Western Bulldogs v Fremantle Dockers
AFL Aussie Rules : Australia : AFL Premiership
Etihad Stadium, Melbourne
Sunday, 25th July 2010, Start 13:10 AEST

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This game is vital in the race for the sought after fourth spot on the ladder. If Fremantle can get a win they will pull 2 games clear from the Bulldogs and in my opinion seal a second chance in the finals.

A Bulldogs win will give them fourth spot on percentage and put them in pole position to clinch the second chance. The Dogs have started to play well of late and going back to Etihad I see them coming away with a nice win on Sunday.

Western Bulldogs (5th, 10-6) Form : WWLWW

The Doggies came away with a 36 point win against Port Adelaide last weekend in Darwin. They sweated it out in humid conditions and will get sufficient rest before taking the field against the Dockers who are travelling to Melbourne. The question marks over the Dogs look to be answered but they need to beat a top 4 side to prove they are legitimate contenders. An important win over the Dockers will do so.

The Bulldogs defence is filled with quality individuals. Brian Lake has been talked up in these previews before but his influence cannot be spoken highly enough of. He takes strong contested marks against the key forward of the other team and then uses his fitness and great ball use to set up forward attacks for his team. Couple Lake with the likes of Robert Murphy and Tom Williams and you have some pretty agile backs who can play tall if they need to and are more than capable with ball in hand.

The midfield for the Dogs looks good with Nathan Eagleton back and with the likes of Adam Cooney and Ryan Griffen starting to find their best form the Doggies could be a tough opponent for other teams during the finals in September. The feature player of the Doggies midfield this week is Daniel Cross. Last week he dominated winning the hard ball and shovelling it out to his classier teammates. Cross always commits to contests 100 percent and you can expect more of this against a younger Freo midfield.

Barry Hall missed last week after being rested with a slight ankle injury. He is in the mix to come back in this week and if he does the Freo defence will find things difficult. Jarrad Grant is a promising player who looks capable and if the Dogs can get some consistency out of him they will be in great shape heading into the finals. The likes of Brad Johnson and Daniel Giansiracusa are also threats around goals and can be expected to contribute to the scoreboard whenever they pull the boots on.

Fremantle Dockers (4th, 11-5) Form : LWWLW

Freo were rather fortunate to escape with an 11 point win against
Melbourne last Sunday. They dominated the first half kicking 9 goals to 3, but only scored 2 second half goals and had to resist a strong Melbourne comeback. They travel to Melbourne knowing the importance of a win, but they know that Melbourne is not their favourite place to play. Their last visit to Etihad saw Richmond beat them by 19 points 2 weeks ago.

The defence for the Dockers has Luke McPharlin and Alex Silvagni as the key defenders. If Hall plays and young Silvagni is paired against him it could be a very long day for the youngster. Hall has great strength and on the lead is one of the best forwards in the league. The likes of Jay van Berlo and Roger Hayden will need to be good in order to mark the small forwards and also transfer the ball from defence into attack.

In the centre for the Dockers they will need Paul Duffield and David Mundy to fire for them on Sunday. These two players are far from flashy but have probably been the most consistent players for the Dockers in the last 2-3 years aside from Pavlich and Sandilands. Rhys Palmer and Nathan Fyfe offer something flash for Freo through the centre. Their youthful exuberance can sometimes be the game breaker but they will need to earn it this week because it will not be handed to them.

The Freo forward line is dangerous but needs the service. Obviously Matthew Pavlich is a star who can turn a game on its head by himself, but in the last year the Dockers have found a few other players who can really make a difference up forward. Stephen Hill and Hayden Ballantyne are lively forwards who can produce the unexpected. They have been huge contributors for the Dockers and will be called upon this week.

The Pick :

Bulldogs to win

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

Take the Bulldogs in the Tribet at Centrebet.
They need to win by 16 or more at 1.64.
(High Stakes - Bet of the Week)