Western Bulldogs forward Jack Redpath’s return from injury is set to boost the reigning premiers’ depth as they head into a tough AFL stretch.
After an agonising two-point loss to Greater Western Sydney in Canberra last week, the seventh-placed Bulldogs will host Richmond at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.
They then face West Coast in Perth, Geelong at Skilled Stadium in round 10 and St Kilda at Etihad Stadium in round 11 before heading into the bye.
It is unlikely the Bulldogs will face a tougher run of games this season as they look to back up their drought-breaking premiership triumph.
Coach Luke Beveridge has already shown a willingness to swing unforced changes, with premiership duo Caleb Daniel and Shane Biggs among those forced to fight their way back into the best 22.
Beveridge will soon have more options at his disposal, with Redpath set to return through the VFL this weekend after undergoing a knee reconstruction.
“His approach to his rehab has been outstanding, and it’s a credit to his diligence and hard work that he has got himself ready to return to the field,” Bulldogs physio Chris Bell said.
“We will monitor Jack’s game time with a view to increasing his workload over the next few weeks.”
The 26-year-old ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament during the Bulldogs’ round 18 loss to St Kilda last season – the same game in which midfielder Mitch Wallis broke two bones in his leg in a horrific incident.
Wallis has recovered ahead of schedule and was outstanding in his VFL return last week, booting three goals and racking up 34 touches.
He is likely to need at least another game under his belt before making a senior return, as is small forward Tory Dickson (abdominal strain).
Ruckman Jordan Roughead (hamstring), key defender Dale Morris (leg) and spearhead Travis Cloke (broken ribs) are all several weeks away from returning.
Tom Liberatore (concussion) and Matthew Boyd (back) must pass fitness tests before being cleared to face the Tigers.
Paul W
Guest
Crameri back in the 2s this week as well, hopefully he recaptures his form from before the enforced year off.
I hate pies
Guest
Mercedes Benz will be massive for the club; they're going from strength to strength. David Smorgan and now Peter Gordon have been outstanding for the club. The boys will love a Mercedes sponsorship!
mattyb
Guest
I heard Roughhead is still 3-4 weeks away. Diksons will be a huge in when he's back,maybe one more week in the seconds and Wallis will improve our depth which is amazing considering our depth already. There I some word that Dahlhaus might miss with a wrist injury which is a worry and he did go off with a sore wrist last week and was fumbling a bit after he came back on. What do you think of my Mercedes-Benz mail? It's going to be huge news,back of the jumper major sponsorship to go with our already lucrative Mission sponsorship. These are big international companies who can see our future is looking very bright indeed. Going into the bye 6-4 will be fine. Good players to return and we will storm home.
I ate pies
Guest
I agree Matty, not sure Redpath with have a big impact. I think the dogs forward line actually works better when it's smaller. We are really missing Dickson's smarts and straight kicking and Roughead to allow a ruckman to rest in the pocket. Roughead was meant to be back by round 5; the length of time he's going to be out is starting to be a concern. Moz and Wallis just make a great backline and midfield even better. I expect us to beat Richmond and go close against Geelong down there, albeit everyone loses down there. We'll get beaten by the umps in Perth as everyone does so the real danger game for us is against our bogey side in the Saints. I'll be happy with a 2-2 result from this group of games. 6-4 going into the bye is ok as long as we are building into the year.
Gecko
Guest
Scary level of depth. And if some of those don't get back until late in the season, it could give them further momentum (like it did late in 2016). Most teams have at least one vital player (eg.Geelong has two vital midfielders) but I don't think any Bulldogs player (not even the Bont) is vital. They're a certainty for back-to-back GF, if not premierships.
mattyb
Guest
Tough month coming up but the Bulldogs but amazingly we never get to see just how good the reigning premiers are due to the fact they always playing with the league's most significant injury list. To be perfectly honest I don't think Redpath will have much say in the dogs premiership defense but players like Morris,Roughead,Dkson and Wallis certainly will. Bulldog fans expect to hear some further good new regarding Mercedes-Benz in the next couple of days.