as we gear up for Friday night's electrifying clash between the Western bulldogs and hawor at the MCG it's hard to ignore the drama and intensity that's about to unfold this elimination final promises to be a thrilling spectacle especially considering the contrasting journeys of these two teams who would have predicted this matchup at the start of the season the Western bulldogs and haon to sides that endured tumultuous Beginnings have searched into the finals with impressive form haon under Sam Mitchell's guidance seemed lost after a dismal 05 start however they've stoned back with a vengeance winning 14 of their last 18 games to secure a final spot for the first time since 2018 on the other side the Bulldogs who also faced their share of early season struggles have found their Rhythm at the perfect time making them famili opponents it's worth noting that these teams haven't faced off in a final since the Bulldogs remarkable 2016 campaign in their last two meetings the Hawks have narrowly edged out the Bulldogs by a combined 10 points with such Close Encounters it's clear that this Clash will be a tightly contested Affair both teams have the potential to make a significant impact on the Premiership race despite not finishing in the top four the winner of this match will advance to face the loser of the port adelade gong fixture team news reveals some key changes James H returns for the Bulldogs while Arthur Jones makes way for haon Ward is back but cam McKenzie will miss out due to a hamstring issue looking back at their previous encounter in round eight haon edged out the Bulldogs 14.14 that is 98 to 14.7 that is 91 at Marvel Stadium the game was a roller coaster with Hon's Captain James Sicily kicking the decisive goal despite a dislocated shoulder the Bulldogs had their chances including a missed shot by Jamaal AG heun that hit the behind post Hon's win punctuated by a dubut goal from Cala deer and a head knock to Tom Liberator left the Bulldogs questioning their Seasons prospects statistically the Bulldogs are defensive Powerhouse conceding just 75.5 points per game the lowest in the competition they excel in scoring from forward 50 stoppages and turnovers and they're strong in transitioning from defensive to attacking zones however their Ruck performance has been lacking ranking second last for hit outs and hit outs to Advantage haon strength lies in their scoring ability since round eight they've averaged 101 points per game with that number jumping to 25.3 points per game since Round 19 they lead the league in ground ball differential but are weak in pressure rating and tackling for the Bulldogs Adam trello's Fitness will be crucial the veteran midfielder who has been battling a CF issue is a key player for the Bulldogs especially after his standout all Australian season meanwhile Hawthorne's backline will face a tough challenge against the Bulldogs tall forwards like Sam dassi Jamal Ag heagan and Aaron Norton who have been in Sensational form recently as for a prediction it's a tough call given both teams recent form with showers expected the game might turn into a Midfield battle the Bulldogs solid defense and attacking prowers might just give them the edge I'm picking the Bulldogs to win by 16 points but with the stakes so high and both teams in excellent form it's set to be a Neil biting encounter stay subscribed for more videos