WESTERN Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge is set to make at least a couple of unforced changes for Sunday's fixture against North Melbourne to help arrest a three-game losing streak ahead of the club's mid-season bye.
Since departing Melbourne for the Northern Territory in round 11 on the back of a five-game winning streak, the Bulldogs have lost to Gold Coast, Geelong and Port Adelaide to sit in eighth spot, just ahead of a chasing pack that includes the Cats, Fremantle and Gold Coast.
Mitch Hannan will be considered for a recall after kicking five goals for Footscray last weekend, along with Tim O'Brien, who responded to being dropped with 19 disposals and eight marks against Frankston. Ryan Gardner and Hayden Crozier are two other options, along with mid-season recruit Caleb Poulter.
"Over the journey we've always made sure we've deployed the best 23 week-to-week that we think are well geared and well prepared for the opposition. It will be no different," Beveridge said on Thursday.
"We will keep giving lads an opportunity if they've played well at state league level and if they've put pressure on guys who have maybe had a dip in confidence or a drop in form. We'll work through that, but there is likely to be a couple of changes.
"Mitch is one that will be considered. He played pretty well the week before as well. The 'Scray have won their last two games. It's been a challenging period. Historically we've relied on playing 40 players every year. When it hasn't been going as well on an individual and team level at state league, it means you can't call on those resources because they are not really ready to play AFL footy. That hasn't put enough pressure on some of the guys playing at AFL level.
"Now with guys like Mitch playing some good footy. 'Westy' [Rhylee West] came in last week. That's healthy for us. It's what we need. Tim O'Brien went back after being omitted and had a really strong performance against Frankston. He took it on the chin, fronted up and played a really influential game. That's encouraging for him and for us. He is another one that will be considered."
After conceding 115 points and 92 points across the first fortnight of the season, the Western Bulldogs have had defensive issues across the past three games, conceding 97 points against Geelong in round 12 and 107 against Port Adelaide last Friday night, leaking scores on turnover at a high rate.
Beveridge said the hamstring injuries suffered by half-backs Jason Johannisen and Ed Richards have had an impact on the stability in the key posts, with a rotating combination of Alex Keath, Josh Bruce and Gardner supporting Liam Jones across the first 13 rounds.
"Sometimes key defenders are really helped by those mid defenders and the way they play the game. What we've found with some of the changes injury wise, we haven't coped so well in our key defensive areas and that's put pressure on form, so there has been a change in that area," he said.
"Does it become a bit unstable? Absolutely. That's just natural. Together between us as coaches and the playing group, we are looking to settle it and have a really strong systematic performance from our back end. We are looking to have really good execution behind the ball this week. Will there be a change or two this week? Maybe."
Second-year swingman Sam Darcy is starting to build up his training load again after missing the past fortnight due to his latest injury setback.
The 2021 No.2 pick underwent surgery to repair a fractured jaw he suffered in his first VFL game after recovering from a small hole in his lung.
"He had a plate put in and he had four wisdom teeth taken out as well," he said. "It was one of those common ones where there is a weakness in the jaw where your wisdom teeth are and he copped one in a marking contest and kept playing. It was a decent whack. But he's had that and he is a bit swollen but is training today. He is still a couple of weeks away, but he won't return until after the bye."
The tackle has been front and centre this week after St Kilda small forward Dan Butler successfully overturned his one-game ban, while Hawthorn is appealing the three-game suspension handed down to its skipper James Sicily on Tuesday night.
The Western Bulldogs opted not to show a memo delivered by the AFL last week with Beveridge saying some football acts are unavoidable and accidents should be considered when assessing dangerous tackles.
"We are one of the clubs that didn't show it. Purely because I can't tell the players to go out and avoid accidents. The main thing with our players is the discipline in what we do. Our players don't go out and intend to hurt anyone. When they tackle, they tackle within the rules, but occasionally with momentum or size of the player, you can't control that. We chose not to show the vision," he said.
"I feel like the intent of the player needs to be considered. The word accident has been used this week and I line up with that. We've got to make sure that we cater for the fact accidents will happen. If players have no real desire or intent to hurt another player in a football act then absolutely they should get a concession, I believe. Currently the way it's geared that can't actually happen.
"There would need to be a significant change and that's all I'll say because there is a fair amount of luck involved with a 360-degree collision game. You're not going to get through the year without a player or two falling victim to being involved in something that's unavoidable."
The Bulldogs have won eight of the last 10 encounters with North Melbourne, including the last four meetings by an average winning margin of 69 points, smashing the Kangaroos by 68 points in the most recent game on Good Friday last year.
The Kangaroos have lost the past 11 games but have been close in two of the four games – Sydney and Essendon – under Brett Ratten's watch and pose a threat this weekend.
Former first-round pick Cody Weightman will play his 50th game on Sunday night ahead of the Bulldogs' mid-season bye.
