Another Suckling special?
Matthew Suckling returns to the line-up this week and according to Daniel Giansiracusa, the 28-year-old is jumping out of his skin to get back out there.
In a quirk of the schedule, the last time Suckling returned from injury it was against tonight’s opponent, Collingwood. After missing a month earlier in the season the silky left-footer returned in round ten with a classy 22 disposal performance going at 82% efficiency.
He capped it off nicely with goal at the 20-minute mark of the final term to help finish off the Pies.
Luke Beveridge will be hoping for a similar showing from Suckling this Friday night.
All about The Bont
It hasn’t happened very often this year, but the last time these two sides met Marcus Bontempelli was well held by Magpie Levi Greenwood, the Bont producing an uncharacteristic one-possession first term. He had just six by half time.
While he worked his way back into the game to eventually finish with 20 touches and one goal, you can bet Bontempelli the competitor will be keen not to learn that happen again and will be steeling himself for a big one tonight against the Pies.
So who goes to Bont? Is it Greenwood again, Rupert Wills? Either way, you can assume the determined 20-year-old will have blood in his nostrils when he runs out tonight.
Mr. One-percenter
It’s time we talked about Fletcher Roberts.
Footy fans all claim that they love the bloke who’s hard at it, the one doing the smothering, the tackling and the spoiling. The bloke doing the one percenters. Well, guess what, there’s a stat for that, and the Bulldogs backman is leading the pack.
Since coming back into the team in round 16 against the Tigers, Roberts has been that man doing the little things down back, leading the side in the one percenters in three of the last five matches. The other two? Finished second.
The stage is set
Friday night footy, at home, against Colllingwood, and on the day the Club announced its passed the 40,000 member mark for the first time in its history. It’s quite a day for the Western Bulldogs Football Club.
Still, there’s work to do on the field. With ladder positions so fragile, every game from here on in is a must win, and the Pies have shown in recent weeks what they are capable of in full-flight. So, with that in mind, you can bet Buckley’s boys would like nothing more than to knock the Dogs over on their way to September.
It’ll be game on at 7.50 tonight, make no mistake.
