Western Bulldogs News

Barry Hall says he is surprised by his own form and the jubilation it has set off at his new club the Western Bulldogs.

"I never expected things to go so well so early, especially at the ripe old age of 33. It's a bit of a shock as I was just hoping to cruise in, go under the radar and swan into Round 1, but it hasn't gone that way," Hall said.

Mitch Hahn fractures an eye socket after clashing with teammate Barry Hall but is still a chance to recover in time for the Bulldogs' round 1 clash against Collingwood.

Western Bulldogs forward Barry Hall wins the Michael Tuck medal for being best on ground in the 2010 NAB Cup Grand Final against St Kilda and says he is enjoying his footy again.

"In Sydney I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform. I had a lot of good years there but towards the end, it was unhealthy, the high expectations," he said after the game.

"I got older and I put a lot of unnecessary pressure on myself and it really weighed heavily on me.

"The Bulldogs have given me a chance and I just want to enjoy it and not put too much pressure on myself. I've slotted in nicely and there's no pressure on me internally."

Brad Johnson is coping well with the knowledge he will not play in this weekend's NAB Cup grand final, according to coach Rodney Eade.

"He's a fairly upbeat sort of guy and a pragmatic sort of person," Eade said.

"He's disappointed underneath that he is not playing but he's got the whole season ahead of him and he knows that.

"He had a little bit of a setback for a few days but he's not too bad. He's in a positive frame of mind. He's the sort of guy who gets on with it and doesn't really dwell too much."

Kevin Sheedy says the Swans made a mistake by trading Barry Hall and should have just asked the forward to take some time off instead.

"It might have been better if Roosy just told Barry to take half a year off: `We're probably not going to make the finals, go away on a holiday, and come back next year all refreshed to start again'," Sheedy said.

"It takes a huge lot of character to do that, but sometimes you have to do that."

Bulldog Brian Lake discusses the controversial free kick he gave away in last year's preliminary final which resulted in a subsequent Riewoldt goal and a change in momentum.

"In the heat of the battle, a few of the opposition players mentioned, 'It might have cost your side a Grand Final spot'," Lake said.

"I can't go into it too much, but I think I was a little stiff. It's a body contact sport. I thought it was fair. It wasn't high. It wasn't in the back."

"It wasn't as if we were targetting him or anything. When he was in the vicinity we wanted to make body contact. You have to bring your presence to the game."

Western Bulldogs captain Brad Johnson will miss the season opener against the Pies and may not play until round three due to calf tightness.

"He trained yesterday and when he came in this morning it was just a bit tight," Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said.

"There was no real pain with it, but it was always going to be right on the edge whether he played on it or not so we're just going to err on the side of caution."

This is the year the Bulldogs could break their premiership drought according to forward Jason Akermanis.

"This is the window, we spoke about it last year as well. There's not too many years when we can get that group [of players] in their late twenties," Akermanis said.

"St Kilda will be saying the same and Geelong still think they're in it, so there's a number of teams that know that time is running out, but from our point of view we would have liked to have won it last year, but we've got to look at this year."

Despite the fact he still hasn't returned to full training, Brad Johnson insists he'll be ready for the season opener against Collingwood.

"I didn't miss a beat until a couple of weeks ago so I've got enough of a fitness base behind me and it shouldn't be an issue leading into the first game," he said.

"The week after [the final NAB Cup/Challenge match], the decision will be made in regards to what part they want me to play, possibly at Williamstown, or do a hard session at the footy club."

Christian Howard has been placed on the long-term injury list and will not play until at least round four of the 2010 season after having surgery on a hip impingement in late December.

"He can start running next week and then there will be a few weeks of rehab running," Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said.

"Then he'll have to go through a mini pre-season. That's going to take time. He'll be eight to 10 weeks away before he's able to play.

"Everything is going well from the surgery. It was a fairly invasive surgery that he had and we wanted to get it right."

New Dog Barry Hall lived up to the hype in his side's 57-point NAB Cup win against Hawthorn after kicking six goals on debut for his new club.

Bulldogs skipper Brad Johnson says the recruitment of Barry Hall has attracted more of their supporters to the club.

"He has been fantastic for us," Johnson said.

"You just have to look at our intraclub as evidence of the momentum that he has brought to the club in regards to membership.

"It was a huge turnout and every time he went near the ball the excitement of the supporters was right up there."

Jarryd Roughead may face his cousin Jordan Roughead in round 2 of the 2010 NAB Cup against the Bulldogs.

"I've never played against him in any sport, so it should be a bit of fun. And good for Dad and uncle as well," Jarryd said.

"He's a Ballarat boy. It's only NAB Cup (round) two, if it happens in Round 3 I might claim a bit of bragging rights."

Adam Cooney remains uncontracted at the Bulldogs leading to speculation he may draw interest from the new Gold Coast franchise.

"Ricky's pretty busy at the moment, but hopefully we'll get something sorted out pretty soon and we'll have a chat," Cooney said about his manager Rick Olarenshaw.

"Maybe Ricky can then start chatting to the club, but I think I'll get stuck into the footy first."

Adam Cooney has been added to the Bulldogs leadership group but says he may not have what it takes to ultimately become skipper of the club.

"I'm too left-field to be a skipper," Cooney said.

"I'm maybe a little bit too casual and I'm never going to fully change my personality as much as you need to for captaincy. As a captain you need to think footy 24/7 and I'm not the type of person who lives and breathes it."

Western Bulldog Jason Akermanis has his doubts as to whether Jonathan Brown and Brendan Fevola can work together in the Brisbane Lions' forward line saying that Daniel Bradshaw was a better complement for Brown.

"Bradshaw was a great sort of swingman for 'Browny' and 'Browny' was happy to play the lead role," Akermanis said.

"What will happen if two guys are playing the lead role? 'Hang on man, this is my show'. I know they are both very dominant guys, so they're both going to want their piece of the pie."

Western Bulldog recruit Barry Hall says it felt good to finally play a game of football again in the club's intraclub match.

"Just being in the game, in among it again was weird because I hadn't done it for so long," Hall said.

"You do get that when you have eight weeks off, but I had about six months off. I got a few touches, nothing too flash, but it was good to do it again because I had missed it."

Former Swans spearhead Barry Hall booted two goals in an encouraging effort at the Bulldogs' intraclub game on Saturday.

"It was his first real run. He's been steadily building up and he's still got a bit to go," Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said.

"I thought he moved pretty well. If he'd kicked straight, he would have had four or five [goals] but his attack on the ball was pleasing and you could see he's a real competitor."

Assistant Paul Williams believes Robert Murphy is well and truly over the knee injury that hampered him in 2009.

"Rob looks like a different man to where he was this time last year," Williams said.

"Everyone knows how much duress he was under last year - he hardly trained at all, he would basically recover after games and then play again.

"So to have him doing what he's doing now is really good for all of us. His knee is now no problem at all."

Midfielder Nathan Eagleton appears likely to miss his side's NAB Cup campaign after locking his knee at training.

"It was quite undramatic, really, how Eags locked his knee - he just had a little bit of cartilage jam up the joint, and unfortunately we needed to get that fished out by a surgeon," Bulldogs medical service manager Andrew McKenzie said.

"So he had a little arthroscope, the knee was cleaned out - he removed a little bit of frayed cartilage.

"But Nathan's got his full range back, his full movement now, so we're not expecting him to be out for long, it should only be probably three weeks that it disrupts his pre-season for."

The Western Bulldogs' first round draft pick Christian Howard is yet to start running as he recovers from hip surgery.

"He's a chance to play early on in the season, but we have to make sure we do the right thing by the kid and make sure that he gets enough fitness into his body before we'll expose him to games of footy," Bulldogs assistant coach Paul Williams said.

"You can't expect a kid who hasn't had a proper pre-season to come and play AFL straight away, so he will do what all kids have to do, which is demand their spot, train hard and play well and make us pick him."

Western Bulldog Brian Lake ties the knot with long-time love Shannon O'Malley at a church wedding in Adelaide on new year's eve.

"We never know what to do on New Year's Eve so we thought this way we're giving everyone a party," O'Malley said.

"We wanted to have all our family and close friends there."

The Western Bulldogs' first draft selection, Christian Howard, will undergo hip surgery and be unavailable for the NAB Cup.

"It's a light thing. We were across that prior to drafting him," general manager of football James Fantasia said.

"We're going to do it pre-Christmas so it gives him some good recovery time.

"We picked it up early through our screenings and it was always on the cards."

Touted as a first-round draft pick, Matthew Panos had to wait until the NAB AFL Rookie Draft to find his way to the Whitten Oval.

"I was quite upset when I didn't get picked up in the national draft," Panos told afl.com.au.

"My hopes weren't extremely high, but I was still disappointed not to get picked up. Now, I'm just really excited to be on an AFL list and to be with the Bulldogs, who have had good success over the past few years."

New Western Bulldogs recruit Barry Hall says he is fit and ready to go in round one of 2010.

"I'm a bit lighter. I actually have to put on some weight. I've got three of four kilos to put on.," he said.

"But the skin folds are good. My upper body strength is little bit off what I usually am, which is good, because there is obviously going to be some improvement ahead."

Barry Hall says the move back to Melbourne and the Bulldogs has invigorated him personally and professionally.

"You try and impress everyone again - I'm feeling 18 at the moment," Hall said.

"Melbourne's good, the weather's been alright and it's good to get home. You can escape a bit of the footy up in Sydney so I'm back in the swing of it here and it's like I never left."

Western Bulldogs skipper Brad Johnson remains hopeful of playing in the 2010 NAB Cup despite recent shoulder surgery restricting his pre-season.

"It's coming along quite well," he said.

"I haven't been restricted in any of the running and I've been able to do most of the skill drills.

"It's really not an issue. With the competitive side of things, we really don't do much before Christmas anyway".

Western Bulldogs coach says Christian Howard was the best player available at No. 15 in the 2009 NAB AFL draft.

"We had 12 or 13 players that we thought were the best players in the draft and they'd all gone, so really he was our next player on our list," Eade said.

"He fits the profile of what we wanted -- a guy that can run and kick and set the play up. He ticked a lot of boxes, so we're certainly very pleased to take him at that level."

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade says he is happy with Barry Hall's recovery from post-season ankle surgery.

"He's not running yet. He'll be able to run in about a week," Eade said.

"He's been walking pain free from the start and he wants to run, but the doctors are holding him back at the moment."

Christian Howard was as surprised as everyone else was to be selected with the Bulldogs' pick 15 in the 2009 national draft after not having been rated by anyone as being a first round pick.

"I think most of the country was pretty surprised I went at pick No.15," Howard said.

"I just sat there in disbelief for about five minutes. I couldn't move. My family was going nuts and I just couldn't believe it."

Hawthorn is considering drafting an experienced ruckmen, one of Chris Bryan, Cameron Cloke, John Meesen, Adam Pattison or Wayde Skipper on Thursday night.

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade says he believes Brad Johnson can play for at least two more seasons with the addition of Barry Hall helping to prolong his career.

"Barry Hall will not just add to us, but take pressure off Johnson and Mitch Hahn and Robert Murphy," he said.

"Johnno might be able to prolong his career by 12 months. He won't have to play the contested football. He might be able to play more of a high forward or running role, which he still has in him."

Western Bulldogs' renowned hard worker Dale Morris has been forced to slow down after having to rest his broken leg that he played with for several weeks in 2009.

"The leg is fine. It just needed some time off and you can't really take time off during the year for something like that," Morris said.

"That's another reason why I had to spend a few weeks off doing nothing, which was pretty hard."

Despite a breakout 2009 Shaun Higgins says he is not feeling any extra pressure to perform next season.

"Last pre-season was the first time that I've had a full pre-season, and I pretty much got through the year injury-free as opposed to the last couple of years," he said.

"If you can stay on the park and have a good pre-season, then everything is in good stead to have a consistent year."

Midfielder Nathan Eagleton to stay at club for at least one more season after agreeing to contract extension.

"Like Aker, we were unable to offer Nathan a contract that reflects his importance to our club but he has decided to put team success ahead of personal gain,'' Dogs football manager James Fantasia said.

Guy O'Keefe, Dan O'Keefe and Bryce Carroll will join Geelong's pre-season training in the lead-up to the NAB AFL Draft.

Western Bulldogs forward Jason Akermanis has committed to a new one-year deal with money playing no part in his decision.

"I am just excited to go again for another 12 months. It's a real bonus," he said.

"You are retired for a long time and I still feel I can play a valuable role for the team up forward and at times on the ball.

"Football has never been about the money. It has been about the thrill and enjoyment of winning. That is the most important thing for me."

Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade believes there is a regular spot available for Andrejs Everitt if he is willing to work for it.

"At times, he didn't do the work. No one gets a game on a plate, and if he's prepared to work, he'll get games. Liam Picken was a rookie and Andrejs was taken at No.11 in the draft. It doesn't matter how you got here; it's about the work rate and the work ethic you've got," Eade said.

"Andrejs works in fits and starts, and if he can work hard enough and long enough, he'll get games because he's got enough talent."

The Western Bulldogs may not know for several weeks if the revised contracts they have offered to veterans Nathan Eagleton and Jason Akermanis will be accepted .

"We've let both boys know we'd like them to play on next year, and we're in the process of putting some detail around what that might look like," football operations manager James Fantasia said.

"We've got a bit of time up our sleeve. We don't need to lodge the list for three weeks, so it could hold out until then."

Rodney Eade says Brad Johnson took his leadership to another level in 2009 and supports him keeping the role in 2010.

"He finished fourth in the best and fairest after a very good year. In the previous year, he had a few little injuries that held him back a bit, but I thought his leadership was outstanding," Eade said.

"His ability to delegate at the right time and develop some younger people in the leadership group was fantastic. Over the last two or three years, he's taken that part of his football to another level and he's been quite outstanding."

Daniel Cross says Western Bulldogs players threw their support behind recruiting Barry Hall just two days after bowing out of the AFL finals.

"I think looking forward, having big Barry down there is going to give the forward line more help," Cross said.

''Hopefully, he's going to open more options for the team and for the coaches going forward."

Jason Akermanis will finish his career at the Bulldogs on a significantly reduced wage.

"The Dogs didn't plan for him to play on so they didn't budget for Aker, but he is willing to commit to the club at whatever money they have left in the cap," Akermanis' manager Rick Olarenshaw said.

"He understands he has been well rewarded financially throughout his footy career and now he just wants to help the Dogs win a premiership."

Western Bulldogs captain Brad Johnson has committed to the club for yet another season.

"I am obviously rapt to be playing on next year. The fact that Brian (Lake) has recommitted to the club and with the inclusion of Barry for the 2010 season, it's a fantastic time to be at the Western Bulldogs," Johnson said.

The Western Bulldogs have confirmed that Brad Johnson will be asked to play on in 2010, but a decision is yet to be made on Jason Akermanis and Nathan Eagleton.

Western Bulldogs defender Brian Lake has signed a four-year deal that should see him at the club for the remainder of his career.

"It will take me to 31 and I'll spend the rest of my life at the Western Bulldogs and be a one-club player," Lake said.

"They gave me the opportunity in 2001 after taking me with pick 71. They took the punt. Over time I've repaid them and no doubt a four-year contract will see out my days here."

Defender Brian Lake has agreed in principle to a new deal with the Western Bulldogs, with only minor details to be worked out.

Lake is believed to have been given an ultimatum by the club to re-sign or face the prospect of being reluctantly traded by the club.

Lake's manager Ricky Olerenshaw told radio station SEN that his client was never seriously considering leaving the Bulldogs and had agreed to sign a new contract on Tuesday night.

Western Bulldog Matthew Boyd narrowly edged out Daniel Cross to win his first Charles Sutton Medal as the Bulldogs' best and fairest.

The Western Bulldogs plan to develop Leon Cameron with the skills required to be a senior coach, but not necessarily at their club.

"You want to develop your people and Leon is an outstanding coach and we want to give him as much exposure as possible," Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said.

"It's certainly not a succession plan for me to hand over to him in two years, it's for him to get wider knowledge so he is ready to senior coach wherever and whenever that may be."

After a career spanning three AFL clubs Western Bulldog Scott Welsh announced his retirement.

"I think he really enjoyed that role and we certainly thought it was very beneficial to the team," Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said.

"As a person he was terrific for the club, he fitted in extremely well and was very popular among his teammates.

"He is obviously leaving the club having made a huge impression and he knows he is welcome back at the Western Bulldogs anytime."

Scott Welsh retires from football after giving two years of service to the Western Bulldogs since moving over from Adelaide.

Welsh's retirement provides salary cap room for the Bulldogs to pursue former Swan Barry Hall.

Jason Akermanis is revealed to have been drunk and in a state unfit to go to the 2009 Brownlow Medal presentation.

"I picked him up and we were on our way to (Brad) Johnson's - I had his suit with me - and he was just not in a state to be seen in public at all," Akermanis' wife Megan told radio station Nova.

"He was a little sleepy. We were in the car and he said 'I can't go' and I said 'you shouldn't go'. So we turned the car around and went home."

Dale Morris is revealed to have played with stress fracture to his tibia against superstar Nick Riewoldt in the Bulldogs' loss to the Saints in their preliminary final.

"He has had a bit of a crack or a stress fracture," Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said.

"We were worried about it . . . if it cracked too far he wouldn't have been able to run.

"He is so mentally tough. He told us he was right to give us 100 per cent, but he is very sore."

Western Bulldogs' Brian Lake is in no doubt who is the toughest opponent he has faced - Barry Hall.

''Barry Hall has stitched me up a bit, so I'd have to say he was the toughest I've played on this year,'' Lake said.

''They're all reasonably tough but it really depends on the guys up the field and the midfield pressure. If the ball comes in easily, there's not really much you can do as a defender.''

Defender Brian Lake is unlikely to sign a new contract until the Bulldogs season is over.

"We would have liked to have progressed it earlier, but when we sat down, we realised, from where we sit, he has no intentions of moving," football operations manager James Fantasia said.

"We are quite comfortable with saying let's leave it until the end of the season, and really concentrate on this campaign we have before us, and that's what we've done."

Ryan Hargrave has signed a three-year contract extension and believes he will remain at the Western Bulldogs for the rest of his career.

"It was a pretty easy decision for me," he said.

"It will probably see me through to the end, and it's great to know I'll stay at the one club for my whole career."

Western Bulldog Brian Lake and his partner Shannon O'Malley welcome the addition of a healthy baby girl to their family.

Lake and O'Malley opted to have the birth induced in time for the finals.

Daniel Cross recovers in time for the finals from a potentially season-ending ankle injury with the help of an innovative icing and compression unit which allows players to constantly ice and compress injuries and improve their recovery.

"I was never going to concede. It was never in my mind to do that," Cross said.

"I love this team and I wanted to do what I could to get us into the third spot and hopefully do well in finals.

"I was going to leave no stone unturned."

Western Bulldogs key defender Brian Lake attracts plenty of interest from rival clubs as contract talks between him and the club are put off until after the season.

"We don't think we're too far away. Brian has indicated he wants to stay. We just need to be able to come to an agreement," Bulldogs football manager James Fantasia said.

As two top-four teams in the Bulldogs and Geelong face each other, veteran Bulldog Brad Johnson says he would love the chance to have another shot at goal after the siren to make up for his missed opportunity earlier in the year.

"I have missed two in two years, but I am not going to shy away from that situation, that is for sure," Johnson said.

"Hopefully if I get in that position on Friday night, I can turn the tables. I will certainly put myself up there to win that contested ball at the crunch time and continue to back myself in that situation."

Bulldogs supporters are willing to dig deep in a fundraiser if it will keep Jason Akermanis at the club.

Craig Stephens, managing director of Yarraville real estate agency JAS Stephensand the man behind the fundraiser to get teenager Jamason Daniels to the club last year, says he will do what it takes to keep the veteran forward at the Bulldogs.

"All it will take is one call from Rodney Eade and we'll rustle up a night to get Aker across the line," Stephens said.

"Last year, I got a phone call from Rodney at the 11th hour and within seven days we organised a night before the rookie draft.

"Don't worry, we can't afford to lose someone like Aker if he wants to play on."

Exciting young midfielder-forward Shaun Higgins defies Gold Coast interest to re-sign with Western Bulldogs.

'I've had a really bad run with injuries,'' Higgins said.

''Obviously when you first get drafted and you come in, all you want to do as a young guy is play games and to prove yourself at the top level rather than talk about expectations and what you could become while you're constantly battling injuries."

''But I think it actually makes you a better player and a better person and you go about your footy a little bit differently. When you get back, you make the most of the opportunities and probably don't dwell on little bits of bad form or other little injuries you get along the way.''

Western Bulldogs defender Tom Williams undergoes surgery on a broken foot and will be sidelined for two to three weeks.

The Western Bulldogs count the cost of a stirring win against Brisbane at the Gabba with key defender Tom Williams suffering a suspected broken foot.

Bulldog Eaton Wood experiences a win for the Western Bulldogs against Brisbane in just his second game for the club.

"I was just looking forward to getting covered in Powerade and water," he joked.

"I was really dying to sing the song. We missed out last week with a pretty ordinary performance, but it's something very good.

"It was just good to come away with a great win. We've had a little bit on us after last week, which was obviously such a bad performance, and stuck to our plan. It was really rewarding to come away with the four points."

The Bulldogs express relief with news that Daniel Cross could miss just one week after undergoing ankle surgery.

"It was the best news we could have with it. He had a little bit of gristle taken out last night," Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said.

"I spoke to Daniel yesterday and if he missed only one or two weeks, he was really pleased with that, so I think he'll be in a positive frame of mind with the news."

Western Bulldogs midfielder Daniel Cross will have exploratory surgery on his ankle to determine the extent of an injury he sustained while playing against West Coast.

Cross is at risk of missing out on the Bulldogs' finals campaign depending on results from the surgery.

Rodney Eade's tenure at the Western Bulldogs will run to a seventh season after the coach signed a new two-year contract with the club.

"Certainly from a personal point of view, it's fantastic and exciting to be re-appointed for another two years," Eade said.

"I think the hard work that's been done over the last four or five seasons as far as development of the list and development of the team and the club, we're heading in the right direction."

Western Bulldog Callan Ward has been nominated as the round 18 NAB AFL Rising Star.

"There are quite a lot of good players out there so I'm not surprised at all," Ward said of having waiting to wait until round 18 after a string of consistent performances before receiving his nomination.

"I guess I knew that if I kept playing consistently, which I think I have been over the last eight or 10 weeks the chance would come and it has."

Ward played 6 games in 2008 and attributes his improved form in 2009 to getting a full pre-season under his belt.

"Getting the full pre-season at the start of the year has helped with fitness," he said.

"Last year I didn't do the whole pre-season and I feel more confident now in running out games.

"This year I've had a lot more time to work on my own game, to man up on other guys and talk to the coaches about how to improve my game."

Bulldogs legend Doug Hawkins says his former team should recruit Barry Hall.

"If I was the coach, if I was Rocket Eade, I'd be going after Barry Hall for next year," Hawkins said on radio station SEN.

"Here's a bloke on his last chance, stack his salary so he has to play games to get paid."

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade reckons there is plenty of life left in Brad Johnson who is due to become the club's games record holder by playing in his 342nd game for the Bulldogs.

''He's probably going to end up with 370, 380 and hopefully 400,'' Eade said.

Brad Johnson will play his 342nd senior game for the Bulldogs against Fremantle, taking him past former teammate Chris Grant as the club's games record holder.

"By the very facts and figures that he has achieved for the Western Bulldogs, he takes over in my view as the pre-eminent Bulldog of all time," Bulldogs president David Smorgon said.

Western Bulldog Scott Welsh has been ruled out of Saturday's clash with Fremantle with an ankle injury that has been troubling him for the last few weeks.

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade says forward Scott Welsh failed to read the match-up board at three-quarter time, which gifted St Kilda a crucial goal.

Welsh did not realize he was meant to sit on the interchange bench and started the quarter on the field which resulted in a 50m penalty and goal to Nick Riewoldt.

"I asked him if he'd read the match-up board and he said he didn't," Eade said.

"I said, 'At 30 years of age, you might have learned something'."

Shaun Higgins injures his hamstring during the Bulldogs' clash with St Kilda.

Bulldogs backman Ryan Hargrave believes he has teammate Jarrod Harbrow to thank for his reinvention as a running defender this season.

"Dale Morris and Brian Lake have been playing more of the key position defender roles, which has helped, while Jarrod has definitely contributed to the move as well," Hargrave said.

"He's taking the small defender, which means I'm getting the one in the middle whereas I used to be on a key tall or a key small and I've had to concentrate on them.

"It's left me with more of an attacking role from defence, which has been really good. I've really enjoyed it."

Western Bulldog Ben Hudson says Barry Hall would add something to the Western Bulldog's attack.

"He is a great player and a big body," Hudson said.

"I think Murph (Robert Murphy) said during the week it would make people stand taller if he was on your side."

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade expects Adam Cooney to complete the rest of the season free of without any problems facing his knee that was operated on last season.

"Adam's fine. He went into the Collingwood game and he had a bit of a clean-up after the Hawthorn game," Eade said.

"He just got a bit of a knock, had a little bit of swelling in the same knee, but not where the operation was."

A persistent back injury will probably keep Ayce Cordy off the park again this week.

Cordy, 18, has played just one game since injuring his neck against Geelong in the VFL three weeks ago.

"The neck was the biggest problem and then he still had a sore back, and we thought it was just from landing," Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said.

"He was still very sore so we just did a check and he's got a slight crack in there. It's not in the spine itself or vertebrae itself

"He played the week after he hurt himself and said he felt okay, but there was a bit of pain there and he struggled a bit.

"Just to make sure, he probably won't play again this week, but it's not a serious thing."

Western Bulldog Lindsay Gilbee is determined to put two weeks of personal anguish behind him tonight to honour his seriously ill father.

As Gilbee runs out to confront Collingwood at Etihad Stadium, his father Lawrie will be watching from Box Hill Hospital, where he is battling an aggressive form of leukaemia.

"Dad was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia - and I heard some other bad news that came with it as well," Gilbee said.

"Hopefully, he's on the road to recovery, but we only take it one day at a time. We don't look at weeks ahead at the moment."

Gilbee has made it a point to acknowledge his father by using hand gestures after kicking goals in his past two matches.

"Dad said he got a bit emotional when he saw it on TV," Gilbee said.

"I will do anything to give my dad a little bit of a pep-up, and I will certainly be dedicating the rest of this football season to him."

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade laid it on the line to Nathan Eagleton in the off-season - feel free to play on, but take your chances at selection.

The wingman knew the batch of eager young Bulldogs was closing fast, but was happy to back his experience and ability and will play in his 250th game on Saturday night against the Hawks.

"It will be a buzz to get out there and run out and play my 250th game," he said.

"I am getting close to 200 games with this club as well, so I am just really excited. My two little boys will get to run out as well. I am really looking forward to it."

Drew Petrie and Trent Cotchin have escaped with reprimands for striking offences on the weekend.

Petrie was cited for striking Brad Johnson, while Cotchin was fingered for striking Jarryn Geary.

Western Bulldog Lindsay Gilbee faces an uphill battle to be fit for Sunday's showdown against North Melbourne at the MCG.

Gilbee, who hobbled from Whitten Oval yesterday just before the end of a one-hour training session, has struggled with ankle ligament damage for the past month.

If not for bad luck with injury, Bulldog Mitch Hahn would be well beyond the 150-game milestone which he will finally celebrate against North Melbourne.

"I don't think of that. I'm just privileged to be given the opportunity to play AFL football by the Western Bulldogs, who drafted me back in 1999," Hahn said.

"Sometimes you don't get the opportunity to show that you can play, and they gave me that opportunity and I'm grateful for that.

"I've been lucky enough to now play 150 games, so I'm excited to be part of this footy club."

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade believes Callan Ward is on the verge of NAB AFL Rising Star recognition after impressive performances in the past month.

"He's playing very good footy. His last three games have been fantastic," Eade said.

"His chance will come. Unless they have a standout game, they reward players for consistency.

"Callan's not far away. He's just got to keep working on his deficiencies. He's been a valued addition to the team."

Western Bulldogs defender Lindsay Gilbee is in doubt for Sunday's clash with North Melbourne after reinjuring an ankle at training.

"He got caught in a bit of a tackle. He hurt it again in Darwin, so it has been going on for a few weeks," Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said.

"There was some doubt on him anyway. It was the first day that he's trained; he didn't train at all last week, so I suppose there is some doubt now."

Tony Liberatore has broken his silence on a painful public spat with the Western Bulldogs, declaring: "I got it wrong."

The 1990 Brownlow medallist is easing his way back into the Bulldogs fold after apologising to president David Smorgon and chief executive Campbell Rose.

"I made a mistake over a year ago - February 14th, 2008," Liberatore said.

"The situation I was dealing with at the time personally wasn't good and I was going through change.

"So you make poor decisions. We all make mistakes in life."

Having watched Terry Wallace show how to not part with one's club, Dean Laidley knew he had to act once his commitment to North wavered.

The Western Bulldogs are at least a month from putting the stamp of approval on a new deal for coach Rodney Eade.

Eade will present to key members of the club's football sub-committee before a final call is made.

Bulldog Robert Murphy, having overcome a hamstring injury, believes he's lucky to earn an immediate recall with teammates in good form.

"Three weeks felt like about 10, so it's nice to be back," Murphy said.

"Games are hard enough to miss as a player, so to miss that one and then with the way we've been playing, I thought for a little while there might not be a spot for me because the boys were starting to build something.

"I'm fortunate to be back and hopefully I can do my bit."

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade says Jason Akermanis has been cleared of having swine flu.

"He didn't have swine flu," Eade said.

"I didn't know he had anything, to be honest, but two or three players had a bit of a nasal block early in the week. They're all fine."

Jason Akermanis says he's not responsible for giving the Queensland NRL team swine flu.

"I don't think they got it from me. I was sick last week, but I didn't tell anyone. Unfortunately, half my teammates are sick, so I apologise," he told Nova 100.

"The doctors don't seem to be concerned. They rang me and I said ˜I'm fine. I was a little sick last week' and they said ˜Ah, don't worry about it."

Western Bulldog Jarrod Harbrow says his time as a small forward has helped him down back in defence.

"It gives me a bit of an advantage. It gives me a bit of a step forward, knowing what the forwards are going to do," he said.

"You can sort of predict ahead and get a bit of time ahead of your small forward."

Bulldogs great Doug Hawkins defended former teammate Brad Hardie, declaring he should have been a no-brainer for Mick Malthouse's best team.

"I'm not talking best 22. Best 18," Hawkins said.

"In my opinion, Brad had the same impact in two years under Mick as some took six to 10 years to achieve."

Brett Deledio looked ready to explode as Liam Picken shoved him on the edge of the centre square throughout Friday night.

For much of the game, Picken delivered short, sharp forearm jolts - not enough to hurt or injure, but definitely enough to infuriate - and knocked one of the game's top playmakers off balance.

"I don't really notice it during the game. I just try to concentrate on the match. I don't worry about the niggle of games too much," Picken said.

"It happens in games, and opponents give it back to you. And that's fair enough.

"All the boys help me out during the game, which is great for me. I just want to keep playing my role so I can stay in the team, and hopefully we can get better.

"The ball bounced my way. It was just good to shut down whoever I had to."

The Western Bulldogs tonight gatecrashed Terry Wallace's farewell party in his last game as Tigers coach with an effortless 68-point win over Richmond at Etihad Stadium.

Terry Wallace has admitted he left the Western Bulldogs in 2002 under the assumption he had a coaching job with Sydney.

"My management group spoke to them about perhaps being able to go there," he said.

"There was no heads of agreement, but my management group thought we had an availability to go to the Sydney Swans."

Jason Akemanis has called on the Tigers to appoint his former teammate Craig McRae as their caretaker coach.

"Wayne Campbell was an assistant coach over with the Western Bulldogs ... he would be a fine inclusion, David King knows his stuff. Craig McRae is a personal friend of mine, he would be my favourite, only because he's had his own team. He's done very, very well, he's a very, very switched on man when it comes to footy," Akermanis said

Western Bulldogs defender Ryan Hargrave believes assistant coach Leon Cameron has what it takes to be a senior coach, but doesn't want to lose him.

"I can absolutely see him coaching, but I wouldn't want to lose him from here," he said.

"Hopefully down the track sometime when Rodney decides to hang his hat up, Leon can slip straight into the Bulldogs role."

Ryan Hargrave is an older Dog with plenty of tricks and about to play 150 games.

"I never really thought I'd get drafted, so I do pinch myself. 150 games, I'm very proud," Hargrave said.

Brian Lake, Daniel Kerr and Mitch Robinson will contest charges at the tribunal tonight.

The Dogs have accepted a ban for key forward Scott Welsh but decided to get backman Brian Lake available for Friday night's game against Richmond.

Hawthorn captain Sam Mitchell has virtually a one-game penalty hanging over him again despite being allowed to escape with a reprimand from a striking charge.

Scott Welsh and Brian Lake are considering all options and may decide to fight their one-match bans at the tribunal .

The match review panel handed down the bans after viewing footage from Saturday's match against the Sydney Swans, with Welsh charged with rough conduct against Jared Crouch, and Lake charged with tripping Jarrad Moore.

Dale Morris again outpointed a larger opponent in Michael O'Loughlin in the Bulldogs' big win over the Sydney Swans on Saturday.

"He's a very dangerous player, and one who can pop up and kick a lot of goals in a short space of time," Morris said after the game.

"He's got some tricks as well, so I knew leading into the game that I'd have to be right on him because he's still got great agility and pace ... if you blink you can lose him."

Bulldogs utility Lindsay Gilbee will play his 150th game against Sydney in Darwin and has learnt over the past five years the pros and cons of playing home games interstate.

"It's commercial reality and I trust the decision-makers at our club to make the best calls for its survival," he said.

"We played the Swans at Etihad Stadium last year and it was strange having a home game against them at home.

"It hasn't been the best thing for us on the field to go on road and play for premiership points.

"But, as a group, we've become accustomed to it and know footy is such a business, we just get on with it and this week will be no exception.

"We know it's the cold, hard facts and a reality that we must accept."

Geelong star Jimmy Bartel will be forced to play the rest of the season with virtually a one-match ban hanging over his head after being found guilty of a tripping charge against Shaun Higgins at the AFL tribunal on Tuesday night after an appeal against the charge was unsuccessful.

The Western Bulldogs may rest Shaun Higgins from their trip to Canberra, but say he is not suffering from osteitis pubis.

"Our doctors and medical services guys who work with him, and Shaun himself, feel it's coming along exactly the way we want it to come along," Bulldogs football operations manager James Fantasia said.

"There was none of these 'complications' or osteitis pubis. The truth is, because he's had this soreness, it's not just going to go away in five minutes.

"It can be manageable and that's where we're at with him at the moment."

A leg injury and an agonising defeat saw Lindsay Gilbee a forlorn figure after the Dogs' loss to the Cats.

"It happened in the first 10 minutes and its very, very sore," Gilbee said.

"It's a leg of some sort; it's the main bone there so we'll find out more tomorrow."

"I was au centre half-forward and I actually thought it went through; I jumped," he said.

"But after that I was on my knees, so it wasn't to be."

The Bulldogs coach refuses to blame his skipper for the missed shot at goal that could have won the game against Geelong on Friday night.

"He was beating himself up a bit," Eade said.

"He takes that personally but it is not just one act that wins or loses you a game.

"That sort of kick he practises a lot, we practise goalkicking and different situations and different angles.

"I think he just rushed it a little bit. It is all ifs, buts, maybes after it has gone but after he heard the siren maybe he could have gone back; I don't know.

"Anyway, it was certainly a tight angle but he didn't kick it."

Jason Akermanis has dropped a bombshell before his 300th game, declaring Leigh Matthews refused to acknowledge a crippling injury in his last year as a Brisbane Lion.

"That was the toughest period of my career," Akermanis said.

"There is nothing worse than wanting to run but it just felt like something was going to tear," Akermanis said.

"My muscles felt like crepe paper. I told them about the injury, but Leigh didn't care. "

The Brisbane Lions have finally had enough of Jason Akermanis, and have said so publicly with Brisbane coach Michael Voss demanding that Akermanis explain comments about the Lions made to the media.

Akermanis accused former teammates Justin Leppitsch and Mal Michael of being petty and snubbing his 2001 wedding because they felt he didn't deserve his Brownlow that year.

"Our fundamental philosophy is that our club is our people - eventually you have to sit there and say `you can't possibly take that'," Voss said.

Western Bulldogs forward Josh Hill says having other indigenous players at the club helped him settle in Melbourne.

"It's good to have that amount of Aboriginal boys there. We all feel comfortable around each other and get along," he said.

"The bond is pretty weird. When I first came over to Melbourne with Brennan, we knew each other before the draft so we felt comfortable with each other.

"We all connected in a way. We all get along really well and find the club a lot more comfortable having each other around."

Jason Akermanis is set to play his 300th game on Friday night, and says he would consider playing on next year if the Bulldogs wanted him.

"Never say never. When you get over 30, any year can be your last," Akermanis said on Tuesday.

"In the end, it's generally a decision that's made for you by the powers that be. Every player gets judged the same way.

"It doesn't matter your age: what are you going to give to the group, and is there a guy now in the list that is going to be able to take over that role?

"Last year I was getting that feeling it may have been my last, and I was just being realistic."

Scans on Robert Murphy's injured hamstring bring better news than anticipated for Bulldogs.

Murphy is expected to miss just two games after scans revealed the injury to be less severe than expected.

"It is better news than we first anticipated," Bulldogs' football manager James Fantasia said.

"He's got a slight grade one tear in the sheaf of the hamstring, not in the muscle, and effectively, he'll miss a couple of weeks.

"We're hoping it's just the two weeks. It's a better report than we were expecting."

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade says the club and Jason Akermanis may have to rethink the veteran's retirement plans after some recent terrific form.

"His form the whole year's been very good," Eade said.

"At the start of the year there was no discussion at all about that and Jason made it known it'd be his last season, so there's been no discussion."

Being the crucial ingredient in the Dogs' win against Melbourne has sparked speculation about Aka's future.

"I think this year I've played a lot better than last year and no doubt, with the extra weight (last year), I just couldn't run like I normally could," Akermanis said.

"This year it hasn't been an issue and I've really enjoyed the fact that I can get up the ground and get back and my defensive pressure has been my biggest improvement from the last two years."

Scott Welsh will become even more important for the Bulldogs now that Robert Murphy has suffered a hamstring injury.

"It's good to be back. I was happy to contribute to the team and get back and running," Welsh said.

"I was stuffed after last week but the more games I play, the more match fitness I get.

"I'm a bit knackered now but we'll do recovery during the week and just get ready for next week."

Bulldogs forward Robert Murphy to miss Friday's game against Geelong with a hamstring injury.

Western Bulldogs defender Lindsay Gilbee says his side is back in form after a win against Adelaide halted a losing streak of 3 straight losses.

"It was important to get some form back. We hadn't been playing badly but our skill errors had been costing us," Gilbee said.

"We've gone through all the stats and in the three games we lost it was our turnovers that were the only thing hurting us.

"It was something we rectified on the weekend, and it shows if you move the ball well and with good skill, you're going to win most games."

In-form Bulldog Shaun Higgins is unlikely to play against Melbourne on Saturday due to groin soreness.

"He's a good chance to be right to play, but we're not going to take any risks with him," Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said.

"It's a groin and we don't want those to linger on. He'll train later in the week, he trained yesterday and he's pulled up OK, but if he's 95 per cent, we won't play him."

Prized Western Bulldogs draft pick Jarrad Grant is poised to make his debut against Carlton on Sunday.

At Whitten Oval, Dylan Addison is widely considered the Western Bulldogs' toughest player.

"Dyl's been awesome. He has a presence about him around the ball," teammate Dale Morris said of Addison.

"He goes in so hard for it that it's reckless at times. He just throws his body in."

Forward Robert Murphy will return for the Western Bulldogs on Sunday, but Adam Cooney's availability is uncertain.

Jason Akermanis has been suspended for one match for tripping Eagle Mark Nicoski.

Richmond star Nathan Brown said the Tiger players were behind embattled coach Terry Wallace and equally responsible for the side's poor start to the season.

Rodney Eade expects Adam Cooney and Robert Murphy to return from knee surgery in a fortnight.

Western Bulldogs ruckman Will Minson believes the fight for spots in the senior side has been created by emerging youngsters.

"There's a lot of players playing well in the reserves that aren't getting an opportunity in the seniors but their time will come," he said.

"I think it's a good way to be at a footy club."

Western Bulldog Ryan Hargrave has accepted a $1950 fine for making contact with an umpire.

Frawley left a message on Terry Wallace's mobile at 8.30am yesterday.

He did it wearing two hats.

One, as chief executive of the AFL Coaches' Association and the other as a former Richmond coach who, like Wallace, found himself under terrific pressure in the last year of his contract in 2004.

Jarrad Grant has strung together two good performances for Williamstown, but Seagulls coach Brad Gotch says is still learning the tricks of playing forward.

Brownlow medallist Adam Cooney could return in time for the round five clash with Carlton, the Western Bulldogs say.

Western Bulldog Ryan Hargrave has been charged with making negligent contact with umpire Justin Schmitt during the third quarter of the Bulldogs’ clash with Richmond at Docklands and can accept a $1950 fine with an early plea.

Bulldog Liam Picken's match-day report for striking Brett Deledio has been dismissed.

Brownlow medallist Adam Cooney will have further surgery today on the same knee joint that disrupted his pre-season and is expected to be out for a week.

Richmond coach Terry Wallace says external factors hindered the young Tiger Richard Tambling's performance on Monday against the Western Bulldogs.

Western Bulldogs midfielder Daniel Cross says his side can make it to the grand final this year.

Robert Murphy will not play on Easter Monday, and may be introduced via the VFL, says Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade.

Liam Picken was given the job of minding Brent Harvey in his first AFL game and carried off the job with style.

Western Bulldogs midfielder Tim Callan is a late withdrawal from Sunday's clash with North Melbourne, to be replaced by Jarrod Harbrow.

Rodney Eade has confirmed forward Robert Murphy will not play for the Bulldogs this weekend as he recovers from knee surgery.

Western Bulldogs and Geelong say they will re-sign their coaches before the end of the season, heading off doubts about their futures.

Western Bulldogs forward Robert Murphy may play for VFL affiliate Williamstown on Saturday.

Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade says star forward Robert Murphy could be held back until round four.

Robert Murphy may miss the first month of the season due to a slower than expected recovery from off-season knee surgery.

Shaun Higgins shone in his first outing in the number 7 guernsey made famous by Scott West and Doug Hawkins.

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade says in future the AFL should make sure there is a longer break between Perth trips

Western Bulldog Tim Callan was in hospital last night after an allergic reaction to nuts that caused him breathing difficulties.

Rodney Eade has tailored pre-season training to ward off the effects of two trips to Perth in the AFL's first four rounds.

The Western Bulldogs have been forced to replace all their player guernseys and shorts after a late crackdown on the size of the sponsorship logo.

Jason Akermanis has been cleared to play in the Bulldogs' season-opener and will be nursed towards 300 games in his final season.

Brownlow medallist Adam Cooney and Robert Murphy will continue their races against time to be fit for the Western Bulldogs' Round 1 match against Fremantle.

Bulldogs pair Adam Cooney and Robert Murphy may miss their club's round-one clash against Fremantle.