Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs named their final teams for Friday night’s Hawthorn vs Bulldogs clash at the MCG, with Cody Weightman back for his first game since the 2024 elimination final. Jack Gunston was sidelined for Hawthorn, Lachie Jaques was dropped by the Bulldogs and Bodie Ryan was recalled as both sides settled on lineups for the 7.40pm AEST match.
The timing mattered because the game sat squarely in the fight for the upper reaches of the ladder. Hawthorn arrived having won its past two matches, including a first-half shutout of St Kilda, while the Bulldogs came in with revived form after winning three of their past four games, all by under a kick, and beating Collingwood in their latest win.
Hawthorn’s recent record against the Bulldogs gave the home side another layer of confidence. The Hawks had won five consecutive games against the same opponent, but the Bulldogs had found ways to survive tight finishes and were carrying that edge into a run that also includes upcoming matches against the Hawks, Crows, Saints and Swans, with a bye also in the mix.
That is what made the final teams more than a list of changes. Weightman’s return gave the Bulldogs a player who had not been seen since the 2024 elimination final, while Hawthorn had to cover the loss of Gunston as it tried to keep pace near the top four. The result at the MCG would not settle the ladder race, but it would tell a lot about which side could hold its nerve when the margin mattered most.
