WHERE AND WHEN: Etihad Stadium, April 3, 1.10pm
HEAD TO HEAD: Brisbane Lions 13 wins, Western Bulldogs 12 wins
LAST TIME: Western Bulldogs 17.19 (121) d Brisbane Lions 8.8 (56), round 12, 2010 at Etihad Stadium
RADIO: Melbourne: SEN 1116, ABC 774, Brisbane: ABC936, NIRS, Triple M
A full replay will be available on afl.com.au 12 hours after the completion of the match
BETFAIR ODDS: Western Bulldogs $1.14, Brisbane Lions $7
FORM: Brisbane Lions: L Bulldogs: L
SUMMARY
These teams are probably the two with the most pressure on them coming into round two. The Bulldogs were abysmal in their 55-point loss to Essendon while the Lions are in trouble with Jonathan Brown sidelined for a couple of months and Brent Staker out for the season. Even if they had have hung on to their lead over Fremantle, the Lions would still be faced with the prospect of playing most of the year without two of their most important players.
Many are predicting the Bulldogs to bounce back this week, but the Lions showed against Fremantle that they might not be the pushovers many thought.
The Bulldogs' main problem last week was their midfield's inability to win the contested ball and while the Lions aren't the best team in the league, they do have plenty of on-ballers willing to put their head over the footy.
QUESTION MARKS
Was last week an aberration or do the Bulldogs have genuine concerns?
You would have to write the Essendon loss off as a one-off but there are lessons to be learnt. However, there was a sense of occasion in that match that will not be a factor this week and that could work in the Bulldogs favour.
Do the Lions have any hope for the rest of the season? Plenty had already written them off even before round one. Taking Brown and Staker out of the equation only increases the gloom and doom. But it can't be forgotten that they very nearly won last week against a team that made the semi-finals last year. They might not be the easybeats so many are predicting but they are still unlikely to win this game.
TOYOTA AFL DREAM TEAM WATCH
Pearce Hanley is hardly the most in-demand Dream Team candidate. (In fact he gets a run in only 0.35 per cent of the registered teams.) But his 110 point game against Fremantle last week might just be a sign of things to come. Bargain defenders can be hard to come by and Dream Team coaches could do worse than opt for the Irishman before the prices change.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
