After standout performances in the VFL last weekend, Caleb Daniel and Bailey Williams have been named to face Greater Western Sydney in Canberra on Friday night at UNSW Oval.

A 31 disposal, 13 mark and three tackle outing against Werribee last Saturday has ensured the 19-year-old Williams  will play his seventh career game, while Daniel has been recalled after collecting 27 touches of his own, to go with six tackles in Footscray’s 51-point victory.

Veteran defender Matthew Boyd will miss with a back complaint, while Shane Biggs has been omitted.

Lukas Webb and Bailey Dale are a step closer to their first senior games of year, being named alongside Biggs as emergencies.

The Friday night clash between fourth and fifth at the former Manuka Oval shapes as the match of the round, and will be the first time the teams have faced off since last season’s preliminary final.

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge, speaking at Tullamarine ahead of the Bulldogs flight into the capital said the match was shaping as an ‘exciting’ confrontation, even if he stopped short of labelling it as the club’s biggest rivalry.

“I don’t know, I think it’s been talked about like that publicly, isn’t it, which is healthy for the game [and for] for the competition,” he said.  

“It obviously means that GWS have made good statements on field and turned into a very powerful team, and obviously we’re pretty happy to be talked about in that regard as well.”

“So it’s an exciting confrontation I suppose, there’s many rivalries, but it’s developing as an important one for the game.”

Clay Smith will play his 50^th career game.

AFL Round 6 Greater Western Sydney v Western Bulldogs
Friday 28 April, 2017, 7:50pm
Venue: UNSW Canberra Oval

IN: B. Williams, C. Daniel
OUT: S. Biggs, M. Boyd