The luckless Bulldogs have had personnel problems for several weeks, due to injury and unavailability, but will be hoping that this weekend’s round 14 match with bottom team Violet Town answers its prayers.
It is by no means a done deal though, despite the Bulldogs being three spots above the Towners on the ladder, with Merrigum winning by only two points in the meeting between the teams in round one.
Merrigum came from behind to win the match on the back of six goals from coach Jaydon Stiles and great midfield contributions by Jarryd Pertzel, Connor Cowley and Josh Stiles.
None of those three players were part of the team that took on Murchison-Toolamba on Saturday, the Bulldogs giving up 11 goals in the second quarter to trail by 87 points at half time.
Merrigum didn’t trouble the scorers in either the second or third quarters, kicking all four of its goals in the first and last, as Jaydon Stiles was again its only productive forward — taking his season’s tally to 36 goals with three majors.
Murchison-Toolamba was the third club to kick more than 20 goals against the Bulldogs in successive weeks — Shepparton East allowing the Bulldogs just one scoring shot in round 11, then Stanhope kicking 20 goals the following week.
The Bulldogs’ defence has struggled against the top teams, Lancaster kicking 20 goals in round five and Nagambie 29 goals in round three.
The focus, however, will be on this weekend’s match with Violet Town. The Towners lost to Undera by just 11 points at the weekend, a significant improvement on the 161-point loss a week earlier to the rampaging Murchison-Toolamba.
James Lloyd, who kicked eight against the Bulldogs on Saturday, kicked 11 goals in that game. Earlier this season he kicked 10 goals against Tallygaroopna.
Violet Town has lost by 157 points to Stanhope, 98 points to Lancaster, 96 points to Longwood, 102 points to Nagambie and 147 points to Avenel.
The Merrigum match in round one is as close as it has come to victory.
Jordan Easton was again the Bulldogs’ best player, while best-and-fairest favourite and captain Zak Parkinson continued his consistent form.
After the Violet Town match, Merrigum meets Dookie United and then Shepparton East, for the second time in a five-week period, in the final round.
