Dogs let Dunkley off leash
WESTERN Bulldogs midfielder Josh Dunkley will take on the Power on Monday night after six weeks on the sidelines with an ankle injury.
Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said the loss of Matt Suckling to a hamstring injury had paved the way for Dunkley, who had not played since he suffered a syndesmosis injury on June 19, to provide the consistency that he said the Dogs craved.
“Dunks will play, so there’ll be at least one change there,” Beveridge said.
“(Dunkley) is just a great team player. He does everything right in the game – he works his backside off … and he reads the game really early.
“He’s strong and hard in tight, and he really gets out.
“Our boys have done an inconsistent job over the course of the year but Dunks is a really consistent player who continues to apply himself. And he’s a shining example within our four walls of what we’re after.”
Lachie Hunter, who has taken a break from AFL to deal with personal issues, played in a multi-club scratch match on Sunday and Beveridge said he was making positive strides.
“Maddie’s up now, which is great, Lachie’s fiancee,” Beveridge said.
“They did have plans to get married – I’m not sure how that sits in this COVID-19 world at the moment.
“(Playing on Sunday) will be good for him. And we’ll see how he comes through over the course of the next week or two and work out whether he’s considered to come back into the AFL team.”
Hunter played in a Western Bulldogs’ reserve side featuring some Suns and Richmond players to pad out the numbers, with a brief injury scare when he went down with an ankle complaint.
He limped to the sidelines but after having his ankle strapped, he returned to the game.
After being a late inclusion in the team’s heavy Round 9 loss to Richmond, Jackson Trengove played for the Bulldogs’
reserve outfit. Aaron Naughton, Josh Schache and recent debutante Callum Porter were among Bulldogs players who participated in running drills on the boundary of the Suns’ training ground.
Beveridge said Naughton, who suffered a similar injury to Dunkley but had surgery, could return in coming weeks.
“We anticipate after this game, he’s a chance to come in on the Brisbane game or the week after,” he said.
“We wouldn’t think it’d be any later than that.”