Hawthorn Hawks vs Western Bulldogs AFL Round 13 Tips - Hawks to edge past Bulldogs in a close one on Friday night

Adam Cusworth

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Last updated: Tue 02 Jun 2026 05:03

Adam Cusworth 1 hour ago

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The game will be played at MCG on Friday, 5th June, with the bounce at 7:40 PM (AEST)
Can the Dogs snap losing streak in matches against Hawthorn
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Hawthorn Hawks vs Western Bulldogs, Round 13 2026 - Expert Prediction

Hawthorn Hawks vs Western Bulldogs, Round 13 2026 - Expert Prediction
Head to Head Stats
Hawthorn Hawks Form Analysis
Western Bulldogs Form Analysis
Hawthorn Hawks vs Western Bulldogs Team List & News
Hawthorn Hawks Team News
Western Bulldogs Team News
Hawthorn Hawks vs Western Bulldogs AFL 2026 Round 13 FAQ’s

The Thursday night match between Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs shapes as a beauty, with the Hawks set to get up in a close one at the MCG.

The two sides met as recently as Gather Round and Hawthorn were dominant that night with a 40-point win at the Adelaide Oval.

But it will be a different Bulldogs outfit that we saw that night, with Tim English back in the side, while the Dogs have rediscovered their bark with two recent wins.

They come in with a 7-5 win-loss record, while Hawthorn are 8-3 and a draw.

The Bulldogs look capable of getting on top around the stoppages. The return of English has given them a significant boost and their midfield brigade of Marcus Bontempelli, Ed Richards, Matthew Kennedy and Ryley Sanders is in excellent form. They dominated the centre clearances 19-10 against Collingwood and will back themselves to generate plenty of forward opportunities again.

The challenge for the Bulldogs will be finding a way around Hawthorn's intercept and transition game. Hawthorn's full-ground press has become one of the most effective weapons in the competition, forcing opposition turnovers and creating repeat forward entries. The Hawks were able to completely shut down St Kilda for an entire half of football last weekend and continue to punish teams once they win the ball back in dangerous areas.

While the Bulldogs can match Hawthorn through the midfield, the Hawks appear to have slightly more avenues to goal. Jack Gunston has 11 goals in his past two matches since returning from injury, Nick Watson continues to provide constant scoreboard pressure, while Mitch Lewis and Mabior Chol give Hawthorn multiple aerial threats inside 50. The Hawks' forward line is arguably stronger now than when the two sides met earlier in the season and presents a difficult matchup for the Bulldogs defence.

Will Day should also be better for the run after returning on managed minutes last week. With opposition attention often directed elsewhere through the midfield, Jai Newcombe looms as a player who can get off the leash. He has enjoyed success against the Bulldogs in recent seasons and should benefit from Day spending more time around the contest.

The Bulldogs are capable of making this a genuine midfield battle and should have success around the stoppages, but Hawthorn's ability to intercept behind the ball, transition quickly and score through multiple avenues gives them the edge. Nick Watson has kicked 2+ goals in seven straight matches and looks well placed to continue that streak, while Newcombe can continue his strong record against the Dogs.

Expect the Bulldogs to challenge strongly, but Hawthorn's system and attacking depth should prove the difference in a high-quality contest.

Hawthorn by 1-39.

Hawthorn have won the past five matches against the Bulldogs and were 40-point winners when the two sides met earlier this season.
Tim English was absent the last time the two sides met and the Dogs are 6-1 this season when he has played.
Nick Watson has kicked 30 goals this season.
Jai Newcombe has had 25+ disposals in his past three matches against the Bulldogs.

Head to Head Stats

Hawthorn have won their past five matches against the Western Bulldogs and the two sides have already met once in 2026 with the Hawks scoring by 40 points during Gather Round at the Adelaide Oval. They were 37-point winners in the most recent meeting between the two sides at the MCG, with that coming in the 2024 Elimination Final.

Standout player performances in the recent head to heads have come from:

Jai Newcombe (Hawks) – 25+ disposals in his past three matches against the Dogs.
Mitch Lewis (Hawks) and Jack Gunston (Hawks) – three goals each in the most recent head to head.
Aaron Naughton (Dogs) – 16 goals in his past eight matches against the Hawks.

Hawthorn Hawks Form Analysis

After a mini slump that saw them draw against Collingwood, then lose to Fremantle and Melbourne, the Hawks have responded with wins over Adelaide by nine points and St Kilda by 52.

They held the Saints to no goals in the first half and the win was set up by Jack Gunston early on with five goals, while Blake Hardwick was swung forward in the last quarter and kicked four. James Sicily was the Hawks' best with 33 disposals, while Cam Mackenzie had a breakout game with 29 of his own.

Nick Watson kicked another two goals and has registered 2+ in each of his past seven matches, while Gunston has kicked 11 goals in his past two and has bags of 5+ in three of his past four. Karl Amon has had 25+ disposals in four of his past six matches and comes off 24 last weekend.

Western Bulldogs Form Analysis

The Bulldogs flew out of the blocks in 2026 with four straight wins before injuries began to take their toll, leading to a four-game losing streak. But they have bounced back since then by winning three of their past four.

The past two have been by four points or less but have come against quality opposition in Melbourne and Collingwood. Last weekend they held off a fast-finishing Magpies outfit by four points.

Tim English returned and when the big ruckman has played this season, the Dogs have won six of seven, with their only defeat in that period coming by just 12 points against the ladder leaders, Fremantle.

A pleasing sign for the Bulldogs was the spread of contributors in the win over Collingwood, with Bailey Dale, Matthew Kennedy and Ryley Sanders all picking up over 25 disposals, while Ed Richards had 24 and two goals. Sanders has had 25+ in his past nine matches and has gone 30+ in two of his past four. Aaron Naughton kicked just one goal against the Magpies but had registered 2+ in the four matches prior.

Hawthorn Hawks vs Western Bulldogs Team List & News

to be updated after team selection on Thursday

Hawthorn Hawks Team News

Will Day returned to the senior side last week on managed minutes and had 18 disposals from just over 60% game time as the Hawks escaped unscathed on the injury front. Conor Nash was a late withdrawal with neck soreness but is expected to be available. The Hawks have most of their squad available, with Tom Barrass a chance to return from a hamstring injury.

Western Bulldogs Team News

No injuries for the Bulldogs to come out of the Collingwood win. Sam Davidson and Harvey Gallagher were solid contributors in the VFL, while Cody Weightman is on the cusp of making his long-awaited return from a lengthy injury layoff.

Hawthorn Hawks vs Western Bulldogs AFL 2026 Round 13 FAQ’s

How to watch Hawthorn Hawks vs Western Bulldogs AFL 2026 Round 13?

You can watch the Hawthorn Hawks vs Western Bulldogs AFL 2026 Round 13 game via Fox Sports or Kayo Sports. If you are watching from outside of Australia the WatchAFL app is the perfect solution.