Bulldogs V Sydney - Round 18 at Manuka Oval

[MIGHTY MAGPIES 01]

Both these teams are struggling, but i'm tipping the Bulldogs to win, especially with Goodes being rested.

[Spirit_of_63]

Goodes was useless last week, he should retire with his glory days over.

Bulldogs by 20 and look for the Spirit watching from the stands!

[jas929406]

Bulldogs to bounce back from their current shait form and put the Swans to bed early in the game..


Dogs by 30+

How will we know who you are SPIRIT????.

[Spirit_of_63]

Originally Posted by jas929406

Bulldogs to bounce back from their current shait form and put the Swans to bed early in the game..


Dogs by 30+

How will we know who you are SPIRIT????.

I'll be wearing a black jacket and a top hat.

[jas929406]

Originally Posted by Spirit_of_63

I'll be wearing a black jacket and a top hat.

Cool....I will see if i can spot the NOB wearing a black jacket and top hat...lol only joking dude.

[Spirit_of_63]

Originally Posted by jas929406

Cool....I will see if i can spot the NOB wearing a black jacket and top hat...lol only joking dude.

Har har har.

I'd only be a nob if I went decked out in Cats gear.

[jas929406]

Originally Posted by Spirit_of_63

Har har har.

I'd only be a nob if I went decked out in Cats gear.

True lol

[amsport]

For the first time this season, questions are being asked of the Western Bulldogs.

Defeated just once in the first 15 rounds of the competiton, the Dogs travel to the Manuka Oval on the back of two straight losses, to Geelong and Carlton.

The manner of the defeat to the Blues last time out - when they threw away a 37-point lead - was worrying for their supporters, and now the Dogs face a potentially tricky match against the Swans.

When the teams met in round seven, the Bulldogs won by 18 points. So will this be a case of sweet revenge for Sydney?

Unlikely, in a word. The Swans are stuck in their own rut, having lost three of the last four. And they go into this match on the back of a 24-point loss to Adelaide where even the return of inspirational Barry Hall had little effect.

Team news favours the Swans, who are likely to regain Nick Malceski and Leo Barry from injuries while the Bulldogs have lost Dylan Addison and midfielder Scott West is still unfit.

The Bulldogs have won three more matches than the Swans this season and in terms of day matches have won eight of 10 while Sydney has won six of its 10.

When Sydney does come good they run up big win margins - they average 41.3 this season as against the Bulldogs’ 35.7. But unless they can get a tight grip on the midfield and turn this one into a real battle then they just don’t look to have the same quality of players.

Key players in this match-up will include the Doggies’ Daniel Cross, who with 283 leads the competition in terms of handballs - the Swans’ top performer in this regard is Brett Kirk with 207. Cross is also fifth in the disposals list with 445, sitting just behind teammate Adam Cooney.

Robert Murphy is in the top four in marks this season, with 137, while for the Swans Darren Jolly has the third-highest number of hitouts and two of their players - Kirk and Jude Bolton - are in the top three for tackles, with more than 100 each.

The Bulldogs are worth an AFL bet in this one.

[jas929406]

Kirk and Bolton will have to be on their game big time if the Dogs get their running game going....in terms of tackling .

The Dogs have the edge in the middy imo with a few more players to rotate through there more than Sydney.

Sydney still have key players missing and with Big Bad Barry nowhere near his best they will struggle to match it with the Bulldogs.

Smart money is on the doggies but die hard Sydney fans will throw their money on the depleted Swans