VENUE & TIME: Etihad Stadium, Sunday 25 July, 1.10pm (AEST)
HEAD TO HEAD: Played: 19, Western Bulldogs 12, Fremantle 7
LAST TIME: Western Bulldogs 17.9 (111) def Fremantle 11.14 (80), Round 18, 2009 at Etihad Stadium
WALKING WOUNDED: There are fitness tests in store for Bulldogs Barry Hall and Will Minson, both of whom have ankle injuries. Mitch Hahn (hamstring) will miss another week, Eddie Prato (quad), two weeks, Brennan Stack (hamstring) three and Shane Thorne (knee) five weeks. Shoulder injuries will keep Ayce Cordy and Sam Reid sidelined until next season. For Fremantle, four players - Antoni Grover (ankle), Des Headland (knee), Chris Mayne (ankle) and Chris Tarrant ((heel) - will need to pass fitness tests to be available. Michael Barlow's season is over because of the shattered leg he sustained in Round 14.
FORM:
Western Bulldogs' Past Five:
Round 16: Win, 12.11 (83) - 7.5 (47) v Port Adelaide, TIO Stadium
Round 15: Win, 20.6 (126) - 8.10 (58) v Carlton, Etihad Stadium
Round 14: Loss, 11.10 (76) - 12.7 (79) v Hawthorn, MCG
Round 13: Win, 17.17 (119) - 9.5 (59) v West Coast, Subiaco
Round 12: Win, 17.19 (121) - 8.8 (56) v Brisbane, Etihad Stadium
Fremantle's Past Five:
Round 16: Win, 11.16 (82) - 10.11 (71) v Melbourne, Subiaco
Round 15: Loss, 11.15 (81) - 15.10 (100) v Richmond, Etihad Stadium
Round 14: Win, 17.13 (115) – 8.10 (58) v Port Adelaide, Subiaco
Round 13: Win, 14.12 (96) - 12.15 (87) v Carlton, Etihad Stadium
Round 12: Loss, 10.7 (67) - 12.13 (85) v St Kilda, Subiaco
WHO'S HOT: Daniel Cross was in everything for the Western Bulldogs in Saturday night's win over Port Adelaide in Darwin. The 27-year-old gathered 33 disposals - a PB for 2010 - which included 23 handballs in the steamy conditions. He was also credited with six hitouts, five tackles and 14 marks. Goals were at a premium in Fremantle 11-point Round 16 win over Melbourne. That's what made Hayden Ballantyne's contribution so important. The Dockers' small forward made the most of his nine kicks by putting four of them through the high diddle-diddle.
WE THINK: The stakes are extremely high for this one. A win for the Dockers would open up an eight-point gap on the chasing pack and bring them a step closer to securing a finals double-chance. If the Bulldogs win, they will displace Fremantle from fourth place because of their superior percentage. The Bulldogs have won their past five clashes against Fremantle including twice last season. The Dockers of 2010 are a different proposition, though it's unclear whether their Round 15 loss to Richmond was an aberration or the first sign of a downturn following the loss of Michael Barlow. Freo's battling win over Melbourne last Sunday certainly lacked conviction. The Bulldogs' past fortnight, in contrast, couldn’t have been more convincing. They followed up their club-record win over Carlton by despatching Port Adelaide in Darwin on Saturday night. Backing up from the tropical heat will be a challenge, but if the Bulldogs present fresh, at home, they'll win. It's the Western Bulldogs by 18 points.