EXPERIENCED defender Matthew Suckling will return to the Western Bulldogs side for their clash against Brisbane at Ballarat's Mars Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Coach Luke Beveridge said Suckling had recovered from a groin strain suffered at training a fortnight ago and is a welcome inclusion to a team that were convincing winners over Richmond in round seven.
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"Yeah, he (Suckling) will come in. Our return to play program always prepares our players pretty well, he's just got to train today and we're pretty sure he'll be fine," Beveridge said on Thursday.
"So, there will be at least one change."
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A strong performance to overcome the Tigers is a glaring contrast to Marvel Stadium losses at the hands of Carlton and Gold Coast and that gap between the Bulldogs' best and worst has been a discussion point for Beveridge and the playing group.
"Whether the emotion is frustration, you're probably right at times," he said.
"But we've got to keep looking forward. If the rear-vision mirror is too prevalent then it becomes a bit overwhelming, that emotion.
"We've reinforced that during the week and make sure the players understand we really believe in them and that we're not frustrated with them. We're always on a journey."
The next part of the journey is a home game against an in-form Brisbane at Mars Stadium, a ground the Dogs have adopted since 2017. Despite the visitors never playing at the ground before and conditions expected to differ from those typically seen at the Gabba, Beveridge doesn't believe that gives the Bulldogs an advantage.
"It should be good conditions, the time slot's a bit better than ones last year," he said.
"In many ways, as much as it's our home game, we treat it as a bit of retreat and an interstate-type approach. We go down the night before and get involved in the local economy.
"I don't think it's really going to matter, I don't think either team will have an advantage."
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The form of 19-year-old forward Aaron Naughton has been the talk of the town after taking 14 marks and kicking five goals in a standout display. The coach's advice for maintaining those high standards has been simple:
"You can't go up to a player and say, 'Hey mate, you had a good day (but) there's every chance it might go south this week.' All you do is remind Aaron of the important things that enabled him to play well.
"It would be great to think it'll turn out something like it did on Saturday night last week, but if it doesn't then we still need an evenness. We need other contributors."
