Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge expects Matt Suckling to play against Collingwood, Round 10
THE Western Bulldogs will be boosted by the return of three critical players this Sunday against Collingwood.
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THE Western Bulldogs will be boosted by the return of three critical players this Sunday against Collingwood.
Half-back Matthew Boyd and forward Jack Redpath will return from suspension, while Dogs coach Luke Beveridge is confident prized recruit Matt Suckling will be fit after missing a month with a hamstring injury.
Suckling went down early in the club’s Round 5 win over Brisbane.
“We think that Matty Suckling will be right to go,” Beveridge told On the Couch.
“We’ll definitely get Matthew Boyd and Jack Redpath back this week from suspension.”
Forward Tom Boyd, who has not played since injuring his shoulder in Round 4 against Carlton, is still a fortnight or so away from playing.
“Tommy Boyd will probably be playing VFL footy in a couple of weeks,” he said.
“He’s in our best 22 … it’s just to get his fitness up.”
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The Bulldogs have been forced to restructure their once all-conquering defensive structures in recent weeks following injuries to Bob Murphy, Jason Johannisen and Matt Suckling.
Beveridge conceded the loss of these key players hurt, but also commended his deep midfield for the way they’ve been able to fill the void.
“If you go back to early in the season, our highest possession-winners were our high defenders,” he said.
“The demographic shifted after that when those boys went out of action. We needed a spread elsewhere.
“We made a couple of alterations and our midfield became more prolific with their quantities … We were a bit like a chameleon I suppose – you just have to keep changing.”
The Western Bulldogs take on Collingwood this Sunday afternoon at the MCG. It will be the Dogs’ third successive away game after seven matches at Etihad Stadium to start the season.
Tom Morris is on Twitter: @tommorris32
Originally published as Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge expects Matt Suckling to play against Collingwood, Round 10
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