MATCH DETAILS
Melbourne v Western Bulldogs, Saturday March 29, at the MCG, 2.10pm
FORECAST
Showers developing, windy
Minimum 12, Maximum 20
BETTING
Melbourne $3.10, Western Bulldogs $1.33
LAST TIME THEY MET
Melbourne 19.15 (129) d Western Bulldogs 12.15 (87), Telstra Dome
FORM GUIDE
Melbourne
The Demons started with a miserable display in the opening round, going down to Hawthorn by 104 points. It was hardly the start Melbourne or new coach Dean Bailey would've envisaged in the club's 150th year. Still, the positive for Melbourne is that it was just one round - not the 22nd with the season already done and dusted. Too much is at stake to write off the year and the Demons will be desperate to produce a strong, competitive showing.
Western Bulldogs
The Dogs gave skipper Brad Johnson a day to remember, as he became the club's sixth player to play 300 matches. But it was the man himself who proved to be the match-winner against Adelaide. Johnson booted the sealer in the dying stages, giving him five goals for the match, including three in time-on during the final term. And although Crow Nathan Bock had a shot for goal in the dying stages, the Dogs managed to hang on for a three-point win.
RANDOM FACTS
Melbourne has won 10 of its past 13 matches against the Western Bulldogs. The Demons have also won their past four matches against the Dogs at the MCG, with the Bulldogs most recent victory against the Dees at the 'G coming in round seven, 2001.
KEY MATCH UPS
David Neitz v Brian Lake
Daniel Bell/Nathan Carroll v Brad Johnson
Jeff White/Paul Johnson v Ben Hudson/Will Minson
WHAT THE CLUBS SAY
Melbourne
"The thing is there is always next week and we know as a group we've got the ability and we've just got to keep working at it to get it right," Melbourne midfielder James McDonald told melbournefc.com.au. "We're pretty confident if we can just keep focusing on the process that we'll get it right. For a start, each player has to have a hard look at themselves and everyone's got to lift to take the responsibility on themselves."
Western Bulldogs
"It's going to be a huge game, obviously they're going to set themselves for this week ... we'll be ready for it, though, and we'll just do what we need to do to prepare," Western Bulldogs midfielder Adam Cooney told westernbulldogs.com.au. "We spoke about last year [and] we had a great win over Geelong in round one and then really dropped away against Adelaide in round two, so I guess the focus this week is maintaining consistency. You don't take any team lightly and last week's gone now, we've had a good win and that's gone and I suppose they've had a disappointing loss which is gone as well."
