The Western Bulldogs are the team to beat in the AFL when they clash against Melbourne Demons at Marvel Stadium on a blockbuster Friday night.
Luke Beveridge's side has won five of their past six games and has subsequently risen up the ladder into the top eight with a very good percentage.
Perhaps their biggest victory on this run came away from home last weekend against the table-toppers, the Sydney Swans. A fantastic 1-35 first quarter put them in prime position to seal their 39-point triumph.
Meanwhile, Melbourne finds themselves precarious in a very position on the ladder needing you think at least three wins from their final four matches, making this practically a must-win encounter.
The Demons currently sit 11th and have the worst percentage of any side above them on the ladder (excluding Essendon, who have the draw).
Their form suggests that it is a lost cause with back-to-back defeats against Fremantle (50 points) & GWS (two points) causing two major blows. Despite heading into quarter-time with a 27-point advantage, Simon Goodwin's men couldn't pull through.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch Melbourne vs GWS Giants in the AFL, plus plenty more.
Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne date and start time
| Date | Friday, August 2, 2024 |
| Start time | 7:15pm AEST/ 6:45pm ACST/ 5:15pm AWST |
| Venue | Marvel Stadium |
| Location | Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria |
How to watch Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne on TV & stream live online
There are several options to watch the Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne AFL game in Australia, including Network Seven, Foxtel, Foxtel from Telstra, and Kayo Sports.
The best way to livestream the aforementioned AFL game is through Kayo with a seven-day free trial. It also does not have a lock-in contract or equipment fees, which means you can cancel anytime if you are no longer using it.
All you need to decide is whether you want to pick Kayo One at $25 per month (1 stream and up to HD), or Kayo Basic at $35 per month (2 streams and up to 4K).
What channel is Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne game on?
The game will be broadcast live on 7mate and Channel 7 on free-to-air TV and will be available to watch Fox Footy on pay TV. Triple M, ABC and AFL Nation will provide the radio coverage.
Streaming the game with a VPN
- Overview of VPN services that allow access to geo-restricted streams
- How to set up and use a VPN service to stream the match
You can watch the game from wherever you are in the world by using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) service such as NordVPN/ ExpressVPN. A VPN will allow you to create a secure connection online when you are abroad on holiday or for work and you want to stream the game live.
If you are not sure which VPN to use or how to use a VPN, we have taken a look at the best options available out there for watching live sports - check out the best VPN services review here.
Here’s an easy step-by-step guide on how to use a VPN to watch a game when you are overseas:
- Install VPN of your choice - see our reviews here for the best options.
- Select the location you wish to connect to. This is easy - if you are visiting the UK and you wish to continue watching one of your U.S. streaming services, you would select the US.
- Grab the popcorn and get ready to watch!
Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne team news
Western Bulldogs
The Bulldogs are getting healthier at the perfect time of year. James O'Donnell might return this week after missing a month with a hamstring issue.
Anthony Scott sustained another concussion and will likely miss the remainder of the regular season.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Rucks | Smith, English |
| Defenders | Busslinger, Coffield, O'Donnell, Khamis, Keath, Gardner, Duryea, Richards, Bramble, Dale, Cleary, Johannisen |
| Midfielders | Treloar, Bontempelli, Smith, Sanders, Macrae, Gallagher, Baker, Vandermeer, Poulter, McNeil, Williams |
| Forwards | Weightman, Clarke, West, Harmes, Jones, Bedendo, Freijah, Scott, Jones, Arthur, Naughton, Daniel, O'Driscoll, Garcia, Ugle-Hagan, Lobb, Darcy, Croft |
Melbourne Demons
Caleb Windsor had a low-grade syndesmosis injury and will be out indefinitely.
Koltyn Tholstrup must clear the concussion protocol if he is to play on Friday. Christian Salem (hamstring) is eyeing a return in round 22, while Jed Adams (lung) is available to play this weekend.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Rucks | Soldo, Sweet, Ratugolea, Visentini |
| Defenders | Burton, McKenzie, Clurey, Aliir, Zerk-Thatcher, McCallum, Marshall, Houston, Farrell, Burgoyne, Williams, L. Jones |
| Midfielders | Rozee, Sinn, Butters, Boak, Bergman, Wines, Charleson, Drew, Lorenz, Jackson, Mead |
| Forwards | Marshall, Finlayson, Lord, Scully, Walsh, Powell-Pepper, Riolli, Horne-Francis, Georgiades, Dixon, Anastasopoulos, Evans, Scully, Byrne-Jones, McEntee, Narkle |
Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne Form
Western Bulldogs: WLWWW
| Round | Match |
|---|---|
| R20 | Sydney 48-87 Western Bulldogs |
| R19 | Geelong 48-95 Western Bulldogs |
| R18 | Western Bulldogs 100-86 Carlton |
| R17 | Port Adelaide 102-54 Western Bulldogs |
| R16 | North Melbourne 60-77 Western Bulldogs |
Melbourne: LWWLL
| Round | Match |
|---|---|
| R20 | Melbourne 83-85 GWS |
| R19 | Fremantle 116-66 Melbourne |
| R18 | Melbourne 84-67 Essendon |
| R17 | Melbourne 112-58 West Coast |
| R16 | Brisbane 86-81 Melbourne |
Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne Head-to-Head Results
| Year | Match |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Demons 109-64 Bulldogs |
| 2023 | Demons 115-65 Bulldogs |
| 2022 | Bulldogs 110-100 Demons |
| 2022 | Demons 97-71 Bulldogs |
| 2021 | Demons 140-66 Bulldogs |