Shootout....

Eade predicts 50-goal spree in Dons game
The Age
Andrea Petrie | July 15, 2009

A FAST-PACED, free-flowing and high-scoring game is what the coaches of the AFL's two quickest sides — the Western Bulldogs and Essendon — expect when they play on Friday night.

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said in the wake of the one-point loss to Collingwood, his players were "back on the horse" and looking forward to meeting the in-form Bombers.

"It will be a high-scoring game, I think both sides will take the game on," Eade said yesterday. "Both teams have got some very talented players, both teams rely on quick ball movement, so there will be a lot of that. Both teams will play to their strengths and we probably could end up with maybe a 25-goal-a-side game."

While there would be a focus on shutting down key players such as Matthew Lloyd and Scott Lucas, Eade said there would be more emphasis on letting the Bulldogs play their own game.

"It's like when you play Geelong you can't go and tag every player. You've got to be able to back your own strengths at the same time."

Coming off a 35-point win against Sydney, Essendon coach Matthew Knights said he expected a "fairly quick up-tempo game".

He said beating the Swans was a good achievement but "you look across the Bulldogs' line-up and they've got class on every line".