Round 24, 2026
Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs
Saturday 22 August
Venue: MCG
Attendance: 44,258
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Melbourne | 3.2 | 5.6 | 7.12 | 12.15.87 |
| Western Bulldogs | 5.4 | 7.5 | 10.9 | 16.12.108 |
Western Bulldogs win by 21 points
Goalkickers: Harrison Petty 3, Bayley Fritsch 2, Tom McDonald 2, Kade Chandler 1, Ed Langdon 1, Harvey Langford 1, Kysaiah Pickett 1, Caleb Windsor 1
Milestones:
Nil
Brownlow Medal votes:
TBD
Coaches votes:
TBD
Playing for the chance to finish 5th and avoid the league's inaugural Wildcard Finals, Melbourne lost to the Bulldogs for the second time in 2026. They trailed by 14 points at quarter time, then by 11 and 15. During the last term, the Demons cut the margin to nine, before two late goals to the visitors sealed victory.
Best were Max Gawn, Harrison Petty, and Kysaiah Pickett. Matthew Jefferson injured his knee, and Jake Lever suffered a toe injury.
Links
Demonblog match review
Media
afl.com.au - 22/08/2026