Coach Luke Beveridge predicts there could well be a couple of Western Bulldogs players very unlucky to be omitted for Saturday night’s AFL clash against Richmond.
Veteran utility Matthew Boyd and ruckman Tom Campbell are both pushing hard for recalls after missing last weekend’s two-point loss to GWS.
Tough onballer Tom Liberatore has been passed fit after being concussed in a heavy tackle by Giants’ ruckman Shane Mumford, while skipper Bob Murphy has recovered from a twisted ankle.
“There might be one or two really stiff lads who should have stayed in the team, if we change the team,” Beveridge said on Thursday.
Richmond’s winning start to the season came to an abrupt halt in round six when they ran headlong into the Adelaide juggernaut and were trounced by 76 points, despite holding the lead at quarter-time.
Beveridge is expecting a fierce response at Etihad Stadium from the chastened Tigers.
“They’ve played some great football,” said Beveridge.
“Even in the first quarter last week they were very good again and there was a change in the complexion of the game after that for one or two reasons.
“We’ll be preparing for their best.”
The Bulldogs came up just short against the Giants in Canberra, despite having eight more scoring shots.
“There were elements of the way we played that we liked but … we didn’t capitalise on some of our transition, we were a bit chaotic in our forward line and 9.19 is not that attractive on the scoreboard,” said Beveridge.
“We want to be better than that and that’s our objective this week.”
In other news on Thursday, president Peter Gordon announced the high-flying Bulldogs had signed a three-year, multi-million dollar sponsorship deal beginning in 2018 with Mercedes-Benz vans, which will be among the most lucrative in the club’s history.
“It’s a real statement of the progress the club has made on and off the field,” said Gordon.