Match day guide and preview for the 2022 AFL round 22 game between the GWS Giants and Western Bulldogs.
Match details
Who: Western Bulldogs vs GWS Giants
When: Saturday 13 August 2022, 1.45pm
Where: Marvel Stadium
All time head-to-head record: Played 15. Giants 6 wins. Bulldogs 9 wins.
Teams
Giants
IN: Callum M. Brown, Jake Stein
OUT: Braydon Preuss (injured), James Peatling (injured), Toby Greene (injured)
GWS have been dealt a serious blow with Greene ruled out for the remaining two matches of the season with a broken thumb. Preuss will miss with a minor shoulder injury, while Peatling is out with concussion. Brown and Stein return, while last week’s medi-sub, Tanner Bruhn is in the 22.
Bulldogs
IN: Lachie Hunter, Ryan Gardner, Stefan Martin
OUT: Alex Keath (omitted), Josh Bruce (managed), Riley Garcia (omitted), Toby McLean (medi-sub)
The Bulldogs have made several changes after last week’s loss with Hunter, Gardiner and Martin all returning. Garcia and Keath have been dropped, while Bruce has been managed as he continues to return from an ACL injury.
Season so far and the run home
GWS Giants 16th – 84.7% | 1505 points for | 1776 points against | 6 wins 14 losses | WLLLL
The Giants showed a bit of ticker last week with a comprehensive 27-point victory over the Bombers last weekend.
Mark McVeigh accused some of GWS players of checking out after they were thumped by the Swans the previous week, but he got just the response he was looking for.
The Giants beat Essendon in all the key areas of the game and scored 96 points, their highest total since round 14 against the Dogs.
Given the recent rivalry between these two clubs, GWS would love nothing more than to end the Dogs’ finals hopes with an upset win.
After this match, the Giants head to Canberra to take on Freo in their final match of the season.
Western Bulldogs 10th – 107.9% | 1824 points for | 1691 points against | 7 wins 12 losses | LLWWL
Despite being one of the most disappointing sides this season, the Bulldogs finals hopes are still alive, but only just.
The Dogs looked back to their best during the big win against Melbourne in round 19, however they have since fallen to the Cats and Dockers in consecutive weeks and would now need results to go their way to make finals.
On paper, the Bulldogs midfield group is as good as any, but their backline has really struggled at times this season, while the forward line has struggled for efficiency.
The Dogs still have a finals berth on the line, so you would expect them to come out absolutely firing against a lowly GWS side.
Last 5 meetings and Marvel Stadium history
- 2022 round 14: Giants 16.9 (105) lost to Bulldogs 19.11 (125) at Giants Stadium
- 2021 round 6: Giants 9.11 (65) lost to Bulldogs 15.14 (104) at Manuka Oval
- 2020 round 3: Bulldogs 8.9 (57) defeated Giants 4.9 (33) at Marvel Stadium
- 2019 Elimination Final: Giants 16.17 (113) defeated Bulldogs 8.7 (55) at Giants Stadium
- 2019 round 22: Giants 9.11 (65) lost to Bulldogs 19.12 (126) at Giants Stadium
The Bulldogs are building a nice recent record over GWS having won four of the last five matchups, including three on the trot.
You don’t have to go far back to their last meeting, with the Dogs claiming a 20-point win in one of the highest scoring games of the season back in round 14.
They have played just four matches at Marvel Stadium, with the ledger all square at 2-2.
Pre match prediction
Father-sons of the West: The Bulldogs Father-son selections of Sam Darcy, Rhylee West and Tom Liberatore to combine for 70 disposals, 12 marks and 2 goals. Bulldogs by 26.
Have any pre match predictions of your own? Let us know in the comments below.
