BAILEY Smith's 100th AFL match will make Luke Beveridge close to the proudest person in Ballarat this Saturday.
The Western Bulldogs coach has been a fierce defender of Smith, who has struggled for consistent form this season and missed a game earlier this month because of illness.
There has been trade speculation in the media about Smith, which Beveridge called disrespectful and pungent.
But Smith impressed with 25 disposals in last week's big win over Essendon and looms as a key to Saturday's clash with in-form rivals GWS at Ballarat.
"He means a helluva lot to us, Baz, and we hope he plays another two or three hundred," Beveridge said.
"He knows I have his back. I mentioned the other week - players who have challenges here or there, they don't always confront the game for all the pressure and seriousness of it, because that's difficult at times.
"Whereas Bailey does and I admire that in him. As a young man who wants to be the best, and is driven to be the best, (he) sometimes gets in the road of himself because he's so passionate and has that fierce desire.
"I admire he just keeps going after it ... he's a special human being."
The Bulldogs are fifth and only percentage puts them ahead of the seventh-placed Giants, who boast a six-game winning streak.
Asked what he has made of the Giants' season under new coach Adam Kingsley, Beveridge noted their come-from-behind win in round one against Adelaide.
"The one word that describes them with some accuracy is 'honest'- they've been a really honest team," he said.
"You could tell that behind the scenes, there was some real integrity in what they were doing together.
"Then they've strung these games together - no great surprise, because they were running teams pretty close."
The Bulldogs beat the Giants by 15 points at Canberra in round eight and Beveridge is bracing for another big duel.
"It will be a good battle in Ballarat ... a couple of pretty honest teams, going head-to-head," he said.
The Bulldogs recalled Jason Johannisen and Rory Lobb, but suffered a blow on Friday when Ed Richards was ruled out because of illness.
Luke Cleary, who played four games last season, will come in for his first AFL match this season.
