St Kilda vs Western Bulldogs

Where and when:
Saturday May 25, 4:40pm
Etihad Stadium

Round 9 St Kilda Squad

B: Rhys Stanley James Gwilt Jack Newnes
HB: Sean Dempster Sam Fisher Jimmy Webster
C: Farren Ray Lenny Hayes Dylan Roberton
HF:  Nick Dal Santo Beau Maister Jarryn Geary
F: Tom Hickey Nick Riewoldt Stephen Milne
R: Ben McEvoy Leigh Montagna Jack Steven
Int: Seb Ross Arryn Siposs David Armitage
  Ahmed Saad  
Em: Clint Jones Terry Milera Josh Saunders

 

In: L.Hayes
Out: T.Milera (Omitted)
Milestone: J.Gwilt - 100 games

Overview:
The Western Bulldogs have lost 18 of its last 19 AFL games, but still pose a threat to any team when they are allowed to run and carry the ball. Tom Liberatore's and Liam Jones' increased responsibility reflect the Bulldogs desire to hand important roles to young players, while Brett Goodes has proved to be a handy acquisition in the back half.

St Kilda's experienced players have been well complemented in 2013 by a host of up-and-coming ball-winners, notably Jack Steven and Dylan Roberton. Steven has become one of the Saints go-to midfielders given his ability to run and spread with pace. Meanwhile, in just two months Roberton has become a key pillar in St Kilda's back six, and has provided a significant amount of run and composure from defence.

These youthful Bulldogs and Saints players exemplify the next generation for both clubs and shape as important contributors on Saturday afternoon.

St Kilda has defeated the Bulldogs the last eight times the two teams have met by an average of 34.5 points. If the Dogs are going to reverse this run of losses, shutting down the in-form Nick Riewoldt and tireless Leigh Montagna is pivotal to their aspirations.

Lenny Hayes return from a calf complaint is a boost for the Saints engine room, while Adam Cooney's omission due to hamstring bleeding is a blow for the Bulldogs.

James Gwilt's 100th game promises to be an intriguing affair between two teams determined to rebound from disappointing results last weekend.

Stat focus:

  • Nick Riewoldt has kicked more goals against the Bulldogs than against any other club aside from Essendon.
  • Matthew Boyd has collected 39 disposals in two out of the last three St Kilda vs Western Bulldogs matches.
  • The last time the Dogs' defeated the Saints (Round 11, 2008) Farren Ray was playing for the Western Bulldogs.
  • Tom Liberatore is ranked equal second in the league for clearances, averaging 7.5 per game.
  • Dylan Roberton has taken 19 bounces this season, ranked equal 7th in the AFL.
  • Roberton is also ranked 7th in the competition for rebound 50s.

Injury lists:

St Kilda:
Sam Gilbert (knee) - 7-10 weeks
Daniel Markworth (ACL) - Season
Adam Schneider (hamstring) 2-3 weeks
Lenny Hayes (calf) 1-2 weeks
Darren Minchington (hamstring) - 1-2 weeks
Nathan Wright (jaw) 1-2 weeks
Tom Simpkin (quad) 1-2 weeks

Western Bulldogs:
Tory Dickson (ankle) - 3 weeks
Ayce Cordy (fibula stress fracture) - 3 weeks
Easton Wood (hamstring) - 2-4 weeks
Lin Jong (leg) - 4 weeks
Shaun Higgins (foot) - season

Last week:
St Kilda 6.11 (47) defeated by Adelaide 12.15 (87)
Western Bulldogs 8.13 (61) defeated by Gold Coast 13.15 (93)

What they say: (Western Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney on Wednesday)
We're disappointed with our results, but we're very clear about where we're going. Internally we believe we're a lot closer to better results. [We have] poor little patches per quarter, a 10-minute patch in the third quarter through the last 3-4 weeks - we're very competitive in a lot of areas, but we can't afford those patches.
The best teams in this competition do most of their scoring off the back of their defence. We're teaching that heavily and we've got to get much better … at capitalising on our opportunities.

What we say (Jarryn Geary on Wednesday):
We're 2-6 and there's a lot of teams that are even on the ledger. It's only going to take a few bad weeks for a few teams and if they're the right teams that start slipping away and we start playing good footy, there's no reason why we can't start to even up the ledger. It's round nine so we've got a long way to go and if we can start to become more consistent for the rest of the season, you never know what could happen. 
Things might start to balance out towards the end and we might be able to shape the finals and maybe just slip in there.

Running hot:
St Kilda: Dylan Roberton
The reliable defender has been a revelation in 2013. His poise and skill under pressure combined with his football-smarts have made him one of the Saints most values performers in the first two months of the season. Roberton is averaging almost 20 disposals per game at 77 per cent efficiency, plus numerous intercept marks.
Western Bulldogs: Ryan Griffen 
The elusive Bulldog ball-winner has enjoyed an excellent past fortnight, collecting 33 disposals against North Melbourne and 29 against the Gold Coast. At his best, Griffen is a damaging player with his ability to break the lines and pump the ball inside 50.

Watch out for:
St Kilda: Stephen Milne
Milne's record at Etihad Stadium is better than any other player. He has showed glimpses in the last few weeks of recapturing the form that propelled him to one of the AFL's most dangerous forwards in 2012.
Western Bulldogs: Liam Jones
The key forward is 45 games into what is likely to be a long and fruitful AFL career. Jones is still finding consistency at AFL level, but is a handful when in form. His bags of four goals against Richmond in round three and Geelong a fortnight later showcased his fantastic high marking and goal kicking ability against quality opponents.

Last time they met:
Round 18, 2012 at Etihad Stadium
Attendance: 23,498
St Kilda 16.22 (118) defeated Western Bulldogs 6.6 (42)
Disposals: Goddard (33), Boyd (27)
Goals: Riewoldt (4), Dickson, Giansiracusa (2 each)

You can follow Tom Morris on Twitter: @tommorris32