PLAN A

IT DOESN'T get any simpler than this: belt the hell out of them in the first quarter. It hasn't been our best quarter this year but the Bulldogs are vulnerable. They lack confidence and all the key indicators that made them so formidable in the first half of the year have dropped off. They identified they had to be harder from 2007. Up to round 13 they were No.1 or No.2 in contested possession. Since then they have faltered. Our win over the Kangaroos sits us with finals stats of first in contested possession, hard ball gets and clearances. Add to that, No.1 in centre bounce clearances. The Bulldogs will want to come to play.

PLAN B

SLOW the game, cause stoppages. Any time that the Bulldogs get two unanswered goals play possession football. We don't want a shootout. Identify those who don't hurt you. Of the Bulldogs midfielders Daniel Cross, Farren Ray and Matthew Boyd don't penetrate. Put your time into Adam Cooney, Ryan Griffin, Daniel Giansiracusa and Nathan Eagleton.

DANGER MEN

COONEY hates a hard tag. Bump hard any time he pushes forward. He can rip you apart if allowed freedom. Griffin. Other than Lindsay Gilbee, the only defender who rebounds from half-back. Try to get a match-up that makes him defend. Giansiracusa might start on the bench but don't be fooled. Set a player for him. He is the player that gets out of the loop. Last week in a losing side he had 25 possessions plus he kicked 2.2.

KEY MATCH-UPS

WE ARE happy with Brian Lake on Barry Hall. Give him space, let Hall intimidate and then go to school.
Luke Ablett v Cooney. Touch him, annoy him, block him all we want is a nil-all draw.
Ted Richards v Scott Welsh. Welsh didn't score last week and the Bulldogs lost. We know the obvious forward threat that Welsh is, keep him out and they don't score.

WILDCARDS

Peter Everitt: If he plays, he must give a more competitive account of himself against Ben Hudson and Will Minson. Win or lose this bloke is playing for survival.

Adam Goodes: Does he turn up to play? As a forward or midfielder his impact is crucial to the result.

WHY WE WILL WIN

BECAUSE we have our belief back and the Bulldogs are vulnerable. We got back to our hard-nosed best last week. No.1 in all facets that the Bulldogs are weak in. We will shut out there stars. Our forward line is functioning better and we know we can hold and match-up better against there unorthodox forward line.

SYDNEY BY NUMBERS

Ryan O'Keefe took five contested marks last week against the Kangaroos, the most of any player last week.
Brett Kirk ranked ninth in hard-ball gets during the home and away season.
Darren Jolly gave away the equal fifth most free kicks during the home and away season.
Luke Ablett was been involved in 140 interchanges in the home and away season, the equal fifth most of any player in the AFL.
Jude Bolton laid 10 tackles last week again st the Kangaroos, the equal most of any player last week.
Leo Barry gave away the most free kicks for holding the man during the home and away season.