It might surprise some Western Bulldogs fans to learn that this Saturday’s match against Adelaide will be the first meeting of the two sides at Marvel Stadium since 2016. And had it not been for a late fixture adjustment, that ‘Docklands drought’ would have stretched to a decade. Saturday’s match was originally scheduled to be played in Ballarat but has been relocated to Marvel due to the ongoing redevelopment of Mars Stadium.

The good news for fans of the red, white and blue is that the Bulldogs have an excellent record against Adelaide ‘under the lid’. In 10 matches between the sides at the venue the Dogs have saluted eight times. Several of those wins will spark some great memories for fans, going all the way back to the first Dogs v Crows match at the venue in 2000.

A commanding Colonial performance

The Western Bulldogs were only a game clear of Adelaide inside the top eight going into their first-ever encounter at what was then Colonial Stadium. In a must-win affair the Doggies stamped their authority on the match almost from the first bounce, piling on seven goals to one in the first quarter. The Dogs held the Crows at bay over the next two terms before putting the pedal to the metal in the final quarter. That final term yielded eight goals to Adelaide’s three, with the Bulldogs powering to a 61-point win.

Nathan Brown ran amok for the Dogs, kicking six goals to go with his 22 disposals, a performance which earned him two Brownlow votes. He was pipped for the three votes by Matthew Croft, the normally unsung defender putting on a commanding display in the Bulldog backline. Brad Johnson (32 touches and two goals) picked up the remaining umpire’s vote, while Paul Hudson chimed in with four goals.

A telling last term at Telstra Dome

Eight years later Johnson took centre stage at what was by then known as Telstra Dome, in the opening round of the 2008 season. ‘Johnno’ was celebrating his 300th game but the Adelaide Crows were determined to spoil his party. In a tight encounter the visitors were eight points ahead as late as the 25-minute mark of the final term before the Bulldogs skipper stepped up to ensure his milestone match would not end in disappointment.

In the space of five minutes Johnson kicked three goals to single-handedly turn defeat into victory. The Bulldogs held on to win by three points, and Johnson’s near-permanent smile was as broad as it ever had been as he was chaired off after the final siren.

Etihad Excellence

Winding the clock forward to Round 4, 2015, the Western Bulldogs were looking to show they would become a force to be reckoned with under new coach Luke Beveridge.  The Dogs had shown great promise in their opening two matches under ‘Bevo’ but had been brought back down to earth with a thud, courtesy of a 70-point hiding at the hands of Hawthorn in Round 3.

Looking to bounce straight back, the Dogs jumped out of the blocks against the Crows and never looked back. A 34-point quarter-time lead had blown out to 75 by the last change of ends before Bevo’s boys eased to a 57-point win.

New skipper Bob Murphy led the way, his 25 possessions setting up many potent forward forays. The umpires awarded him three Brownlow votes, giving two to Jake Stringer (15 disposals and six goals) and one to Lin Jong (23 touches).

The Dogs’ most recent match against the Crows at the venue came a year later in 2016, and the Doggies triumphed again – although it was no easy task. After jumping out to an early lead, the Bulldogs were forced to answer challenges from the Crows throughout the final three quarters.

On the back of a brilliant performance from big Crow Josh Jenkins, Adelaide narrowed the gap every time the Dogs threatened to break the game open. By the time Jenkins kicked his eighth goal of the match at the 26-minute mark of the final quarter, the Crows had narrowed the Dogs’ lead to just three points.

It took a couple of young Bulldog bucks to get the home side over the line. The first of those was 20-year-old Marcus Bontempelli, whose goal at the 28-minute mark restored a nine-point lead. A couple of minutes later, first-season player Bailey Dale sealed victory with the final goal of the match.

From Mars to Marvel

This week the Crows and Dogs will cross swords for the first time at Docklands since its name change to Marvel Stadium, and the result of it will be pivotal to the standings of both sides within the top eight.

A win to the Bulldogs would draw them level with the Crows on 11 wins, and if the win was by a margin of more than four goals, it would see the Bulldogs overtake Adelaide on percentage as well.

It promises to be a blockbuster of a game, and Doggies fans would surely love to see a win of any description against a top four team.