Leader of the pack: Matthew Boyd will captain the Western Bulldogs for a third year in 2013. Picture: Alex Coppel Source: Herald Sun
THE Western Bulldogs expect skipper Matthew Boyd and possibly two AFL debutants to reinforce a beaten and injury-battered side for Sunday's AFL match against Adelaide.
Coach Brendan McCartney today predicted as many as five changes to a team that were thrashed by Richmond by 67 points on Sunday and lost three players to long-term injuries.
Half-forward Shaun Higgins has had his season ended by a fractured navicular in his left foot, while a ruptured ankle ligament has sidelined Tory Dickson for eight weeks.
Defender Easton Wood could miss a similar period as the Dogs try to work out a way to end his recurring hamstring injuries.
"It wasn't a great day all round," McCartney said.
The brighter news is Boyd will return from a calf injury, provided he trains as well as expected on Thursday, and forward Ayce Cordy should return from a back complaint.
And the Dogs' top two draftees, Jake Stringer and Jack Macrae, are in strong contention for AFL selection after impressing in the VFL.
"Two of our early picks played really well at Williamstown, so it puts them in the mix obviously, because we envisage four, maybe five changes," McCartney said.
The coach said Higgins had felt numb when he learnt his season was over, the latest in a line of injury and illness setbacks throughout the 25-year-old's career.
McCartney said Boyd's expected return would help the Bulldogs improve in areas they normally pride themselves on but struggled with against the Tigers - winning the contested ball and applying defensive pressure.
But he said there had to be a team-wide lift, although the positive was that the players hadn't had to be told where they let themselves down.
"The sign of improvement for us was they knew straightaway what happened out there," he said.
"The key is to be able to fix it up on the run."
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