# 2009 Western Bulldogs season

The 2009 Western Bulldogs season was the club's 84th since their introduction to the AFL in 1925.

## Season summary

The Western Bulldogs were coming off their most successful season in 10 years by making the preliminary final in 2008 and finished 3rd overall in 2009.
The club's only first round pick in the 2009 AFL Draft was at 15, and with it the Bulldogs selected Glenelg midfielder Christian Howard.

## Fixtures

The bulldogs made two trips to Western Australia in the first four rounds, and then played three games at the MCG. They went on to also play a home game in Canberra against Sydney and a home game in Darwin against Port Adelaide.

### The NAB Cup

* Round 1 13 February 2009 8:40pm Local
| Western Bulldogs | 1.8.12 (69) - 1.8.13 (70) | Essendon Football Club |
| Goals: | | Goals: |
* Telstra Dome, Melbourne Attendance: 35,123
ladder position = -

### Regular season

* Round 1 29 March 2009 6:10pm Local
| Fremantle | 13.16 (94) - 25.7 (157) | Western Bulldogs |
| Goals: Brett Peake 3, Michael Johnson 2, Stephen Hill, Rhys Palmer, Matthew Pavlich, Byron Schammer, Luke McPharlin, Ryan Murphy, Nic Suban | | Goals: Mitch Hahn 5, Ryan Griffen 3, Lindsay Gilbee 3, Nathan Eagleton 3, Shaun Higgins 2, Jason Akermanis 2, Daniel Giansiracusa 2, Dylan Addison, Adam Cooney, Matthew Boyd, Daniel Cross, Callan Ward |
* Subiaco Oval, Perth Attendance: 34,634
ladder position = 2
* Round 2 5 April 2009 2:10pm Local
| Western Bulldogs | 11.14 (80) - 9.11 (65) | North Melbourne Football Club |
| Goals: Johnson 3, Hill 3, Giansiracusa, Minson, Addison, Griffen, Gilbee | | Goals: Campbell 2, Thomas 2, Simpson, Wells, Swallow, Hale, McIntosh |
* MCG, Melbourne Attendance: 34,466
ladder position = 2
* Round 3 13 April 2009 2:10pm Local
| Western Bulldogs | 16.14 (110) - 8.15 (63) | Richmond Football Club |
| Goals: Akermanis 4, Higgins 2, Johnson 2, Giansiracusa 2, Gilbee, Hill, Hahn, Minson, Morris, Cooney | | Goals: White 2, Foley, Riewoldt, Richardson, Brown, Morton, Tuck |
* Docklands Stadium, Melbourne Attendance: 46,261
ladder position = 2
* Round 4 19 April 2009 2:10pm Local
| West Coast Eagles | 17.14 (116) - 12.11 (83) | Western Bulldogs |
| Goals: Hunter, Lynch 3, LeCras, McKinley 2, Embley, Hansen, Kerr, Rosa, Selwood, Staker, Wirrpanda | | Goals: Higgins 4, Boyd 2, Gilbee, Griffen, Hill, Johnson, Lake, Ward |
* Subiaco Oval, Perth Attendance: 37,758
ladder position = 3
* Round 5 26 April 2009 2:10pm Local
| Western Bulldogs | 13.12 (90) - 21.7 (133) | Carlton Football Club |
| Goals: Johnson 4, Giansiracusa 2, Boyd 2, Hill, Griffen, Picken, Higgins, Hahn | | Goals: Fevola 3, Betts 3, Kreuzer 2, Simpson 2, Russell 2, Cloke 2, Houlihan 2, Waite, Murphy, O'hAilpin, Carrazzo, Gibbs |
* Docklands Stadium, Melbourne Attendance: 44,268
ladder position = 5
* Round 6 3 May 2009 2:10pm Local
| Western Bulldogs | 11.10 (76) - 14.20 (104) | St Kilda Football Club |
| Goals: Hill 3, Akermanis 2, Minson 2, Griffin, Gilbee, Higgins, Eagleton, | | Goals: Riewodlt 4, Schneider 3, Goddard, Gardiner, Dal Santo, McQualter, Gram, Koschitzke, Gwilt |
* Docklands Stadium, Melbourne Attendance: 36,302
ladder position = 6
* Round 7 10 May 2009 01:10pm Local
| Adelaide Football Club | 12.14 (86) - 17.16 (118) | Western Bulldogs |
| Goals: Walker 4, Knights 3, Porplyzia 2, Goodwin, Tippett, Edwards | | Goals: Murphy 4, Akermanis 3, Eagleton 2, Hill 2, Johnson, Gilbee, Cooney, Giansiracusa, Minson, Hahn |
* AAMI Stadium, Adelaide Attendance: 31,742
ladder position = 3
* Round 8 16 May 2009 02:10pm Local
| Melbourne Football Club | 15.7 (97) - 15.14 (104) | Western Bulldogs |
| Goals: Bate 4, Robertson 3, Maric 2, Jones, Davey, McLean, Sylvia, Valenti, Pettard | | Goals: Akermanis 4, Welsh 3, Gilbee 2, Johnson, Murphy, Addison, Hahn, Cooney, Boyd |
* MCG, Melbourne Attendance: 28,279
ladder position = 3
* Round 9 22 May 2009 07:40pm Local
| Geelong Football Club | 17.14 (116) - 17.12 (114) | Western Bulldogs |
| Goals: Johnson 5, Stokes 4, Chapman 3, Selwood, Bartel, Varcoe, Gamble, Rooke, | | Goals: Akermanis 4, Johnson 4, Griffin 2, Giansiracusa 2, Eagleton, Minson, Hill, Picken, Cooney |
* Docklands Stadium, Melbourne Attendance: 44,620
ladder position = 3
* Round 10 30 May 2009 02:10pm Local
| Western Bulldogs | 18.9 (117) - 12.5 (77) | Sydney Swans |
| Goals: Welsh 4, Giansiracusa 3, Hahn 3, Ward 3, Cooney 2, Harbrow, Higgins, Boyd | | Goals: Hall 6, Goodes 2, Malceski, Ablett, Jack, J Bolton |
* Manuka Oval, Canberra Attendance: 12,457
ladder position = 3
* Round 11 5 June 2009 07:40pm Local
| Richmond Football Club | 14.5 (89) - 24.13 (157) | Western Bulldogs |
| Goals: Morton 3, Riewoldt 3, Pattison 2, Tuck 2, McMahon, Collins, Polo, Deledio | | Goals: Hill 4, Higgins 3, Picken 2, Hahn 2, Giansiracusa 2, Johnson 2, Gilbee 2, Ward, Akermanis, Boyd, Hargrave, Griffen, Cooney, Eagleton |
* Docklands Stadium, Melbourne Attendance: 36,483
ladder position = 3
* Round 12 13 June 2009 06:40pm Local
| Western Bulldogs | 21.11 (137) - 7.2 (44) | Port Adelaide Football Club |
| Goals: Hill 3, Johnson 3, Minson 3, Giansiracusa 2, Hahn 2, Gilbee, Griffen, Picken, Akermanis, Boyd, Ward, Hudson, Higgins | | Goals: Ebert 2, D. Motlop, Rodan, Tredrea, J. Westhoff, Cassisi |
* TIO Stadium, Darwin Attendance: 12,457
ladder position = 3
* Round 13 28 June 2009 02:10pm Local
| North Melbourne Football Club | 12.14 (86) - 17.6 (108) | Western Bulldogs |
| Goals: Petrie 3, Harding 3, Garlett, Swallow, Hansen, McIntosh, Jones, Hale | | Goals: Giansiracusa 3, Welsh 2, Higgins 2, Akermanis 2, Hill 2, Eagleton 2, Ward, Gilbee, Hahn, Cross |
* MCG, Melbourne Attendance: 31,470
ladder position = 3
* Round 14 4 July 2009 7:10pm Local
| Western Bulldogs | 19.19 (133) - 6.9 (45) | Hawthorn Football Club |
| Goals: Johnson 3, Welsh 3, Higgins 3, Akermanis 2, Hill 2, Boyd 2, Gilbee, Hahn, Griffen, Minson | | Goals: Lewis 3, Roughead 2, Ladson |
* Docklands Stadium, Melbourne Attendance: 36,827
ladder position = 3

## Ladder

2009 AFL ladder :
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts | |
| 1 | St Kilda | 22 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 2197 | 1411 | 155.7 | 80 | Finals series |
| 2 | Geelong (P) | 22 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 2312 | 1815 | 127.4 | 72 | Finals series |
| 3 | Western Bulldogs | 22 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 2378 | 1940 | 122.6 | 60 | Finals series |
| 4 | Collingwood | 22 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 2174 | 1778 | 122.3 | 60 | Finals series |
| 5 | Adelaide | 22 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 2104 | 1789 | 117.6 | 56 | Finals series |
| 6 | Brisbane Lions | 22 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 2017 | 1890 | 106.7 | 54 | Finals series |
| 7 | Carlton | 22 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 2270 | 2055 | 110.5 | 52 | Finals series |
| 8 | Essendon | 22 | 10 | 11 | 1 | 2080 | 2127 | 97.8 | 42 | Finals series |
| 9 | Hawthorn | 22 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 1962 | 2120 | 92.5 | 36 | |
| 10 | Port Adelaide | 22 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 1990 | 2244 | 88.7 | 36 | |
| 11 | West Coast | 22 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 1893 | 2029 | 93.3 | 32 | |
| 12 | Sydney | 22 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 1888 | 2027 | 93.1 | 32 | |
| 13 | North Melbourne | 22 | 7 | 14 | 1 | 1680 | 2015 | 83.4 | 30 | |
| 14 | Fremantle | 22 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 1747 | 2259 | 77.3 | 24 | |
| 15 | Richmond | 22 | 5 | 16 | 1 | 1774 | 2388 | 74.3 | 22 | |
| 16 | Melbourne | 22 | 4 | 18 | 0 | 1706 | 2285 | 74.7 | 16 | |