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Bulldogs playmaker Lindsay Gilbee and classy youngster Shaun Higgins will play against the Swans despite battling with ankle and groin injuries respectively while defender Ryan Hargrave returns from a quad injury.
Forward Robert Murphy (hamstring) is at least two weeks away from being considered for selection.
For the Swans, defender Lewis-Roberts Thomson returns from a hamstring strain sustained in the win over West Coast in round eight but veteran Leo Barry (knee), former Cat Henry Playfair (hamstring) and Patrick Veszpremi (ruptured finger tendon) remain unavailable.
FORM: The Western Bulldogs put in arguably their best performance of the season last weekend but unfortunately for them they went down to Geelong by three points in a contest worth of a final. The Dogs are in the top four with a 5-4 win-loss record. Sydney maintained its unbeaten run at home with a 55-point demolition of Port Adelaide at the SCG last Sunday. The Swans have also won five of their first nine matches.
KEY MATCH-UPS:
Brett Kirk vs. Adam Cooney
Cooney is arguably the Bulldogs’ most damaging midfielder with his ability to break the lines, kick goals and set up scoring opportunities for his teammates.
The Swans usually like to play a lockdown style of football and will be keen to shut-down Cooney’s run and carry as it will help contain the Bulldogs’ mid-sized forwards.
Kirk has quelled the influence of the likes of Simon Black and Sam Mitchell so far this season and looms as the obvious candidate to go head-to-head with Cooney in what shapes as being a pivotal duel.
The Swans co-captain, who is ranked first in the AFL for tackles per game with an average of 8.4 per game, will apply relentless pressure all day.
Expect Kirk, who collected 32 disposals and booted two goals in the win over the Power to also test out the defensive side of the 2008 Brownlow medallist’s game.
Liam Picken vs. Adam Goodes
The last time the Swans defeated the Bulldogs was in round nine, 2007.
Goodes was instrumental in that win with 26 possessions, 10 marks and four inside 50’s.
The Bulldogs will be keen to limit his influence on the contest as he is the man in the Sydney midfield with the X-factor to break the game wide open.
Picken has been given some big tagging jobs on some of the competition’s premier midfielders so far this season and could well be given the unenviable task of running with the dual Brownlow medallist.
The Bulldogs will need Picken to employ a tight tag otherwise Goodes will hurt the Dogs with his ability to break the lines and kick goals.
Craig Bolton vs. Brad Johnson
Johnson led from the front in the loss to the Cats, helping himself to 26 disposals, 10 marks and four goals.
The last time these two sides during the home-and-away season Johnson collected 19 touches, took 10 marks and kicked four goals to help lift his side to a 16-point win.
The Bulldogs skipper looks set to be in for a tough afternoon at the office with the in-form Bolton expected to be his opponent.
If Johnson is going to win his battle with the largely underrated Bolton he will need his midfield to be quick and clean with their use of the football through the middle of the ground otherwise the Swans will be able to push numbers back and continually rebound the football out of defensive 50.
Brian Lake vs. Barry Hall
Hall has returned to form after a disappointing game against Geelong in round seven, booting seven goals in his past two matches.
While he may have only booted two goals in the win over Port he provided a consistent target up forward, racking up 17 possessions and seven marks.
When Hall is up and about the Swans are very hard to beat so keeping him quiet will be a key for the Bulldogs if they are going to secure a valuable win away from home.
The Swans can’t afford to just haphazardly bomb the football inside 50 otherwise Hall’s direct opponent in Lake, who is ranked eighth in the AFL for marks per game with an average of eight, will be able to continually mark the football and help set up his side’s attacking forays forward.
VERDICT: This match features two teams with very different styles. The Bulldogs boast plenty of class and pace while the Swans like to play a contested brand of football. If the likes of Daniel Cross, Matthew Boyd and Cooney are able to win their fair share of the football at the stoppages the Dogs should win with their speed and multiple options in attack set to be the difference in what shapes as being a high-quality contest.
Bulldogs by 20 points.
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