Bulldogs forced to reshuffle attack after Josh Bruce ruptures ACL
Josh Bruce has missed only one match since joining the Western Bulldogs from St Kilda but will be missing for the rest of the year after he ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament on Sunday.
The Western Bulldogs have only a fortnight to adjust to the reality a key mainstay of their forward line for the past two seasons will be missing as they bid for a premiership.
Josh Bruce was in second position in the Coleman Medal and on track for a career-best season when he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on Sunday.
The 29-year-old had kicked three goals in his 150th game when he injured the knee while laying a tackle in the final moments of the Bulldogs’ loss to Essendon at Marvel Stadium.
The Bulldogs’ immediate thoughts were with the popular Bruce, who has been a mentor to other forwards since joining the team from St Kilda at the start of 2020.
Bulldogs sports medicine head Chris Bruce said the club was shattered for the veteran, who is likely to miss much of next season given the extent of the injury.
“We’re devastated for him and will do everything we can to support him through this period,” he said.
“We will work through a plan with Josh for surgery over the next couple of days.”
The medium term planning will focus on how best to function without Bruce, who has kicked 48 goals for the year, second only to Carlton spearhead Harry McKay.
The Bulldogs have played only once without Bruce since he arrived at Whitten Oval for a win over the lowly Crows in round 12 last year.
Clashes against Hawthorn in Launceston next week, border restrictions dependent, and Port Adelaide in a match that has ramifications for the top four in round 23 serve as opportunities for coach Luke Beveridge to tinker with the attack.
While Aaron Naughton, who has kicked 38 goals, will remain the key focal point for the Bulldogs attack, it raises the stakes for first-year forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.
The No.1 draft pick of 2020 was forced to build fitness and form in the VFL before breaking into the Bulldogs side last month.
He has shown glimpses of talent in his five matches, booting seven goals from 35 disposals, including three against the Gold Coast in round 18.
The absence of Bruce will have a domino effect, given he was always likely to be manned by either the opposition’s best or second best key defender.
Dual North Melbourne premiership defender David King, an analyst for Fox Footy, said the Bulldogs faced a challenge to reshuffle their attack.
“Josh Bruce has the potential to be a four goal contributor or a five goal contributor in a final, and they are hard to find,” he told SEN.
“You can’t replace that player with the same cohesion you have built for 30 weeks. Naughton and Bruce are 50-50 as inside forward 50m targets. It suits them. It works for them.
“He is up there in the Coleman. He has taken over 50 marks in the forward 50. How do you replace that role?”
Tim English has shown promise when played forward this year and is averaging just over one goal per match in his fifth season.
But the likely absence of ruckman Stefan Martin until the finals means English will be required to satisfy rucking duties as well.
Josh Schache has played in defence since being recalled as a replacement for the injured Alex Keath and shown some promise, though he was outpointed against the Bombers.
Former Gold Coast recruit Peter Wright kicked a career-best seven goals for Essendon in a performance that raised concerns about the Bulldogs backline without Keath.
Similarly to Martin, it is not expected that Keath will be available until the match against Port Adelaide at best as he recovers from a hamstring injury.
Given he is critical to the Bulldogs defence, it is unlikely the club will want to jeopardise Keath’s prospects for September by rushing his return.
“It is just different to what it was, and your starting point is round 22 to see it. I do think it is huge,” King said.
“There is no easy watch now for a coach … who is a genuine contender, because the margins are so small. You lose a trump card at this time of the year, you just don’t recover.”
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