Easton Wood is ‘jumping out of his skin’ to return to the football field according to assistant coach Daniel Giansiracusa, as the Bulldogs prepare to take on the second-place Swans at the SCG on Saturday afternoon.

The match will be the Dogs first trip to Sydney since the Club’s epic triumph over the Swans in Round 5, last season. 

The four-point win over the heavily favoured Swans on a sodden SCG was lauded by many as heralding the arrival of the young Bulldogs as a genuine finals contender in 2015.

Wood recalls the day with a  smile.

It was one of the best days of footy I’ve ever hard, if not the best, he told westerbulldogs.com.au

“So to go up there and have another crack at it, it’ll be great.”

Wood has not played since Round 10 against Collingwood due to a hamstring complaint, but Giansiracusa expects the acting captain to be available for selection on the weekend, and if he does make the cut, he will be welcomed back with open arms.

“He’s taken his game to a new level, obviously All-Australian last year and pretty good form before he went out, so we’re looking forward to getting him back and that leadership down there is important.

“It’s exciting for the group to have the stand-in skipper back against the Swans.”