Fox Footy Jury: Can winless Western Bulldogs claim first win of season against rival GWS Giants?
Two football greats are concerned for the finals hopes of pre-season premiership fancy Western Bulldogs after a “listless” start to 2020. Do Ben Dixon or Matthew Pavlich believe the Dogs can turn around their form against GWS?
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Regarded by many as a premiership fancy in pre-season, Western Bulldogs’ season could be on the line on Friday.
The Dogs will be 0-3 in a 17-game season should they fall to GWS Giants after losses to St Kilda and Collingwood.
Fox Footy expert Ben Dixon says it would be foolish to write the Bulldogs off, but another loss will spell serious trouble for Luke Beveridge’s team.
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What do Bulldogs have to do to beat GWS in their make or break clash on Friday night?
MATTHEW PAVLICH
Six-time Fremantle best-and-fairest
They’ve had a terrible start against both the Saints and Collingwood. I think most, including me, thought they’d be rocketing up the ladder but they’ve just been listless really and there hasn’t been enough effort from lots of their players. So it’s a huge game for the Bulldogs against a team who were a surprise loser last weekend as well. This is the beauty of a shortened season, that every game – particularly if you’re 0-2 – means so much more. If you go 0-3, I would say it’s almost impossible to play finals. It’s not impossible, but almost impossible on the basis that if you’re 0-3 in a 22-round season statistically it’s very hard, let alone being 0-3 in a 17-round season.
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BD: It’s almost like their car’s unroadworthy at the moment, the Bulldogs. They’ve got a bit of work to do to fix a few things to get back on the road, there’s no doubt. They’re getting belted up in the middle, their ruck’s an issue, their connection to their forwards has dropped away, their defence on the weekend was probably a 2/10 on turnover which gave St Kilda easy access. We all know there’s no quick fix other than effort. And they’re a form-running team. Last year they won seven of the last nine, so they can string wins together. But with their poor start to the year and their poor percentage, they need to win 10 games to guarantee a finals spot. I’m certainly not writing them off because I know what Bevo can do and I know the talent they’ve got, but they need to fix a few things and it starts with effort.
Should Port Adelaide be allowed to wear the prison bars jumper on a more regular basis, against Collingwood’s wishes?
MP: As someone who grew up in South Australia, I used to hate the prison bars guernsey because I often saw them lifting another premiership cup. But I’m all for it now. I think it’s a great jumper. As a traditionalist and someone who loves South Australian football and the heritage that Port Adelaide Magpies bring, I think it absolutely has a place in the competition. Obviously there’s an issue when they play Collingwood and potentially a few other teams, but I’d love to see it some more. The prison bars are great.
BD: I’m all for it. I love tradition and it’s the traditional Port Adelaide jumper which resonates with the fans. I know we see a lot of upgrades to jumpers at times, but some things I think you should preserve. If they don’t play Collingwood, I don’t see a problem with it. I can understand where the frustration might be for the Magpies, but they’ve had that jumper for over 100 years. As long as you’re not playing Collingwood, there’s no clash in my book.