BROWNLOW Medallists Adam Cooney and Jason Akermanis will make welcome returns for the Western Bulldogs against St Kilda this week – a match coach Rodney Eade forecasts as a true test.
Speaking from Whitten Oval, Eade said the undefeated Saints had struck a strong balance between watertight defence and free-flowing attack.
"You need to win the contested ball and you need to win the ball and do something with it," he said on Thursday.
"You need to be able to maintain the pressure and hang in the contest. I think it is going to be one of those games that is ... low scoring and is just going to be a real fight."
Cooney, who will complete a full week of training, has been cleared to play after knee surgery a fortnight ago, while Akermanis has served a one-match suspension.
Though key defender Tom Williams sent a scare through the camp when he hobbled to the bench with a foot injury in last week's loss to Carlton, Eade confirmed it was not a serious injury but there was some doubt over his availability.
"He hurt the plantar fascia in his foot, but it's not as bad as we first thought," he said.
"There's a bit of bruising and swelling there and we thought on Monday he'd be no chance, but it looks like he's … better than 50-50. He's a reasonable chance of playing."
Forward Scott Welsh, on the comeback trail from a back injury, is unlikely to play this week despite a good showing in the VFL.
However, Eade was confident the forwards he had at his disposal could get the job done.
"I get asked every week about a tall forward and I keep saying that we haven't got one," he replied when asked if he needed an injection of height in attack.
"We haven't got (Jonathan) Brown or (Nick) Riewoldt or whoever so I don't know why people keep bringing it up.
"We'd love to have one but we haven't, so at times we've got to manufacture goals and most of the time we've been able to do that with a smaller forward line."
After two trips to Perth inside the first month of the season, the Dogs looked sluggish against the Blues but Eade said his players had been given every opportunity to freshen up for the clash.
"I think as a club we haven't used the travel as an excuse," he said.
"Maybe it might be over those weeks when it was all about recovery that we haven't touched the balls as much as we have in the past … but I think skill level has as much to do with concentration.
"Maybe mentally we just haven't been there as far as finishing off the work [is concerned]."
With three wins to start the season, the Dogs are in danger of losing three in a row but Eade has not found it necessary to call any crisis meetings.
"I think the group with the leadership they are showing are taking a fair bit of responsibility," he said.
"They've had a fair bit of discussion as a group, so really as a coach I haven't had to say a lot to them. I think they've been able to challenge each other.
"I think overall they've maintained their belief in themselves and you see that in the way they’ve trained this week. The place is reasonably buoyant."
