The battle of the midfield
It’ll be three weeks since Tom Liberatore made his much awaited return from injury, and the Bulldog faithful will be very keen to see how the star midfielder goes in his second game back against the Demons on Sunday. Despite Angus Brayshaw and Christian Petracca missing out this week, there’s still plenty of talent in the Melbourne engine room with skipper Nathan Jones, Bernie Vince and Jack Viney named, so the completion will be fierce. But it won’t just Libba’s own performance that’ll be worth watching - how does the Dogs midfield look with the 2014 Sutton Medallist plugged back in?
Fresh Faces
The Dogs have named a relatively young side this weekend and it’ll be the first opportunity for fans to see draftees Josh Dunkley and Bailey Williams in action alongside rookies Brad Lynch and Luke Goetz. Dunkley was impressive during the intra club match in February, kicking two goals, and Bulldogs fans will be keeping a watchful eye on what the 189cm, 86kg 19-year old can do on Sunday. Williams, Lynch and Goetz are raw, but talented, and it’ll be interesting to see them face-off against quality opposition in Craigieburn if they make the final squad.
Just add Jed
It’s not just the pups that Bulldogs fans should be keen to see on Sunday. Former Brisbane Lions captain Jed Adcock has been named in the squad to face Melbourne and it’ll be an opportunity for the 30-year old rookie to press his claim for an upgrade. Adcock’s experience is a plus for what’s still a young and developing list, but his versatility may be the key. Having spent the bulk of his career as a half back flanker, Adcock showed Luke Beveridge what he could do up forward when he booted four goals against the Dogs in round 23 last year.
Where he plays this weekend might provide some insight as to where he fits into the Dogs’ squad.
The gatekeepers
While there’s been plenty of discussion around the ruck division, it may be time to look at the battle around the key defensive posts. Competition for spots at a football club can only be a good thing, and with draftees Kieran Collins and Marcus Adams making solid starts to their careers against the Giants, things just got a whole lot more interesting down back. Joel Hamling and Fletcher Roberts formed a strong pairing last season and both are in the squad this weekend. Throw Jordan Roughead and promising youngster Zaine Cordy in the mix and defensive coach Rohan Smith has an intriguing battle on his hands.
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