First-year player Rhylee West has been included for Sunday’s big match against the Adelaide Crows at a sold-out Mars Stadium in Ballarat.
West will return for his second appearance at AFL level, after making his debut against Fremantle in round 19.
The 19-year-old midfielder-forward has averaged 25.5 disposals and three goals per game over the past fortnight at VFL level.
West has been included alongside ruckman Tim English, who returns after missing last week’s win against GWS Giants due to illness.
Veteran forward Tory Dickson will miss with a hamstring injury, while tall utility Jackson Trengove has been omitted.
Trengove, Bailey Williams, Roarke Smith and the yet-to-debut Callum Porter have been named as the emergencies.
The Bulldogs and Crows are both vying for a spot in September.
A win for the Bulldogs would secure them a top-eight berth, while the Crows can still make it if they win by roughly four goals and other results go their way.
The two teams have not met since round nine last season, with this match being the Crows’ first AFL match in Ballarat.
ROUND 23 SQUAD
B: Taylor Duryea Lewis Young, Hayden Crozier
HB: Jason Johannisen, Zaine Cordy, Easton Wood
C: Lachie Hunter, Marcus Bontempelli, Ed Richards
HF: Bailey Dale, Josh Schache, Sam Lloyd
F: Bailey Smith, Aaron Naughton, Toby McLean
Foll: Tim English, Josh Dunkley, Jack Macrae
Int: Matt Suckling, Rhylee West, Pat Lipinski, Will Hayes
Emer: Jackson Trengove, Callum Porter, Bailey Williams, Roarke Smith
In: Tim English, Rhylee West
Out: Tory Dickson (hamstring), Jackson Trengove
MATCH DETAILS
Western Bulldogs v Adelaide Crows
Mars Stadium, Ballarat
Sunday 25 August
1.10pm AEST
For match information, click here.
LAST TIME WE MET
Round 9, 2018 – The Crows were far too strong for the Bulldogs in the wet at Adelaide Oval, claiming a 37-point win. The Bulldogs had significantly more of the ball – winning the disposal count 398 to 330 – but the Crows did the damage on the scoreboard, kicking 9.9 (63) to the visitors’ 2.14 (26). Jack Macrae (36 touches, 13 tackles) was the leading ball-winner on the ground, with Marcus Bontempelli (28 disposals) and Toby McLean (22 disposals, 10 tackles) also having significant impact. Eddie Betts was sharp around goal for the Crows with four majors, while Rory Laird (28 disposals) and Bryce Gibbs (26 disposals) had plenty of the footy.
BROADCAST INFO
TV – FOX Footy (live from 1pm)
Radio – SEN 1116, ABC Grandstand
