Friday night footy brings another blockbuster clash to GMHBA Stadium, with the Cats set to face the Western Bulldogs in an early season test for two teams with premiership aspirations in 2026.
The Bulldogs made an exceptional start to the year winning their first four matches, but off the back of some injury concerns they were comfortably beaten by Hawthorn at Gather Round.
There will be a big watch on team selection this week to see who is named for the visitors, with the likes of Tom Liberatore and Ed Richards a chance to make the trip down the highway on Friday.
The Bulldogs have also found success at GMHBA Stadium in recent history, having won two of their last three matches at the venue after not registering a victory for two decades prior to that.
With superstars on every line and some of the game's best players set to go head to head, check out the top aspects of the Bulldogs' game, proudly presented by Deakin University.
2026 Ladder
Geelong: 8th (3-2)
Western Bulldogs: 4th (4-1)
Recent Games
2025, Round 11 - Geelong 20.7 (127) def Western Bulldogs 16.17 (113)
2024, Round 19 - Geelong 7.6 (48) def. by Western Bulldogs 13.17 (95)
2024, Round 4 - Western Bulldogs 14.7 (91) def. by Geelong 14.11 (95)
Deakin Performance Stat of the Week
Controlling the Centre Clearances
The Western Bulldogs are strong across all lines, they do not have a clear weakness and there are star players littered throughout their starting line-up.
But if there was one area that they particularly excel in, it is through the midfield with one of the most dominant on-ball divisions in the game.
So far in 2026, the Bulldogs rank first in the AFL for centre clearances (16.2 per game), while also sitting eighth for stoppage clearances.
Even in their loss to Hawthorn last week, they still won the centre clearance battle 15-9 which has proven to be pivotal in sparking scoring opportunities this year.
Geelong have been solid this year too ranking fourth in the competition for centre clearances, but the Bulldogs have bested them in that area in the last two clashes, including 2025 (20-10) and 2024 (13-8).
Currently they have three players, Marcus Bontempelli, Matt Kennedy and Ed Richards that rank in the top 15 players for centre clearances this year, meaning Geelong's midfield unit will need to be on their game to nullify their impact on Friday.
Stopping the Bont
Even from an opposition standpoint, you have to marvel at what Marcus Bontempelli has been able to do in his career.
The star Dog has been among the games best players for a long period of time, his output never wavering as he consistently impacts in and around the contest, while still pushing forward to be impactful.
He unsurprisingly got off to an incredible start in 2026, kicking eight goals and averaging nearly 30 disposals per game across the opening month of the season.
But Hawthorn found an answer for Bontempelli last week, restricting him to 26 disposals at just 46% efficiency and no scoreboard impact, perhaps providing a blueprint for Geelong this weekend.
Bontempelli has received Brownlow votes in two of his last four clashes with Geelong, with his impact on Friday night's game set to be pivotal one way or the other, so keep an eye on which Cat gets the big job.
Limiting their defensive transition
With their plethora of excellent players, the Bulldogs have the ability to score from any area of the ground.
But they are the best team in the competition on transition from defence to forward 50, and it is not even close.
To this point in 2026, the Bulldogs rank first in the AFL for points scored from kick ins with an average of 12.4 per game, well clear of the next best team which is West Coast with an average of 7.8.
They also sit top of the competition for the proportion of transition chains that start in defensive 50 and result in a score, able to slingshot the footy from one end of the ground to the other with relative ease.
