Dale Morris has undergone surgery today to repair a pectoral injury sustained in the first quarter against the Hawks on Sunday.

Bulldogs General Manager of Football Graham Lowe said the defender is likely to miss at least the next six weeks as a result.

“Dale suffered a significant injury to his left pectoral so he’s got some damage there.

“After further consultation today with a specialist we’ve determined the best course of action is for him to have surgery so he’ll be unavailable for six to eight weeks.”

Midfielder Mitch Wallis is also expected to miss some football after back spasms ruled him out of the game yesterday.

Lowe said Wallis’ condition had improved today, but it was expected he would still miss the next fortnight at least.

“Mitch suffered his injury obviously early in the game in the first quarter, (after) significant impact with the player and the ground.

“He’s got some significant tightness and muscle spasm in his back and he’s come in today, certainly he’s freed up somewhat but our expectation is he’s probably not going to be available for the next couple of weeks.”

Marcus Bontempelli and Matthew Boyd were both late withdrawals ahead of the round three match, but both players are expected to return for round four.

“Marcus still had some awareness on the game day, in terms of some calf tightness that we didn’t want to risk,” said Lowe.

“Our plan is to prepare him to play this week and certainly he’s come in today and he’s looking good.

“We’ll make sure we work through the training he’s required to do and the boxes he’s got to tick, with a view to him playing this weekend.”

“Matthew had a really minor injury to his soleus, we’ve seen the settle down, he’s settled down really well in fact, so we’re confident that he’s going to be fit and available to play this weekend.”

Easton Wood may also return after a week off with hamstring soreness.

In positive news for the Club, Clay Smith was unscathed after his return from a knee reconstruction.

Smith returned through the VFL and played limited game time, but Lowe said the club was delighted with his comeback.

“(We’re) really pleased to have Clay back out on the field. He came back and played really well.

“It’s fantastic to see him out there and putting in a great performance and doing what he does best.”