WESTERN Bulldogs key defender Alex Keath will return against Fremantle on Friday night after flying to Perth earlier this week to join Luke Beveridge's squad. 

The 31-year-old missed the Gather Round loss to Port Adelaide on Saturday night due to the concussion he suffered in the contest with Richmond forward Tom Lynch in round four. 

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With a six-day break between games and back-to-back travel, the Bulldogs flew straight to Perth with a 25-man squad on Monday ahead of the opening game of round six at Optus Stadium.

Keath joined the club on Tuesday and trained with the group at the Subiaco Football Club on Wednesday. 

The former Crow will replace Josh Bruce in the 22 that lost by 14 points to the Power last weekend. 

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Dogs defender out with concussion

Alex Keath has been subbed out with concussion following this contest midway through the opening term

Published on Apr 8, 2023

Bruce has returned to Melbourne and is set for an extended stint on the sidelines with significant rib and sternum damage following a collision against the Power. 

"He'll replace Josh," Beveridge told reporters in Perth on Thursday. 

"It is unfortunate, Brucey was going really well. He'd made the adjustment; he'd had a good pre-season and been a terrific contributor in that back end. It is really bad luck, so he is going to be out for a while, Josh. 

"Alex's form is tremendous. He played a cracking game the week before against Brisbane before he got injured. We welcome him back and hope he can play well for us."

Josh Bruce in action during the Western Bulldogs' loss to Port Adelaide in round five, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

Key defender Ryan Gardner remains out of the squad despite recovering from elbow surgery in February, while Hayden Crozier has also remained in Melbourne after recovering from the back issue that prevented him from playing last Saturday night. 

Star midfielder Bailey Smith will miss a second game with a calf strain and is no guarantee to return against Hawthorn next weekend. 

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Beveridge said the 22-year-old hasn't trained much since reporting the calf issue following the five-point win over Richmond but will start cranking his program from Friday. 

"He's got an important session tomorrow," he said.

"He hasn't really done much yet with the calf injury, so we'll wait and see how he pulls through some training to see whether or not he is available for the following week. We can't give you much more than that unfortunately."