West Coast Eagles vs Western Bulldogs: AFL live scores

The Western Bulldogs head to Perth looking to inflict more pain on the struggling West Coast Eagles. Join The Roar for live scores and rolling coverage from 7:30pm (AEST).

Consecutive wins have seen the Bulldogs move to the edge of the top eight, after a poor start to the year. However, while the signs have been promising, they’re yet to prove they are back to the form that saw them move to the grand final.

The Dogs welcome back ruckman Tim English after a five-week absence with a hamstring injury and a bad bout of illness, while Taylor Duryea also returns after missing their win over the Suns with an illness of his own and Cody Weightman returns from a broken collarbone. However, the virus that has ripped through the Whitten Oval of late has claimed another victim, with emerging star Bailey Smith sidelined.

The Eagles’ gutsy win over Collingwood in Round 4 now feels like a lifetime ago, with the COVID and injury-ravaged side barely competitive since.

Last week, it was the Giants’ turn to beat up on the cellar dwellers, a 52-point loss leaving the Eagles with a horrible percentage of 51.5 after ten rounds. They also were the first side in the AFL era to have taken at least 10 games to reach 500 points scored for the season, summing up their woes.

Spearhead Josh Kennedy should help in that regard, returning from a knee complaint, while captain Luke Shuey has also been named despite being subbed out against the Giants with back soreness. Former Blue Sam Petrevski-Seton returns from a stint in COVID isolation, with fringe trio Hugh Dixon, Patrick Naish and Josh Rotham making way.

The Eagles would normally be expected to at least put up a fight at home, but they have lost all five games at Optus Stadium this year by an average of nearly 66 points. It’s hard to see that turning around against a Bulldogs outfit desperate to bank four points – and a percentage boost for good measure.

Game information

Opening bounce: 7:30pm (AEST)
Venue: Optus Stadium, Perth
TV: Fox Footy
Live stream: Kayo Sports, Foxtel Now, Foxtel Go
Betting: Eagles $7.25, Bulldogs $1.10 (odds via PlayUp)

West Coast

B: A. Witherden, T. Barrass, H. Edwards

HB: L. Duggan, J. McGovern, J. Jones

C: J. Redden, T. Kelly, J. Nelson

HF: C. West, J. Darling, J. Cripps

F: I. Winder, J. Kennedy, J. Waterman

FOLL: C. Jamieson, L. Shuey (c), A. Gaff

I/C: S. Petrevski-Seton, B. Hough, B. Williams, G. Clark

EMG: R. Bazzo, J. Rotham, H. Dixon, P. Naish

IN: Kennedy, Petrevski-Seton, Hough (R10 medi-sub)

OUT: Dixon, Rotham, Naish

Western Bulldogs

B: E. Richards, R. Gardner, T. O’Brien

HB: C. Daniel, A. Keath, B. Dale

C: B. Williams, J. Macrae, A. Scott

HF: L. McNeil, B. Khamis, T. Liberatore

F: M. Bontempelli (c), A. Naughton, C. Weightman

FOLL: T. English, J. Dunkley, A. Treloar

I/C: R. West, T. Duryea, R. McComb, J. Sweet

EMG: J. Schache, D. Bedendo, A. Jones, L. Cleary

IN: Weightman, Duryea, English

OUT: B Smith, Cleary, Cordy