Essendon v Western Bulldogs Rd 20

Friday, July 25 – 7:20 PM AEST – Venue: Marvel

The Bulldogs are still outside the top 8 after losing to Adelaide and then Brisbane by 10 points in the last two weeks. They have to win every game and hope that and their excellent percentage is enough to get them into the finals. So this is a must win game for them.

Marcus Bontempelli, who has just signed a four year contract extension giving up more than $2M he could have received on the open market, to make him a one club player and Bailey Dale are on fire with the latter picking up an amazing 49 disposals out of the backline in a losing side last week.

The tall timber up forward in Darcy and Naughton will get great supply, but they need to sure up their leaky defence and not give the Bombers any latitude. It will be interesting to see if Beveridge keeps Jones in the team, as that will be an indicator as to whether he is seen as a key player for the rest of the season.  

West kicked 4 last week and Libba is in great form, picking up 16 contested possessions last week. The midfield group including Ed Richards and Matthew Kennedy will be too strong for the young bombers who have to rely too heavily on Merrett.

Essendon have the longest injury list in the AFL and have played 13 first gamers for the season. They have lost seven games in a row and it is hard to see them turning that around anytime soon – bring on 2026!

If the Dogs keep their foot on the gas this will be a blowout.

Western Bulldogs by 65 points

Looking for AFL betting tips? This Essendon v Bulldogs clash may come down to midfield pressure, recent form, and how both sides handle Marvel Stadium.