'Defence wins premierships': Dogs ready for wildcard
Young Carlton and Melbourne stars return as the Blues start slight favourites and the Demons lean on Max Gawn in knockout finals.
- The MCG will host AFL wildcard matches this weekend, with the Western Bulldogs facing Collingwood on Friday night and Carlton playing Melbourne on Saturday night.
- Coach Luke Beveridge's Bulldogs secured momentum with an impressive win over the Demons last week, seeking their first finals victory since 2021 after a rollercoaster season.
- Demons coach Steven King recalled Jack Viney, Jake Melksham, and Xavier Taylor, while Carlton coach Josh Fraser confirmed Nick Haynes returns to bolster the Blues' backline; the Demons remain without Jake Lever and Matt Jefferson due to injury.
- Marc Pittonet will attempt to nullify Max Gawn's influence, Fraser said, while Nick Daicos and Marcus Bontempelli headline Friday's encounter as opposing captains following Darcy Moore's season-ending injury.
- Bulldogs midfielder Matt Kennedy told AAP, "defence wins premierships," emphasizing that the team's balance of offence and defence has arrived just in time for the five-week finals series.
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11 Articles
‘Defence Wins Premierships’: Western Bulldogs Ready for Wildcard
Western Bulldogs midfielder Matt Kennedy is confident the club has found a perfect balance between attack and defence at the right time of the season. After a rollercoaster campaign, the Bulldogs will battle Collingwood in a historic wildcard match at the MCG on Friday night that will begin a five-week finals series. The Dogs started 2026 brightly, winning their first four matches, including stirring triumphs in Brisbane and Adelaide. But injuri…
Sydney Morning Herald
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Melbourne champion Jack Viney has been cleared for his AFL return just in time for the finals, but they and Carlton are both missing stars, while the Bulldogs earn a huge boost.
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