St Kilda vs Western Bulldogs
Sunday 10 August 2014, 3:20pm
Venue: Etihad Stadium

Head-to-head:

Round 9, 2013: St Kilda 15. 11. (101) defeated by Western Bulldogs 17, 8. (110), Etihad Stadium
Round 18, 2012: St Kilda 16. 22. (118) defeat Western Bulldogs 6. 6. (42), Etihad Stadium
Round 3, 2012: Western Bulldogs 5. 10. (40) defeated by St Kilda 15. 13. (103), Etihad Stadium
Round 12, 2011: St Kilda 12. 9. (81) defeat Western Bulldogs 8. 9. (57), Etihad Stadium
Preliminary Final, 2010: St Kilda 13. 10. (88) defeat Western Bulldogs 8. 16. (64), MCG

Last time they met:

  • The Bulldogs had a clean sweep in Brownlow votes: 3. M Boyd, 2. K Stevens, 1. R Griffen
  • A dominant second quarter saw St Kilda take a 10 point lead into the main break but the Bulldogs won the final two terms to win the game
  • The St Kilda side boasted almost 30 extra games experience per player (WB 72.4, StK 101.6)
  • Koby Stevens collected 31 disposals and kicked three goals in a standout display

Recent form:

Western Bulldogs
Last weekend aside, the Bulldogs have been largely competitive in games this season, playing in 13 games that were decided by less than five goals and seven games by under 10 points. The Bulldogs depth has been a highlight this season, with a number of strong performers in the VFL continuing to press for selection. The Bulldogs broke their hoodoo against the Saints last time they met, winning for the first time since round 11, 2008 against the side.

St Kilda
St Kilda have managed four wins this season, however they showed they cannot be underestimated after defeating last year’s grand finalists Fremantle at Etihad Stadium in round 18. Firmly in a rebuilding phase, the Saints have only won 20 quarters of a possible. Their strength is their marking (placed 5th in the league) which helps them maintain possession — the Bulldogs will need to be consistent in applying pressure to nullify that strength. The Saint’s defence has seen them concede more points than any team in 2014, with the exception of GWS Giants.

Key matchups and gamebreakers:

  • The Saints will be spurred on by emotion when they line up for their official Lenny Hayes send-off match and despite announcing his retirement, the man himself has been in fine form this season. Leading the Saint’s disposal count, contested possessions, total clearances, tackles and inside 50s, Hayes has been an integral member of the midfield.
  • The Bulldogs have seen a return to form from skipper Ryan Griffen in recent weeks and his midfield influence will be important against St Kilda.
  • Another St Kilda veteran who is still a threat up forward is Nick Riewoldt, Currently eighth in the race for the Coleman medal, the 31-year-old has kicked multiple goals on 11 occasions this season. While he only managed one major last week against Gold Coast, he still had four shots on goal and could easily have produced a larger haul. Once again Jordan Roughead is the likely Bulldog who will get the task, however he gained support from Mark Austin last week against a dominant Jarryd Roughead from Hawthorn.