The Western Bulldogs love the contested ball, ranking 3rd in the AFL in that category (1966). Matthew Boyd has won 170 of those which is 8th in the competition.
The Dogs are 2nd for hard-ball-gets (811). Tom Liberatore (76) and Boyd (71) lead the way in that category.
Fremantle are 7th in contested possessions (1898) and 6th in hard-ball-gets (774).
Boyd by their captain
As mentioned above, Bulldogs’ captain Matthew Boyd is an integral component of the side. He has a brilliant recent record against Freo.
He dominated the midfield in both games against Fremantle in 2011.
In round 5 at Patersons Stadium, Boyd had 45 disposals and seven tackles in a thrilling Fremantle win.
He repeated the dose later in the season, collecting 35 touches, 11 marks and seven tackles in a big Doggies win at Etihad Stadium.
Out of form
The Dogs have lost three of their past four matches by an average of 78 points. In that time they have ranked 18th in the AFL for effective disposals.
