SUMMARY

Hats off to you if you had picked this as a finals match-up at the start of the season.

After starting the year 0-5, Sam Mitchell's men have taken the competition by storm, winning 14 of 18 games to claim a surprise berth in September for the first time since 2018. The Dogs had plenty of issues of their own earlier in the season but are humming at the right time of year.

These teams have not met in a final since the Dogs' golden run in 2016, though the Hawks have had the edge in their past two meetings by a combined 10 points.

Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn at the MCG, 7.40pm AEST

NO LATE CHANGES

SUBSTITUTES
Western Bulldogs: Jack Macrae
Hawthorn: Luke Breust

After the most even season in recent memory, both teams could be in line for a shot at the premiership from outside the top four, with the winner here to meet the loser of the Port Adelaide-Geelong match.

James Harmes has been included for the Western Bulldogs at the expense of Arthur Jones, while Josh Ward is back for Hawthorn with Cam Mackenzie (hamstring) to miss.

Where and when: MCG, Friday September 6, 7.40pm AEST

WHAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR?

Round 8: Hawthorn 14.14 (98) defeated Western Bulldogs 14.7 (91) at Marvel Stadium

The Bulldogs got off to a flyer with the first three goals before the Hawks steadied, with captain James Sicily kicking the winning goal after suffering a dislocated shoulder early in the match. Jamarra Ugle-Hagan had a chance to level the scores late but his shot hit the behind post on the full, allowing the Hawks to hang on and notch up just their second win of the season. It also left the Dogs with a 3-5 record and many questioning their credentials. In a memorable clash, Calsher Dear kicked two goals on debut for the Hawks and Tom Liberatore suffered another worrying collapse after a head knock, similar to one from a few rounds earlier.

THE STATS THAT MATTER

Western Bulldogs
The Dogs are dangerous all over the ground. They are the competition's stingiest defence, conceding 75.5 points per game over the season. That might come in handy against a potent Hawks outfit. Luke Beveridge's side is also No.1 for points from F50 stoppages (11.3 per game) and points from F50 turnovers (11.7), as well as in moving the ball from defensive 50 to inside 50. It's in the ruck where the Dogs have struggled this season, ranked second-last for both hitouts and hitouts to advantage.

Hawthorn
If it wasn't obvious just by watching them, Hawthorn's ability to generate scores from anywhere is their biggest strength. Since round eight, the Hawks have averaged 101 points per game, which jumps to 125.3 points per game since round 19, though that number is inflated by the massive win over North Melbourne in the final round. They have won groundball differential by 8.9 per game – No.1 in the League – and lost that stat just three times all season. On the downside, their pressure rating is the second-lowest of the top eight sides, and they are ranked 17th in tackles.

IT'S A BIG WEEK FOR ...

Western Bulldogs
Marcus Bontempelli is the biggest of the big dogs, but Adam Treloar has become an essential part of Luke Beveridge's premiership plans. The 31-year-old has been battling a nagging calf complaint since the win over Greater Western Sydney in the final round of the home and away season and his fitness will be crucial against a tireless Hawthorn outfit. Fresh off a maiden All-Australian blazer, Treloar is averaging 31.7 disposals and 5.8 clearances a game.

Hawthorn
The entire backline. Dogs talls Sam Darcy (208cm), Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (197cm) and Aaron Naughton (196cm) pose a serious threat for any side, let alone an undersized Hawthorn defence. The trio have kicked 40 goals between them over the past seven weeks. Throw in the unpredictable Cody Weightman and the Dogs present all sorts of challenges. To be fair, Sam Frost (194cm), James Sicily (188cm) and Jack Scrimshaw (194cm) have been immense all season, but this will take a full team effort to suppress the opposition's greatest asset.

PREDICTION

It's a shame that one of these teams will bow out of the finals race, with both sides bringing hot form into September. Can the 'Hollywood Hawks' replicate their brash, bold play on the primetime stage on Friday night, or will the experienced Dogs put the bite on their younger opponents? A lot will depend on the weather, and with showers predicted during the game, this one could turn into a midfield battle. Bulldogs by 16 points.

HAWTHORN'S extraordinary 2024 rise has continued, its irresistible momentum carrying it through to a semi-final after a 37-point win over the Western Bulldogs.

The Hawks – who started the season 0-5 – ended the Dogs' season with relative ease, coasting away through the second and third terms to seal the 14.15 (99) to 9.8 (62) victory.

BULLDOGS v HAWKS Full match coverage and stats

They will now face a suddenly shaky Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval next week, while the Bulldogs will be left ruing their inability to simply win the footy.

The Dogs had got off to the fastest of starts, Ed Richards charging through the middle of the ground and Aaron Naughton kicking truly in the first 20 seconds.

Conversely, the Hawks took a beat to settle, with the exception of Lloyd Meek, who was man-handling Tim English in the ruck battle, even kicking the first major for his side.

Hawthorn skipper James Sicily – dodgy shoulder tucked away under his long-sleeve and all – was simply outstanding, holding firm in front of the tall Western Bulldogs forward line, and preventing attack after attack.

He would kickstart their rebound, a dangerous mix of fast play and deliberate short passes to carve their way through the Dogs defence where Calsher Dear – who opened and closed the second term – and his band of merry men were waiting.

The Hawks had trailed by two goals at quarter-time but turned it around to lead by 11 at the main break, with the captain's 10 disposals and five marks for the term key to the bounce back.

Dear has had his share of strong games in his debut season, but properly announced himself on the AFL stage in front of an all-but completely full MCG (97,828). He took a juggling mark over the boundary then kicking truly for his third on a tight angle, to stretch the margin to 26.

It wasn't the goal that had opened the floodgates, but was one of a series of waves, the sheer number of which meant the Dogs were desperately struggling to keep their heads above water.

The Bulldogs just simply couldn't win the ball, trailing the Hawks in disposals by 101 at three-quarter time, with half the number of inside 50s.

While they were still their side's best, Tom Liberatore just couldn't quite get going, and Adam Treloar's influence was muted.

By contrast, Jai Newcombe had already hit 30 touches by the final break, while after going out to dinner at the pub the night prior, Jack Ginnivan celebrated his fourth-quarter goal with an imaginary beer.

Bont's tough night
Marcus Bontempelli had started the night brightly in the middle of the field, but as the game progressed, increasingly spent time on the bench. By the end of the third term, as the ball was struggling to reach the Dogs' half of the ground, he was sitting at full-forward, stranded from the action, with just nine touches for the game. Bontempelli kicked the opening goal of the fourth term, then threatened to boot the second, until Naughton was unable to shepherd the ball through. He finished with 18 touches. 

The wonderful Wizard of Hok
After a season of queries over his set-shot accuracy, Nick 'the Wizard' Watson was the one to stop the rot, sealing the win at the end of the third term. The Hawks had kicked four consecutive behinds, struggling to land the knock-out blow, before Ginnivan hit up a hard-running Watson in front of goal. He kicked truly, Mabior Chol celebrating so hard he leapt over his diminutive teammate. Watson finished with four, and proved he is born to play on the big stage.

Tall Dogs v mini Hawks
It was a battle of two vastly different forward lines – the land of the giant Dogs, coming up against the nippy Hawks. With Sicily playing as a loose defender, the Bulldogs struggled to take full advantage of their tall forwards. By contrast, as the game opened up, the quick movement and handball game of the small Hawks found plenty of gaps in attack.

WESTERN BULLDOGS     4.1     5.4      6.5       9.8     (62)
HAWTHORN                        2.1     7.3     11.11     14.15     (99) 

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Naughton 3, Darcy, Treloar, English, Williams, Bontempelli, Vandermeer
Hawthorn: Watson 4, Dear 3, Macdonald 2, Meek, Gunston, Newcombe, Ginnivan, Maginness 

BEST
Western Bulldogs: Liberatore, Richards, Treloar, Lobb, Williams
Hawthorn: Newcombe, Sicily, D'Ambrosio, Meek, Dear, Ward 

INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Nil
Hawthorn: Nil 

SUBSTITUTES
Western Bulldogs: Jack Macrae (replaced Harvey Gallagher in the third quarter)
Hawthorn: Luke Breust (replaced Jack Gunston in the fourth quarter)

Crowd: 97,828 at the MCG