A MONTH after earning an AFL lifeline via the Mid-Season Rookie Draft, Caleb Poulter will play his first game for the Western Bulldogs on Saturday.
The 20-year-old played 11 games for Collingwood in 2021 but only managed one more appearance last year before being delisted in October after just two years at the AIA Centre.
But after being one of only two recycled players – Quinton Narkle was the other – to secure a second chance last month, Poulter will launch the second chapter of his AFL career against Fremantle at Marvel Stadium.
Rather than returning to South Australia, the Woodville-West Torrens product joined Footscray at the end of last year and has played 11 games in the VFL season.
After naming him in the 26-man squad in round 13, Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has now opted to pick Poulter following a spate of injuries down back in recent months.
With Ed Richards and Jason Johannisen missing due to hamstring strains, the former Collingwood wingman is set to play at half-back and in his usual position against Fremantle.
Johannisen is still at least a month away from returning from the injury that has sidelined him since round 10, while Richards is pushing to return ahead of schedule next Friday night against the Magpies.
The Western Bulldogs returned from a five-day break on Tuesday and will be looking to overcome a bye curse in 2023. Only two of the 12 sides that have emerged from the week off have won in recent weeks, but St Kilda and Collingwood also faced sides coming off the bye.
The Bulldogs will need to make some changes to the backline that ended a three-game losing run against North Melbourne before the bye.
Gun recruit Liam Jones is unlikely to play again in the home and away season after suffering a badly broken forearm against the Kangaroos, while mobile defender Tim O'Brien is also set to miss the next couple of months with a high-grade hamstring strain.
After producing a career-best season in 2022, Ryan Gardner has fallen out of favour at the Whitten Oval this year but the backman is expected to return for the clash against the Dockers, while category B rookie James O'Donnell and forward-turned-defender Josh Bruce are also hunting a recall after being dropped ahead of round 14.