Round 7 (ANZAC Appeal Round)
Western Bulldogs v Sydney Swans
Thursday 23 April | 7:30pm AEST
Marvel Stadium, Melbourne • Wurundjeri
Broadcast: Channel 7/7Plus, Kayo/Fox Footy (check your local broadcast guide)
LAST MEETING
Round 16, 2025
Sydney 14.12 (96) def. by Western Bulldogs 16.9 (105)
The Bulldogs were victorious in skipper Marcus Bontempelli's 250th game, edging Sydney by nine points in an SCG thriller.
The Dogs had control early before the Swans fought back nearing half-time, but the Dogs pulled clear late in an entertaining second half.
Bontempelli was at his imposing best back at the coalface as he finished with 18 disposals, while rising star Joel Freijah gathered 23 of his own as well as four majors in a career-best outing.
THE LINE-UP
Check back tonight at 6:20pm AEST to see the team announcement!
WHAT IT MEANS
The Western Bulldogs (4-2) navigated a tough fixture to start the season as it made an early statement by becoming the last remaining undefeated team just two weeks ago. A pair of chastening defeats and a mounting injury list, now including the loss of Sam Darcy due to a serious knee injury and Tom Liberatore to concussion protocols, have left the Bulldogs' top-four hopes hanging by a thread.
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00:38
2016 Memories | Bevo gives Bob his medal
The emotional, iconic moment the senior coach invited the injured skipper onto the 2016 Grand Final stage.
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00:38
2016 Memories | The Final Siren
Relive the moment the Bulldogs officially broke their 62-year premiership drought.
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2016 Memories | Picken's Grand Final sealer
Liam Picken's fourth-quarter major was the final nail in the Swans' coffin.
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00:41
2016 Memories | Boyd's Grand Final miracle
Tom Boyd's Grand Final goal from the centre square is ingrained into the minds of Bulldogs and footy fans alike.
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2016 Memories | Morris' monster tackle
Dale Morris' desperate lunging tackle on Lance Franklin in the 2016 Grand Final has become part of footy folklore.
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00:18
2016 Memories | Picken's Grand Final screamer
Liam Picken's huge mark over Sydney's Jeremy Laidler set the tone for an unforgettable fourth quarter.
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01:01
2016 Memories | Preliminary Final win v GWS GIANTS
The Bulldogs triumped over GWS in a thrilling Preliminary Final, booking their spot in the 2016 Grand Final.
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00:33
2016 Memories | Semi Final win v Hawthorn
The Bulldogs eliminated the three-time premiers to advance to the 2016 preliminary final.
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00:56
2016 Memories | Elimination Final v West Coast Eagles
The Dogs stunned the Eagles on their home turf to begin their fairytale premiership run.
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GAME SHAPER
Aaron Naughton has made a strong start to the season with 18 goals in six matches but will now shoulder a heavy load as the Bulldogs face up to a campaign without fellow key forward Darcy. The high-flying 26-year-old has had to find fresh ways to hit the scoreboard while averaging fewer than five marks a game, but expect to again be the focal point as the Dogs try to revive their finals hopes.
