The 2025 AFL season's Round 20 match sees the Essendon Bombers take on the Western Bulldogs on Friday night at Marvel Stadium.
Essendon sits 14th on the ladder with a 6-11 record and has no wins in their last five games. They are coming into this clash after a 56-104 defeat at the hands of the GWS Giants last week.
The Bombers have struggled with injuries this year and have never been able to make a genuine run for the finals spots.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are 10-8 in the season and sit close to the top right, just one win behind the finals spot. However, they have now lost back-to-back games against two contenders - a 98-109 loss to Adelaide and the latest being an 86-76 loss to Brisbane.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch the match, kickoff times, and the latest lineup news.
Essendon vs. Bulldogs free live stream, free-to-air channel
- Live Stream: Kayo, Foxtel
- TV Channel: Fox Footy
- Free-to-air: ---
Kayo Sports and Foxtel are providing both live and catch-up coverage of Friday's match. The clash will also be available on TV in Australia via Fox Footy.
Fans can stream Essendon vs. Bulldogs on Kayo, which is currently offering a free trial for new subscribers, so you can essentially watch this game and others this week for free. The match will also be streamed on the AFL website.
Essendon vs. Bulldogs start time
- Date: Friday, July 25, 2025
- Start Time: 7:20 p.m. AEST
- Venue & Location: Marvel Stadium
The AFL Round 20 game between Essendon Bombers and Western Bulldogs will be played on Friday, July 25, at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.
Here's how that kick-off time translates to the various Australian time zones:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| Australian Eastern Standard Time | Fri, Jul. 25 | 7:20 p.m. |
| Australian Central Standard Time | Fri, Jul. 25 | 6:50 p.m. |
| Australian Western Standard Time | Fri, Jul. 25 | 5:20 p.m. |
AFL 2025 fixture schedule this week
Thursday, July 24
| Fixture | Venue | Time (AEST) | TV/Livestream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawthorn vs. Carlton | MCG | 7:30 p.m. | Fox/Kayo, Binge |
Friday, July 25
| Fixture | Venue | Time (AEST) | TV/Livestream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essendon vs. Bulldogs | Marvel Stadium | 7:20 p.m. | Fox/Kayo, Binge |
| GWS Giants vs. Sydney | ENGIE Stadium | 7:50 p.m. | Channel 7, Fox Sports 3/Kayo |
Saturday, July 26
| Fixture | Venue | Time (AEST) | TV/Stream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Coast vs. Brisbane | People First Stadium | 1:20 p.m. | Fox/ Kayo |
| Fremantle vs. West Coast | Optus Stadium | 4:15 p.m. | Fox/ Kayo |
| North Melbourne vs. Geelong | Marvel Stadium | 7:35 p.m. | Fox/ Kayo |
| Adelaide vs. Port Adelaide | Adelaide Oval | 8:10 p.m. | Fox Sports 3/ Kayo |
Sunday, July 27
| Fixture | Venue | Time (AEST) | TV/Stream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond vs. Collingwood | MCG | 1:10 p.m. | Fox/ Kayo |
| St. Kilda vs. Melbourne | Marvel Stadium | 3:15 p.m. | Seven Mate, Fox Sports 3/ Kayo |