SUMMARY
It's confirmed – the Tigers are minor premiers after their eight-point win over Essendon on Friday night. It was their 17th victory for the season, which moved them two games clear of the second-placed West Coast. With a host of key players, including captain Trent Cotchin, to return to the side after missing the Bombers' game with minor soreness, the Tigers will look to field as strong a line-up as possible against the Dogs as a dress rehearsal for the weeks to come. Standing in their way of maintaining winning momentum going into the finals are the in-form Bulldogs, who have won their past three games. The late-season purple patch isn't enough for the Dogs to make a last-minute bid for a finals berth but it has seen them knock off St Kilda, North Melbourne and Carlton in consecutive weeks to give them some positive vibes to end their season on.
WHERE AND WHEN: the MCG, Saturday, August 25, 2.10pm AEST
TV AND RADIO: Click here for broadcast guide
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
R7, 2017, Western Bulldogs 11.14 (80) d Richmond 11.9 (75) at Etihad Stadium
R16, 2016, Western Bulldogs 12.13 (85) d Richmond 11.9 (75) at Etihad Stadium
R2, 2015, Western Bulldogs 12.13 (85) d Richmond 9.12 (66) at the MCG
R3, 2014, Western Bulldogs 15.10 (100) d Richmond 15.8 (98) at Etihad Stadium
R13, 2013, Richmond 17.19 (121) d Western Bulldogs 8.13 (61) at Etihad Stadium
THE SIX POINTS
1. In a quirk of the fixture, these two sides will meet for the first time this season in the final round. The Dogs have the run of form in recent head-to-heads, having won the past four encounters; three of which have been at Etihad Stadium.
2. Standing in the way of the Dogs ending the season on a winning note is the second-best defence in the competition. The Tigers are conceding an average of just 70 points a game, which will challenge the Dogs given they're one of the lowest-scoring sides this season.
3. Do the Tigers have the right to be peeved at the umpires? The free kick count suggests they may have a case; they're last for free kicks per game this season and have won the count on just three occasions. The Bulldogs are equal sixth for free kicks.
4. It will be just the second time the Bulldogs will line up at the MCG this season. At the other end of the scale are the Tigers, who are aiming for their 14th win there this year and 21st in a row.
5. Marcus Bontempelli has collected 35 and 37 disposals in the past two weeks, which gives him excellent momentum to repeat his 2017 heroics against the Tigers. In round seven last year, Bontempelli polled three Brownlow votes for his 27 disposals, one goal and nine tackles.
6. When it comes to the Schick AFL Player Ratings, young Tiger Jack Higgins gets the nod over Bulldog Ed Richards – but only just. Higgins is 427th overall while Richards is 429th, with the two ranked sixth and seventh in the first-year player rankings.
IT’S A BIG WEEK FOR…
The Tigers in general. They'll want to field a team as close to their finals line-up as possible after a few weeks of managing sore bodies. A win will be their 18th this year, which will confirm their most successful home-and-away season since 1982.
PREDICTION: Richmond by 32 points
