THE WESTERN Bulldogs' forward stocks were significantly boosted at the selection table this week by the return of Robert Murphy and Scott Welsh.
Murphy and Welsh have been included with young tagger Liam Picken for Saturday night's important clash with the Brisbane Lions and football manager James Fantasia welcomed their availability after injury-enforced layoffs.
"With all the experience and flexibility Murphy and Welsh bring, the forward line does have a bit of a different look about it," Fantasia said.
"You just can't go out and replace the kind of experience that those two guys have so we're really happy to have them back in the line-up, that's for sure."
Murphy has missed two weeks since straining a hamstring against the Saints in round 17. Welsh suffered an ankle injury in the same match, but both will benefit from a cautious approach.
"Murph has made steady progress and he rehabs very well just because he's such a professional. He's freshened up, ready to go and looking forward to getting back amongst it," Fantasia said.
"He brings so much to the table for us with his pace, touch, skill and leadership so he's certainly a welcome return.
"Welshy was pushing to play last week, but again we decided that it would be better to be absolutely certain that he was over that problem especially at this time of the year.
"He can't really afford to hurt it again – and neither can we for that matter – and require further time off given the stage of the season that we're at."
Both will be playing their 11th games of the season, but the match takes on extra significance for Welsh who reaches the elusive 200 mark.
"It's is just a fantastic effort by him and will hopefully rally the boys around him as well," Fantasia added.
"To play 200 games is just a terrific effort in this day and age and he offers us a forward option that we need to help straighten us up that little bit more. He's always going to need to have a good defender on him as well, so his inclusion is another big win for us."
The addition of Picken, who has impressed with his work rate in run-with roles, also adds steel to the midfield group.
Brennan Stack, Andrejs Everitt and Daniel Cross come out of the side with Stack and Everitt named as emergencies along with Sam Reid.
Cross, of course, recently underwent successful ankle surgery that the club remains hopeful will sideline him for just one week.
Western Bulldogs
B: Jarrod Harbrow, Brian Lake, Dale Morris
HB: Ryan Hargrave, Tom Williams, Dylan Addison
C: Lindsay Gilbee, Matthew Boyd, Nathan Eagleton
HF: Brad Johnson, Mitch Hahn, Robert Murphy
F: Jason Akermanis, Will Minson, Scott Welsh
Foll: Ben Hudson, Ryan Griffen, Adam Cooney
I/C: Josh Hill, Liam Picken, Callan Ward, Easton Wood
Emg: Andrejs Everitt, Sam Reid, Brennan Stack
In: Picken, Murphy, Welsh
Out: Brennan Stack, Andrejs Everitt, Daniel Cross (ankle)
