While the coaches' whiteboards for Saturday’s Intra Club match remain closely guarded and locked away, westernbulldogs.com.au has put itself in the position of Luke Beveridge and the coaching staff, compiling six hypothetical match-ups that would be fun to watch.
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Tom Boyd vs. Kieran Collins
Kieran Collins was drafted by the Dogs as key defensive prospect in 2015, but at 193cm and 94kg, the former Dandenong Stingray will have to get used to playing on bigger bodies to have an impact at AFL level. As tall forwards go, they don’t get much bigger than Tom Boyd. Going into his second year as a Bulldog, Boyd has seven centimetres and 10 kgs on Collins, but the 18-year-old starred during the 2015 NAB AFL Under-18s Championships, not losing a single one-on-one marking contest. With both boys looking to cement their place in the side, this one could be fun to watch.
Tom Campbell vs. Will Minson
This one might be obvious - or is it? The battle for the number ruck spot is on with both big men making their case at different points last season. Campbell had a good run of form before going down with a thigh injury in round 21 and Minson played his best game of the year against the Crows in the elimination final. Pre-season reports have Campbell tearing up the track this summer, with assistant coach Steven King particularly bullish about Campbell's potential. The wildcard here, of course, is Jordan Roughead. Another of the Bulldogs’ big man brigade, Roughead spent time working through the middle in an injury interrupted 2015. Could Roughead be the one that tops the crop?
Marcus Bontempelli vs. Josh Dunkley
Marcus Bontemepelli stands at 193cm - which for context is the same height as legendary Bulldogs big man, Chris Grant - so imagine the dilemma opposition coaches have when figuring out how to cover ‘The Bont.’ This could be something that Luke Beveridge and his coaching staff will get a taste of in this Saturday’s Intra Club match. Perhaps one that would relish the task might be top draft pick Josh Dunkley. The 19-year-old gives up just three centimetres to Bontempelli and is now up to 86kg, so he can almost cover Bontempelli pound for pound. Dunkley recently told westernbulldogs.com.au that he’s been impressed with Bontempelli’s work ethic off the field, Saturday may be a chance to get a close look at his new teammate in full flight on the field.
Mitch Wallis vs.Tom Liberatore
When Liberatore went down with a knee injury during the 2015 NAB Challenge, it was close mate Mitch Wallis who became the Dogs' number one stoppage player, ranking first at the club for clearances and gathers from hit outs, essentially taking the spot vacated by the 2014 Sutton Medallist. So with Liberatore on track to return from round one, what happens now, does Wallis again become the defensive ace we know he can be, or does he continue to excel as the attacking mid he became in 2015? Either way, it would be a fascinating match-up.
Jake Stringer vs. Dale Morris
Dale Morris has made a career out of negating the opposition’s most dangerous forwards, and when listing players that can win a game off of their own boot, teammate Jake Stringer wouldn’t have too many ahead of him. Stringer enjoyed a breakout year in 2015, finishing fifth in the Coleman Medal and earning his first All-Australian Guernsey. No one is unstoppable, but when he is on, ‘The Package’ maybe as close as it gets. But Morris could be the one to do it. He took the scalps of Port Adelaide’s Chad Wingard and West Coast’s Mark Lecras last season and lost just two of his 28 defensive contests according to Champion Data, the best percentage of anyone in the competition. This one could be worth the price of admission.
Luke Dahlhaus vs Robert Murphy
Robert Murphy is a lot of things to a lot of people, but for Luke Dahlhaus, the skipper has been one of the bigger influences on the 23-year-old’s AFL career. While Dahlhaus would be giving up nine centremetres to the 2015 All-Australian captain in a one-on-one match-up, Murphy could be troubled by Dahlhaus' quickness around the stoppages. According to Champion Data, Dahlhaus was ranked equal first in the competition for forward 50 crumbs, increasing his ability to hurt his man by hitting the scoreboard. But Dahlhaus will need to be on guard once the ball is in the skippers hands, with Murphy one of the best in the business at setting up a forward 50 entry from the back line.
Saturday’s Western Bulldogs Intra Club Match will commence at 9:30am, with gates to open at Victoria University Whitten Oval at 9:00am.
Click here to pre-register your attendance at the Western Bulldogs Family Day & Intra Club to go into the prize draw to win one of four great prizes, including a $250 Highpoint Voucher, a signed 2016 Western Bulldogs Guernsey, a double pass to the 2016 Western Bulldogs Season Launch and an inner-sanctum match day experience for round one, including changing room access. (LINK http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/club/events/family-day/family-day-pre-registration)
For more information about the 2016 Western Bulldogs Family Day and Intra Club, click here. http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/club/events/family-day
