Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne
Sunday 29 June 2014, 1:10pm
Venue: Etihad Stadium

Head-to-head:

Round 8, 2014: Melbourne Demons 12. 11. (83) defeated by Western Bulldogs 15. 9. (99), MCG
Round 23, 2013: Western Bulldogs 16. 11 (107) defeated Melbourne Demons 13. 9 (87), Etihad Stadium
Round 14, 2013: Melbourne Demons 15. 13 (103) defeated Western Bulldogs 15. 10 (100), MCG
Round 4, 2012: Melbourne Demons 9. 13 (67) defeated by Western Bulldogs 13. 10 (88), MCG

Last time they met:

• The final quarter was the most telling period of the game with the Bulldogs kicking six goals to two and securing the four points
• 27 possessions, 14 tackles and eight clearances from Tom Liberatore saw him continue to his rise as an elite midfielder of the competition. While known for his defensive and contested attributes, the 22-year-old showed he can also influence the Bulldogs in attack, working at 85.2% disposal efficiency and kicking two goals
• Will Minson fought hard against a ruck combination of Mark Jamar and Cam Pedersen but fell short in overall hitouts —  42 to 70
• While Melbourne had 13 more inside 50s, the Bulldogs were more damaging when they got the ball in their attacking half. The Bulldogs scored a goal from every 2.8 entries, as opposed to the Demons 4.58.

Recent form:

Western Bulldogs

A loss to Port Adelaide was a disappointing result for the Bulldogs after putting in such a promising performance against Collingwood the week previous. The aim this week will be to regain that form and again centre their game style on the basics of winning the contested ball and transitioning quickly into attack. A win against Melbourne in round eight gives the Bulldogs a slight edge, however injuries could see a few changes made to their lineup this week.

Melbourne

While mixed results have defined Melbourne’s season so far, including upset wins over Essendon and Adelaide, they have shown significant improvement. The Demons have scored the least amount of points of any team in the competition this season but improved defensive efforts have kept them in games at times. Under Paul Roos as coach, Melbourne will go into each game with some confidence and sound structures.

Key matchups and game breakers:

• Bernie Vince has been a valuable recruit for the Melbourne midfield, filling an age and experience gap in their list and providing another experienced contributor to draw opposition attention. He was in outstanding form in the Demons round 14 clash with 41 disposals and three goals. Liam Picken and Mitch Wallis could be in line for a job on the former Adelaide recruit, while Nathan Jones is another Melbourne man that could require a tag.
• The Bulldogs may be forced to make multiple changes to their side this week pending a number of medical assessments from last week’s loss to Port Adelaide. The upside to this is the current depth waiting in the wings ready to take any opportunity head on. Names such as Mitch Honeychurch, Sam Darley, Lachie Hunter and Jason Johannisen have been knocking the door down for selection. Their youth and energy could lift the side, while their current form-line sees them brimming with confidence.
• Last time they met the Bulldogs held Melbourne’s leading goal kicker Chris Dawes to one goal, one behind and a repeat effort would put the Club closer to getting the four points. Meanwhile at the other end of the ground Stewart Crameri managed four goals. While the Bulldogs forward has been relatively quiet in recent weeks, he combined with fellow tall targets Liam Jones and Jarrad Grant are more than capable of kicking multiple scores between them.