The Western Bulldogs line-up will take on a slightly different look against Melbourne on Saturday night.  

The Bulldogs have added Josh Schache (199cm) to their mix of talls for the top-of-the-table clash, alongside fellow forwards Aaron Naughton (195cm), Josh Bruce (197cm) and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (197cm), and ruck-forward Tim English (208cm).

Senior coach Luke Beveridge acknowledged that’s partly due to the Dees’ line-up.

The ladder-leaders got the points when the two teams met earlier this year – winning by 28 points – with defensive pillars Steven May and Jake Lever influential in the result.

Schache will return for his first game at AFL level since round seven.

“We’re probably similar now height-wise to how Melbourne has selected their side,” Beveridge told media on Friday morning via Zoom.

07:36

Luke Beveridge | 'Doesn't matter who you play'

Hear from Luke Beveridge ahead of round 19.

“When you consider that it might be a bit of a wet night, and the conditions might be a little bit ugly, (going a tall line-up) sort of flies in the face of conventional thinking to a degree.

“Both sides will be similar in their make-up…throughout the course of the year, from week-to-week, you’re deploying different mixes, and different varieties and roles.

“This week it’s just an approach that we feel is the right one against this Melbourne team.”

The Bulldogs will enter the game off the back of an 11-point win over Gold Coast, while the Dees will come in having drawn with Hawthorn.

Beveridge said he is continuing to encourage his side to be prepared for any challenge, no matter who they face.

“We’ve seen (Melbourne’s) best, and they’ve been on top of the ladder for most of the year,” he said.

“If you want to label which team has been the benchmark, (it’s Melbourne) because they have been at the apex over the journey more often than anyone else.

“Obviously there’s a respect there for what they’ve been doing, and we’ve just got to tap into our resources to bring out our best.

“It doesn’t matter who you play – different teams are coming with new energies, and maybe some freedom in their game with a bit of a nothing-to-lose approach at different times so everyone needs to be on edge.”