Round 12 AFL teams: Paddy Dow back in the fold as Stefan Martin returns for the Bulldogs

Carlton coach David Teague has a message for Paddy Dow ahead of his return from injury. Check out the full Round 12 teams.

DARWIN, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 22: Dustin Martin of the Tigers is challenged by Mason Redman of the Bombers during the round 13 AFL match between the Essendon Bombers and the Richmond Tigers at TIO Stadium on August 22, 2020 in Darwin, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)

Carlton coach David Teague is urging top-five draft pick Paddy Dow to believe in himself as he returns to AFL level on Sunday after recovering from a hamstring issue.

The 21-year-old midfielder has struggled to show more than glimpses of what he’s capable of in the senior side, but looked good in his last outing before suffering an eye injury that saw him subbed out.

A month later, Dow is back again and fresh from a best-on-ground performance in a VFL scratch match that rubber-stamped his promotion.

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“It was really unfortunate, that one against Essendon,” Teague said from Sydney, where the Blues have been based for more than a week.

“His first quarter looked really strong until he got that black eye and couldn’t see out of it, then after that he’s had a couple of little niggles, but he’s back fit now and he played really well last week.

“He gets his opportunity this week and I think the last time he played, he looked like he played with a sense of belonging and belief at this level.

“That’s what he needs to do, because when he goes back to VFL, he looks like he really believes in himself. We believe in him and we want to see him at his best.”

Paddy Dow goes back with the flight to mark against St Kilda.

Zac Fisher is also in for his first AFL match since Round 2 and undergoing ankle surgery, while veteran Marc Murphy will play a full game against West Coast after being the medical substitute last week.

Teague said he hoped history would repeat for Fisher, who booted four goals after returning to the side last year for the corresponding clash with the Eagles.

As for Murphy, who is out of contract at season’s end, the coach has challenged him to improve in several areas of his new forward role, including his running patterns.

Star forward Charlie Curnow, who last played in mid-2019, continues to progress from his latest knee injury and is involved in parts of main training, but a return game is yet to be locked in.

“We’re not going to rush it. At this stage, he’s ticking every box. Every time we’ve got a marker he’s got to get to, he’s getting there,” Teague said.

“He’s looking really good at the moment and it will be exciting when he does get back out there.

“I think his first game will be at VFL level at some time, but when that will be, when we get closer to it, we’ll let you all know.”

DOGS TO UNLEASH RUCK DUO AGAIN

The Western Bulldogs’ successful two-pronged ruck outfit will be reunited with ruckman Stefan Martin returning for their Sunday evening clash with Fremantle at Perth Stadium.

Martin, 34, had missed the past four matches with an Achilles injury.

CHECK OUT THE FULL TEAMS BELOW

The off-season recruit is set to join forces with Tim English – who was previously sidelined with concussion – for the first time since Round 6.

Martin replaces Jordon Sweet, while midfielder Patrick Lipinski has been dropped again along with small forward Lachlan McNeil.

Stefan Martin will form a formidable duo with Tim English. Picture: Michael Klein

The Dockers will welcome back bookends Matt Taberner and Griffin Logue.

Paddy Dow has received a senior call-up against West Coast after a month out of the Blues side, with their opponents forced to make five changes due to injury – including integral players Josh Kennedy, Tim Kelly and Oscar Allen.

Luke Edwards, the son of 321-game Adelaide great Tyson, will make his debut for the Eagles.

Lachie Neale is back for Brisbane Lions’ Friday night blockbuster against Melbourne.

Meanwhile, the Lions will welcome Neale back for their huge test against the ladder leaders, with Rhys Mathieson making way.

Lachie Neale is in for the Lions. Picture: Jono Searle/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Ryan Lester also returns in place of James Madden.

The Demons have lost Ed Langdon to concussion, with last week’s medical sub Tom Sparrow coming into the 22.

Collingwood has named one-gamer Max Lynch in the ruck instead of Mason Cox, who faced a fitness test this week to overcome his larynx injury, to replace Brodie Grundy (neck).

The Pies regain Jamie Elliott from a broken leg and Josh Thomas (ankle), while Chris Mayne has been rested for the clash against Adelaide.

Richmond has included Indigenous premiership stars Shane Edwards and Marlion Pickett for its Dreamtime blockbuster against Essendon, which has named Aaron Francis.

MORE: SUPERCOACH TEAMS ANALYSIS, ADVICE, WHISPERS

ROUND 12 TEAMS

MELBOURNE v BRISBANE LIONS

Friday June 4, 7:50pm at GIANTS Stadium

DEMONS

B: Hibberd, May, Lever

HB: Salem, Petty, Brayshaw

C: Sparrow, Petracca, Hunt

HF: Jordon, McDonald, Spargo

F: Fritsch, Jackson, Neal-Bullen

FOLL: Gawn, Oliver, Pickett

I/C: Harmes, Melksham, Rivers, Weideman

EMG: Bedford, Bowey, Brown, Baker

In: – None

Out: – Langdon (Injured)

LIONS

B: Prior, Andrews, Starcevich

HB: Rich, Adams, Birchall

C: Zorko, Neale, McCluggage

HF: Ah Chee, Daniher, McCarthy

F: McStay, Hipwood, Cameron

FOLL: McInerney, Lyons, Robinson

I/C: Robertson, Coleman, Bailey, Lester

EMG: Fullarton Mathieson, Ballenden, madden

In: – Neale, R.Lester

Out: – Mathieson (Omitted), Madden (Omitted), Berry (Medi-Sub)

SYDNEY SWANS v ST KILDA

Saturday June 5, 1:45pm at SCG

SWANS

B: Hewett, Rampe, Fox

HB: Dawson, McCartin, Lloyd

C: McInerney, Mills, Florent

HF: Wicks, Heeney, Hayward

F: McDonald, Franklin, Papley

FOLL: Hickey, Kennedy, Warner

I/C: Cunningham, Parker, Rowbottom, Amartey

EMG: Bell, Brand, Sinclair, Stephens

In: – Fox, McDonald, Hickey, Amartey

Out: – Sinclair (Omitted), Brand (Omitted), Stephens (Omitted), McLean (Omitted), Taylor (Medi-Sub)

SAINTS

B: Clavarino, Howard, Webster

HB: Wilkie, Hill, Sinclair

C: Geary, Crouch, Billings

HF: Butler, Ross, Higgins

F: Wood, King, Membrey

FOLL: Ryder, Steele, Dunstan

I/C: Coffield, Clark, Battle Byrnes

EMG: Highmore, Lonie, Long, Hunter

In: – H.Clark

Out: – T.Highmore (Omitted), J.Lonie (Omitted)

ADELAIDE CROWS v COLLINGWOOD

Saturday June 5, 4:35pm at Adelaide Oval

CROWS

B: Doedee, Butts, Jones

HB: Smith, Kelly, Brown

C: McKay, Keays, Seedsman

HF: McHenry, Walker, Schoenberg

F: Rowe, Thilthorpe, Fogarty

FOLL: O’Brien, Laird, Sloane

I/C: McAdam, Hammil, O’Connor, Sholl

EMER: Murray, Hately, Frampton, McPherson

In: – R.O’Connor

Out: – N.Murray (Omitted), S.Berry (Injured)

MAGPIES

B: Mayne, Roughead, Maynard

HB: Quaynor, Moore, Murphy

C: Hoskin-Elliott, Sidebottom, Poulter

HF: Pendlebury, Cameron, Thomas

F: De Goey, Mihocek, Elliott

FOLL: Lynch, Sier, Crisp

I/C: Rantall, Daicos, Bianco, Madgen

EMG: Brown, Macrae, Keane, Wilson

In: – J.Thomas, J.Elliott, M.Lynch, J.Rantall

Out: – C.Brown (Omitted), T.Wilson (Omitted), B.Grundy (Injured), C.Mayne (Managed), F.Macrae (Medi-Sub)

ESSENDON v RICHMOND

Saturday June 5, 7:40pm at Optus Stadium

BOMBERS

B: Laverde, Francis, Ridley

HB: Heppell, Stewart, Hind

C: McGrath, Merrett, Cox

HF: Perkins, Stringer, Jones

F: Waterman, Hooker, McDonald-Tipungwuti

FOLL: Phillips, Parish, Langford

I/C: Redman, Guelfi, Waterman, Ham

EMG: Zerk-Thatcher, Ambrose, Cahill, Bryan

In: – A.Francis

Out: – B.Zerk-Thatcher (Omitted), W.Snelling (Injured)

TIGERS

B: Vlastuin, Balta, Grimes

HB: Short, Broad, Houli

C: McIntosh, Cotchin, Caddy

HF: Aarts, Edwards, Graham

F: Coleman-Jones, Martin, Riewoldt

FOLL: Chol, Bolton, Prestia

I/C: Baker, Pickett. Collier-Dawkins, Castgana

EMER: Rioli, Ryan, Ralphsmith, Miller

In: – S.Edwards, M.Pickett

Out: – T.Nankervis (Injured), H.Ralphsmith (Omitted), D.Rioli (Medi-Sub)

CARLTON v WEST COAST EAGLES

Sunday June 6, 3:20pm at SCG

BLUES

B: Stocker, Jones, Newman

HB: Saad, Weitering, Williams

C: Docherty, Cripps, Cottrell

HF: Martin, McKay, Owies

F: Betts, De Koning, Silvagni

FOLL: Pittonet, Walsh, E.Curnow

I/C: Murphy, Dow, Fisher, Setterfield

EMER: Parks, Casboult, Newnes, Fogarty

IN: Fisher, Dow

OUT: Casboult (omitted), Fogarty (managed), Gibbons (injured)

EAGLES

B: Hurn, Barrass, Cole

HB: Sheppard, Edwards, Nelson

C: Gaff, Sheed, Cripps

HF: O‘Neill, Waterman, Edwards

F: Petruccelle, Darling, Ryan

FOLL: Naitanui, Yeo, Redden

I/C: Langdon, Vardy, Trew, Foley

EMG: Vardy, Jones, Ainsworth, Trew

IN: Foley, L Edwards, O’Neil, Langdon, H. Edwards,

OUT: Kelly, Brander, Kennedy, Allen, Ah Chee (all injured), Jones (omitted)

Debut: L. Edwards

FREMANTLE v WESTERN BULLDOGS

Sunday June 6, 6:40pm at Optus Stadium

DOCKERS

B: Aish, Logue, Ryan

HB: Wilson, Cox, Tucker

C: Acres, Mundy, Brayshaw

HF: Colyer, Lobb, Crowden

F: Schultz, Taberner, Walters

FOLL: Darcy, Fyfe, Cerra

I/C: Treacy, Duman, Serong, Henry

EMG: Watson, Blakely, Western, Conca

IN: Logue, Taberner

OUT: Switkowski (injured), Watson (omitted), Blakely (medi-sub)

BULLDOGS

B: Duryea, Keath, Crozier

HB: Williams, Cordy, Daniel

C: Dale, Liberatore, Johannisen

HF: Hunter, Bruce, Weightman

F: Hannan, Naughton, Bontempelli

FOLL: English, Macrae, B.Smith

I/C: Martin, Scott, R. Smith, Gardner

EMG: Butler, Sweet, West, Lipinski

IN: Hannan, Martin, Scott, Gardner

OUT: Garcia (injured), Sweet, Lipinski, McNeil (all omitted), Butler (medi-sub),

Originally published as Round 12 AFL teams: Paddy Dow back in the fold as Stefan Martin returns for the Bulldogs