WESTERN Bulldogs youngsters Roarke Smith and Kieran Collins have been hospitalised after a car accident on the way to training on Friday morning.

Coach Luke Beveridge says the duo aren't seriously hurt, but Smith has a nasty gash on his head and won't play against Port Adelaide on Sunday in Ballarat.

As a precaution, both players were taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital and treated for minor injuries where they are expected to remain under observation for a short period of time.

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"They're both fine, but Roarke won't play (against Port Adelaide) and we've pulled him out of the team," Beveridge said on Friday morning.

"They were just turning and another car coming the other way collected them.

"They've been in (hospital) for observation and tests, but the early prognosis is that they're OK.

"Roarke has got a cut on his head, but they've been shaken up."

Ruckman Tim English replaced Smith in the 26-man squad with the final 22 to be confirmed later on Friday.

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The incident is the latest setback for the injury-riddled Bulldogs, with Beveridge joking that a curse may have played a part in 14 players being unavailable for selection through various concerns. 

"There was a 'The Brady Bunch' episode were the kids disturb an ancient burial site in Hawaii and these bad things started happening to them," Beveridge said.

"We might have walked over an indigenous grave or something like that, so we might have to pull in our indigenous brothers and sisters to make sure we cleanse ourselves and everything is OK because it's just a little bit more bad luck for the boys this morning.

"Thank God they're OK because footy becomes secondary when something happens like that."

In good news on the injury front, star playmaker Marcus Bontempelli will return from a fortnight layoff with appendicitis, while Mitch Honeychurch will also play against the Power after recovering from a neck injury sustained in a collision with West Coast's Shannon Hurn last week.

"(Mitch) has had some scans and everything is fine, his neck is fine," Beveridge said.

"He did have the Cogstate test and passed with flying colours, so he'll play."