Media Watch
Bob Murphy says being hunted instead of the hunter is true… and hard
The Age, Andrew Tate
May 24
Western Bulldogs captain Bob Murphy has denied his teammates are suffering a premiership letdown, saying the Dogs' best football is still as good as anyone's and that player rotations were part of having a strong list.
Murphy conceded that stars such as Tom Liberatore had been down on form, but said he had been suffering from a concussion and backed him to bounce back.
"I think with the players being dropped, I think a lot of sides will say 'oh, we've got great depth' but we hang our hat on that," Murphy said on SEN radio when asked about eight premiership players being dropped so far this year. Zaine Cordy, Toby Mclean, Fletcher Roberts, Caleb Daniel, Tory Dickson, Shane Biggs and Clay Smith are the players have been dropped along with Liberatore.
Cloke facing selection axe
Herald Sun, Jon Ralph
May 24
Travis Cloke could be the victim of a selection squeeze against St Kilda as the Western Bulldogs’ forward line approaches full strength.
First ruckman Jordan Roughead has recovered from a hamstring tendon injury after two VFL games, with Jake Stringer available after a medial ligament strain.
Stringer will try to prove his fitness at training on Thursday, with Roughead ready to form a ruck tandem with Tom Boyd that would see one of them resting forward.
That means one of Cloke or Jack Redpath would be likely to make way, with Redpath kicking five goals in the past fortnight since his return.
Wallis back in career-best form after shocking injury
afl.com.au, Dinny Navaratnam
May 23
Expectations weren't sky high when Mitch Wallis made his AFL return after 300 days out recovering from a gruesome broken leg.
The tough onballer had played well in three successive VFL games but facing a fired-up Geelong under the bright Friday night lights at Simonds Stadium was a different story altogether.
But Wallis was unfazed by the occasion and played the best game of his career, according to the Schick AFL Player Ratings.
He scored 28.5 points against the Cats after racking up 26 disposals, 20 contested possessions, 12 clearances and two goals in a mighty performance.
As a point of comparison, Essendon captain Dyson Heppell returned after 566 days out of the game due to a WADA-enforced doping ban to post a score of 24.3 against Hawthorn in the opening round this year.
Medical Report
Jake Stringer (knee) test
Matthew Boyd (shoulder) 1-2 weeks
Brad Lynch (hamstring) 1-2 weeks
Patrick Lipinski (collarbone) 1-2 weeks
Josh Prudden (hamstring) 2-3 weeks
Josh Dunkley (shoulder) 9-11 weeks
Roarke Smith (knee) season
Fresh Face
He may not be a true fresh face, but in terms of this season, he most certainly is. After breaking both bones in his lower leg in a horrific incident against St Kilda last season, Mitch Wallis returned to senior football in stunning form last Friday night in Geelong. A week after Jack Redpath, who also missed the premiership last season, returned from a long-term knee injury against West Coast, Wallis roared back to life with 26 possessions (20 contested), 12 clearances, six tackles and two goals. The Bulldogs will hand a debut to 205cm ruckman Tim English on Saturday, rewarding the 2016 pick No. 19 for his strong form at Footscray.
Star
Premiership hero Marcus Bontempelli has quickly ascended into superstardom and built on his brilliant 2016 in the early stages of this season. The big-bodied midfielder has spent more time forward this season where he has impacted the scoreboard with 11 majors, including three multiple goal games, and is averaging 24.0 possessions (12.8 contested), 6.9 tackles and 4.4 inside 50s per game.
Stats that matter
Last year the Dogs were ranked No. 12 in the AFL for points for (86.2) and we all know what happened. This year they have continued to generate a score at the lower end by averaging 87.7 points per game (No. 13). But what they have been doing well again is restricting the opposition from scoring. After nine rounds, Luke Beveridge’s stingy defence has conceded 84.6 points per game (No. 3).
Team
B: D. Morris, M. Adams, J. Johannisen
HB: R. Murphy, E. Wood, B. Williams
C: L. Hunter, L. Dahlhaus, J. Macrae
HF: C. Daniel, T. English, C. Smith
F: L. Jong, J. Stringer, L. Picken
R: T. Boyd, M. Bontempelli, M. Wallis
Interchange: M. Suckling, S. Biggs, T. Dickson
Emergencies: T. McLean, F. Roberts, J. Roughead
IN: T. English, J. Stringer, S. Biggs
OUT: T. Cloke (omitted), J. Redpath (omitted), L. Webb (omitted)
