2026 Toyota AFL Premiership Season

Geelong Cats v Western Bulldogs
Friday 17 April | 7:20pm AEST
GMHBA Stadium, Geelong • Wadawurrung
Broadcast: Channel 7/7Plus, Kayo/Fox Footy (check your local broadcast guide)

LAST MEETING

Round 11, 2025
Western Bulldogs 16.17 (113) def. by Geelong 20.7 (120)

The Bulldogs fell short to the Cats in a fierce contest at GMHBA Stadium.

The visitors nearly completed the perfect comeback, levelling scores midway through the last quarter. But the hosts were too strong in the 20.7 (127) to 16.17 (113) affair.

The Dogs rued missed opportunities in front of goal, finishing the evening with 17 behinds, which in the close contest proved costly.

Key Bulldogs hit the scoreboard, including Rhylee West and Ed Richards, the latter who booted a mammoth goal on the run from outside 50. Matt Kennedy, one of the recruits of the year, kicked two goals in quick succession and reduced the margin to 10 points, setting up a big final term.

THE LINE-UP

WHAT IT MEANS

The Western Bulldogs (4-1) suffered their first defeat of the season as injuries to key players mounted up before and then during its clash with Hawthorn. The Dogs' midfielders will have a point to prove after being smashed at stoppage by the Hawks, while they can turn to an improved record of two wins from their past three visits to the Cats' home fortress since breaking a 20-year drought at the venue. 

GAME SHAPER

Ryley Sanders has been made to bide his time before earning a regular place in the Bulldogs deep-running midfield but with injuries hitting that part of the ground he has an opportunity to stake his claim. The 21-year-old is already averaging career-highs for disposals (25) and clearances (4.3) and should relish the onball battle that will go a long way to deciding the contest against the Cats.

THE Western Bulldogs suffered a horror injury toll as they went down to a Jeremy Cameron-inspired Geelong by 75 points at the Cattery on Friday night.

Sam Darcy went down with what appears to be a serious knee injury early in the game before Tom Liberatore was withdrawn with a concussion and key backs Rory Lobb and James O’Donnell suffered hamstring injuries late.

The Cats did enough early damage to build the foundation for a 19.17 (131) to 8.8 (56) victory at GMHBA Stadium, before a late flurry of goals against a depleted Dogs outfit. 

The home side was ruthless, expertly using the ground’s width when it had ball in hand, then squeezing the opposition when without it.

Although the Bulldogs’ midfield has long been its strong suit, the absence of ruck Tim English for the second consecutive week, combined with an efficient Oisin Mullin tag on captain Marcus Bontempelli (14 disposals, two clearances), meant the visitors were second best in the contest.

Struggling to get the ball into space under the Cats’ in-tight pressure, the Dogs were further challenged by the narrow confines of GMHBA Stadium.

While the likes of Buku Khamis, O’Donnell, and Rory Lobb have been praised this year for their newly stingy efforts, they were not given a chance to maintain that sort of form given the pure speed with which the ball was coming into their vicinity.

The visitors did rally in the third quarter, despite having just three rotations on the bench in the second half. Oskar Baker (13 disposals, two goals) became an avenue to goal, finding space inside 50 on multiple occasions, and Aaron Naughton (10 disposals, three goals) led with intent. 

Ed Richards, despite heading into the match under a significant injury cloud, was the Dogs’ best with 30 disposals and 13 tackles, working both ways through the middle of the ground. 

Worst case scenario

Down by six goals, and only looking dangerous in the front half when Sam Darcy had his hands on the footy, the worst possible scenario played out for the Bulldogs. Leading up to the footy early in the second quarter, Darcy’s left knee awkwardly twisted underneath him without any contact, and he immediately grabbed at the joint as he fell to the ground. Darcy pounded the ground before the medical staff could get to him, and looked devastated as he came from the ground. As he headed to the rooms, Darcy threw his mouthguard in frustration, unable to totally straighten the leg. It was the same knee that Darcy hyperextended in round six last year, and spookily, father Luke ruptured his ACL against the Cats at GMHBA Stadium in Round 6, 2005. 

Another three down

On return from a hamstring injury, much-loved Dog Tom Liberatore was ruled out for the second half with a head knock, further thinning the side’s bench. He succumbed to the head knock late in the second quarter, and failed to return to the bench for the night, instead remaining in the club’s rooms. Before too long, key defender James O’Donnell was felled by a hamstring issue, unable to take part in the final quarter, and matters were only made worse when fellow defender Rory Lobb came off with 10 minutes left on the clock, reporting his own hamstring concern. The stocks have been significantly thinned ahead of the club’s round seven opener against Sydney on Thursday.

GEELONG                        6.4    12.6    13.11   19.17 (131)
WESTERN BULLDOGS                1.2    3.3    7.5   8.8 (56)

GOALS  

Geelong: Cameron 10, Dangerfield 2, Dempsey, Neale, Martin, O.Henry, Humphries, Kolodjashnij, Smith
Western Bulldogs: Naughton 3, Baker 2, Croft 2, Lewis

BEST  

Geelong: Cameron, Smith, Holmes, Dempsey, Edwards, Martin
Western Bulldogs: Richards, Baker, Kennedy, Naughton

INJURIES  

Geelong: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Darcy (left knee), Liberatore (concussion), O’Donnell (right hamstring), Lobb (left hamstring)

Crowd: 33,200 at GMHBA Stadium