VENUE & TIME: Etihad Stadium, Saturday 4 July, 7.10pm (AEST)
HEAD TO HEAD: Played: 148, Western Bulldogs 73, Hawthorn 73, Draws 2
LAST TIME: Hawthorn 18.19 (127) def Western Bulldogs 11.10 (76), 2nd Qualifying Final, 2008 at the MCG
WALKING WOUNDED: The Bulldogs suffered a major blow earlier this week with star midfielder Daniel Giansiracusa requiring an arthroscopy on his right knee after he damaged it against North Melbourne. He will sit out the next six weeks. Meanwhile, Stephen Tiller (hip) will be tested.
Hawthorn still has four premiership stars unavailable in Cyril Rioli (hamstring, one week), Trent Croad (foot, indefinite), Stuart Dew (quad, 1-2) and Mark Williams (knee, 6-8) but could regain Clint Young (hip) and Brent Renouf (ankle) who will both be tested. Garry Moss (knee) is still 4-6 weeks away while youngsters Jarryd Morton (patellar tendon) and Brendan Whitecross (knee) will be put through their paces in the lead-up to the match.
FORM: After starting the season 3-3, the Western Bulldogs have become one of the form teams of the competition and now sit in third position on the ladder. They've won six of their past seven matches by an average of just under 44 points, and their only defeat in that period was to Geelong when Brad Johnson missed a shot for goal on the siren that would have handed them victory.
As for Hawthorn, it's been a case of two steps forward, three steps back this season. Every time the Hawks' stuttering premiership defence has shown faint signs of recovery, it hasn't taken long before they've found themselves back at square one. At 6-7 they could become the first team in a decade to miss the finals a year after winning the flag.
WHO'S HOT: Bulldogs on-baller Matthew Boyd is having yet another stellar season in the midfield and the late-bloomer is fast-becoming one of the great rookie-list success stories. The 26-year-old has played every game this year and, with an average of 27 disposals a match, is now one of the Doggies' most dangerous weapons in a star-studded engine room containing Cooney, Cross, Griffen and Higgins.
Hawthorn skipper Sam Mitchell has bounced back from an indifferent start to the season to be one of his team's best players this year. He has averaged 29 touches across 13 games and produced arguably his best effort last week with 40 disposals and a goal against West Coast.
WE THINK: After countless missed chances to get its season back on track, there is no more room for error for the Hawks. Saturday night presents the first obstacle in a treacherous run home to a potential finals berth that sees Hawthorn meet six top-eight sides in the last nine rounds. And unfortunately for the Hawks, their next opponent just so happens to be the hottest team in the competition behind Geelong and St Kilda. The Bulldogs weren't flash against North Melbourne last week, but their last two months have been nothing short of scintillating. They've got their devastating run-and-carry game style in full swing, and after losing their first three matches at Etihad Stadium this year, will be primed to exploit the notoriously fast track at Docklands which could equate to a mortal wound for Hawthorn's season. We all know the Hawks have the talent, but the hunger, passion and desire in which its 2008 triumph was built on has deserted them this year. They will require a dramatic turnaround in attitude this week to trump the more-fancied Dogs, but whether it will materialise is another story. Don't count on it. Western Bulldogs by 21 points.