Round 9

Port Adelaide v Western Bulldogs
Friday 8 May | 8:10pm AEST (7:40pm ACST)
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide • Kaurna
Broadcast: Kayo/Fox Footy (check your local broadcast guide)

Staying in Melbourne this weekend? Watch the Dogs take on the Power live from the Hop Nation Taproom in Footscray! Bookings open from 6pm ahead of an 8:10pm start – secure your spot now!

LAST MEETING

Round 8, 2025
Western Bulldogs 20.11 (131) def. Port Adelaide 5.11 (41)

The Western Bulldogs dominated Port Adelaide by 90 points in windy and cold conditions at Ballarat's Mars Stadium last year, mastering the swirly breeze far better than their interstate opponents.

Key forward Aaron Naughton stood tall with an equal game-high three goals and seven marks. Naughton was joined by Tim English, who pushed forward from the ruck to hit the scoreboard with three of his own and Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli (three goals, 23 disposals).

THE LINE-UP

WHAT IT MEANS

The Western Bulldogs (4-4) showed that they can still keep pace with the frontrunners as they brushed aside a lingering injury crisis to push Fremantle all the way to the line. But the Dogs have no time to lick their wounds after a fourth straight loss to a side currently sitting in the top six as they look to get their campaign back on track against a Power outfit threatening to rise from the bottom half. 

GAME SHAPER

Matthew Kennedy has turned himself into one of the great survivors as the ball-winning midfielder continues to play a crucial role even in his second season with his third club. The former Giants and Blues onballer is now averaging career-highs for 26.8 disposals and 7.4 clearances as he helps guide the Dogs through an injury crisis while reaching 150 games.

A LAST-GASP point from Harvey Gallagher secured the Western Bulldogs a vital two-point victory over Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Friday night.

With scores tied, the Bulldogs willed the ball towards goal where Gallagher desperately snapped the most important of points to beat the Power 10.14 (74) to 10.12 (72).

Teammate Will Lewis’s shot from after the final siren sailed through for a point, but it’s Gallagher's score - after a dramatic boundary line juggle by Arty Jones - that will be remembered as the vital play.

Mitch Georgiades’ fourth goal cut the margin to seven points at the 15-minute mark of the last term and Corey Durdin reduced it further by kicking truly before the Bulldogs were able to rush it forward and claim victory.

It was far from pretty, with turnovers aplenty, but the wounded Dogs achieved what they set out to do.

After a flat opening 15 minutes from the hosts, perhaps attributed to last week’s exhausting Showdown 59 defeat, it was Bulldogs free-agency target Zak Butters who dragged the Power back into the contest with a terrific 12-disposal first term.

The Bulldogs’ overlap running and inside 50 advantage (19-7 at quarter-time) heaped pressure on the Power, but for all their dominance Josh Carr’s men found themselves just 13 points down at quarter time.

Two goals from Mitch Georgiades, both courtesy of dubious inside-50 free-kicks, certainly helped.

The game opened up momentarily in the second term as Ewan Mackinlay and Jack Whitlock threaded the needle from opposite pockets, their efforts only to be cancelled out by quick-fire responses from Joel Freijah and Will Lewis.

Midfield trio Marcus Bontempelli, Ryley Sanders and Ed Richards asserted themselves on the contest, combining for 11 inside 50s in the first half.

Just when it appeared the Bulldogs would run away with the contest, and with Port’s Miles Bergman ruled out for the remainder of the match with a leg injury, the Power responded by kicking the only two goals of a turnover-riddled third term.

Butters was at the centre of it all and had the ball on a string all night, finishing with 30 disposals and 529 metres gained. He may face scrutiny from the match review officer however after collecting Joel Freijah high in the final term.

Bulldogs defenders Michael Sellwood and Connor Budarick impressed in defence, while important ruck Tim English left the field after a head clash in the final term.

Buku left puzzled twice

The Bulldogs made a handy start to the contest as their overlap handball game stood out opposed to the Power’s slower approach to moving the ball. It would’ve led to a greater quarter-time advantage if not for a pair of Mitch Georgiades goals, both from seemingly innocuous free kicks. It certainly had direct opponent Buku Khamis baffled.

MATCH SUMMARY

PORT ADELAIDE               4.1    6.5    8.7    10.12 (72)
WESTERN BULLDOGS       6.2    9.5    9.6    10.14 (74)

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Georgiades 4, Watkins, Sweet, Mackinlay, Whitlock, Evans, Durdin
Western Bulldogs: Lewis 2, West 2, Naughton 2, Richards, Jones, Bontempelli, Freijah

BEST
Port Adelaide: Butters, Aliir, Georgiades, Sweet, Farrell, Evans, Lai, Burgoyne
Western Bulldogs: Bontempelli, Richards, Sanders, Sellwood, English, Freijah, Budarick

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Bergman (toe)
Western Bulldogs: TBC

Crowd: 33,883 at Adelaide Oval