Key posts
No late changes as De Goey returns
Both sides have confirmed there are no last-minute personnel changes.
That means Jordan de Goey will line up in his first match since his three-week suspension for a bump on West Coast youngster Elijah Hewett. A scary prospect for the Bulldogs, considering the Pies scored a breezy 120 points last week.
Brayden Maynard (shoulder) was already listed to miss this game injured alongside Brody Mihocek (hamstring).
The Dogs make just one change from last week, with Ed Richards in for the injured Mitch Hannan. Ryan Gardner plays his 50th game.
Trent Bianco is Collingwood’s substitute and Anthony Scott is the Bulldogs’.
Collingwood big favourites
Our expert tippers are very much in favour of the Pies tonight.
Just one – chief sports columnist Greg Baum – thinks the Bulldogs will get up. He is a wise man, and is sitting fifth in our tipping mini-league, so don’t rule it out.
Collingwood come into tonight on the back of a monstrous win against Gold Coast, while the Bulldogs saw off Fremantle at Marvel Stadium. This is the first time the Pies and Dogs come up against each other this season.
It’s too late to change your tips this week, but in case you’re interested in what our experts have predicted, you can check it out here.
What this means for both sides
It’s a showdown between two top-eight sides: Collingwood are sitting pretty atop the ladder while the Bulldogs are currently in sixth, well in the battle for the top four.
Our reporter Peter Ryan ran the rule over each team’s run-in to September, and Collingwood have one of the breeziest.
“Collingwood have just one game outside Melbourne – a blockbuster against Port Adelaide – and can afford to drop a match or two in the run home and still finish first or second. It’s all about managing players’ workloads from here for the Magpies,” he wrote.
For the Bulldogs, Peter says they have an up and down draw with a final-round clash against the Cats in Geelong.
“If they are a genuine top-four team, they will win six of their remaining eight matches and push ahead of the Saints to challenge Melbourne for a top-four spot.”
Read Peter’s rundown of every team in with a shout of the top eight.
Good evening
Hello all, I hope you’ve had a great week.
Welcome to our live blog of the match between the Western Bulldogs and Collingwood. Proceedings get under way at 7.50pm at Marvel Stadium.
Follow along as we bring you updates on all the goals and highlights.