all, and then they were quickly dispatched by Fremantle in a fashion eerily similar to the way the Bulldogs lost in the 2021 decider.
However, they did find some sparks of joy throughout last season, with the rise of Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Sam Darcy, while Marcus Bontempelli, Jackson Macrae and company continued to show their class. The Bulldogs also made some important moves in the off-season to add to those bright points of 2021, bringing in Rory Lobb from Fremantle and picking up Liam Jones in free agency.
Luke Beveridge has signalled his intent to play with a four-tall forward combination by using Lobb, Darcy, Aaron Naughton and Ugle-Hagan, made possible by having Liam Jones taking over at full back. But they will be starting the season without their best crumbing small-forward in Cody Weightman, so we can only see how this experiment goes.
Both teams enter round one with a bevy of injuries to what was initially assumed to be their best team. Melbourne will be without stars Jack Viney, Christian Salem, Bailey Fritsch and Steven May; in their stead, prized recruit Grundy and Hunter will both be making their club debuts, and Bailey Laurie and Judd McVee will both be making their AFL debuts.
For the Bulldogs, they will be without defender Ryan Gardner, as well as small forwards Weightman and Arthur Jones, who looked to be set for an AFL debut before he was sidelined by a groin injury.
On a brighter note, Jones will be making his club debut for the Bulldogs and marking his return to AFL football, alongside Lobb and Oskar Baker, an ex-Demons player.
In 2022, these sides met each other twice, with the first contest going the way of the Demons and the latter going to the Bulldogs. Who will come out on top to start their 2023 campaign?
Opening bounce: 7:25pm (AEDT)
Venue: MCG
TV: Fox Footy, Channel 7
Live stream: Kayo Sports, Foxtel Now, Foxtel Go
Betting: Demons $1.74, Bulldogs $2.10 (odds via PlayUp)
Melbourne
B: H. Petty, J. Lever, J. McVee
HB: J. Bowey, A. Tomlinson, J. Harmes
C: L. Hunter, C. Oliver, E. Langdon
HF: C. Spargo, B. Brown, K. Chandler
F: K. Pickett, B. Grundy, A. Neal-Bullen
FOLL: M. Gawn (c), T. Sparrow, C. Petracca
I/C: A. Brayshaw, B. Laurie, T. Rivers, T. McDonald
EMG: J. van Rooyen, M. Hibberd, J. Melksham, J. Jordon
NEW: Grundy, Hunter, McVee, Laurie
Western Bulldogs
B: T. Duryea, L. Jones, C. Daniel
HB: E. Richards, A. Keath, B. Dale
C: B. Williams, M. Bontempelli (c), J. Macrae
HF: B. Smith, A. Naughton, J. Ugle-Hagan
F: A. Scott, S. Darcy, R. Lobb
FOLL: T. English, T. Liberatore, A. Treloar
I/C: O. Baker, J. Bruce, M. Hannan, J. Johannisen
EMG: H. Crozier, T. McLean, B. Khamis, J. Sweet
NEW: Baker, Lobb
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