The Doggies take on the Magpies at Telstra Dome on Sunday afternoon
WESTERN BULLDOGS v COLLINGWOOD WHERE & WHEN: Telstra Dome, Sunday 20 May, 2.10pmMEDIA COVERAGE: Channel 7 (Melbourne 3pm, Adelaide 3.30pm), 3AW, Triple M, ABC Radio (Melbourne, Perth, Hobart, Darwin), K-Rock, NIRS (Perth, Brisbane, Darwin), 6PR, afl.com.au (live audio and scoring) HEAD-TO-HEAD: Played: 139, Western Bulldogs: 39, Collingwood: 99, Drawn: 1LAST TIME: Western Bulldogs 18.13 (121) d Collingwood 11.14 (80), first elimination final, 2006, at the MCGTAB Sportsbet: Western Bulldogs: $1.80, Collingwood: $1.95MILESTONES:Bulldogs midfielder Farren Ray will play his 50th league game. Ray was selected with pick No. 4 overall in the 2003 NAB AFL Draft, and was recruited from Western Australian team Peel Thunder. He played 21 games last year, 14 in 2005, and seven in his debut season, and was one of the Bulldogs' best in their elimination final win over the Magpies. For the opposition, reinvented midfielder Tarkyn Lockyer is set to notch up his 150th game in what has been his best season in a number of years. Lockyer was elevated from rookie status in 1998, and has recently endured a tough couple of years where he was crippled with injury. He's played every game in the past two seasons, and has consistently been one of the Magpies' best in the first seven rounds. RECENT HISTORY: It's been a fairly even contest between these two sides over the past few years, with the Bulldogs winning five out of the last 13 encounters since 2000. Of course, the Bulldogs have the most recent bragging rights, having ended the finals’ aspirations of the Magpies in last year's elimination final at the MCG, and apart from the 34-point loss they suffered in round nine, have won three out of the past four head-to-heads. RECENT FORM: The Bulldogs have won three from their past fours, and escaped with a narrow one-goal victory over the Demons at Telstra Dome. The week before that, they came close to achieving one of today's most challenging tasks in defeating the Eagles on their home soil, but fell 15 points short. The Magpies are third on the ladder after winning their last three games. They have beaten Carlton, Adelaide and Essendon recently, and are one game behind ladder-leaders Port Adelaide and West Coast. The Pies are the best-placed Victorian team with 20 premiership points. RED HOT PLAYERS: Brad Johnson kicked four goals last week for the Bulldogs, while Mitch Hahn nailed two in his first senior match in almost a year. Daniel Cross and Lindsay Gilbee were stand-out performers, while Nathan Eagleton and Daniel Giansiracusa both stood up in the final term and played crucial roles in snatching the lead back from the Demons. The Bulldogs will want to watch Heath Shaw and Lockyer, who would fight it out for the best and fairest if the award was handed out now, while Alan Didak continues to be sneaky around goal and Travis Cloke last week proved he can be dangerous when kicking straight. QUIRKY STAT: At the beginning of this season, there were only two players in the league who were ineligible to take their place on the field owing to suspensions handed down in the 2006 season. One was a Bulldog and the other a Magpie. Brian Harris missed the opening two games for his strike on West Coast's Adam Hunter in the semi-final, while Brodie Holland was rubbed out for six weeks for his bump on Brett Montgomery in the elimination final the week before. Holland's hit in the Bulldogs-Magpies clash occurred in the opening stages of the match and looked likely to have ended Montgomery's afternoon, but the former Port Adelaide forward bounced back later in the game to kick a match-defining four goals. WHAT THE FAN SAYS: "We did enough last week to get over the Demons, but we're going to have to play much better to beat a team like the Magpies, who are clearly playing well. "We supporters took a lot of enjoyment out of knocking the Pies out of the finals last year. Now we can knock them off third spot on the ladder and start to rise again as Victoria's best team. "They better watch their backs, especially Brodie – the Dogs are coming!" – Trish Allan, Bulldogs supporter. WHAT THE COACH SAYS: "There's no doubt it will be a packed house so it will be a great experience for our guys. "I think there will be a lot of media hype about it so it will be good for our players to be able to cope with that sort of pressure. "The Pies are playing extremely well, their form has been terrific. For sure, I think it's a big challenge for us." – Rodney Eade, senior coach. This week's game against Collingwood is a home game for the LeasePlan Western Bulldogs. Please note the following key ticketing information for this Sunday's game: * This game is not a fully ticketed game * As rows A-F on level 3 on both wings have been pre-sold, all general admission members should arrive as early as possible to secure a seat. Gates open at 12pm. Entry is Subject to Capacity. * There are still a limited number of reserved seats available on level 1 and 2. Any general admission members wanting to upgrade to a reserved seat are encouraged to do so as early as possible to avoid disappointment. * Reserved seat members will have access to their regular seating.
