Round Four
Adelaide v Western Bulldogs
Sunday, April 21 at 2:45pm (SA time)
AAMI Stadium

Latest news
Two to debut for Dogs
Highly-rated draftees Jake Stringer and Jackson Macrae will make their AFL debuts against Adelaide, as two of six changes to the team. Captain Matthew Boyd, tall Ayce Cordy and defenders Jason Tutt and Jason Johannisen have also been recalled.

Out of action
Ayce Cordy (back spasm) – available
Robert Murphy (calf) – TBC
Dylan Addison (hamstring) – test
Nathan Hrovat (calf) – 1 week
Easton Wood (hamstring) – TBC
Tory Dickson (ankle) – 8 weeks
Lin Jong (broken leg) – TBC
Shaun Higgins (foot) – season

Western Bulldogs’ recent form
Round Three, Western Bulldogs 10.8 (68) lost to Richmond 20.15 (135), Etihad Stadium
Round Two, Western Bulldogs 11.12 (78) lost to Fremantle 16.10 (106), Etihad Stadium
Round One, Western Bulldogs 19.13 (127) d Brisbane Lions 7.17 (59), Etihad Stadium

Recent form against Adelaide
2012, Round Two, Adelaide 11.16 (82) d Western Bulldogs 9.10 (64), AAMI Stadium
2011, Round 13, Western Bulldogs 14.16 (100) d Adelaide 10.10 (70), Etihad Stadium
2010, Round 19, Western Bulldogs 8.13 (61) d 7.11 (53), AAMI Stadium
2010, Round Five, Western Bulldogs 18.13 (121) d Adelaide 10.12 (72), Etihad Stadium
2009, Round Seven, Western Bulldogs 17.16 (118) d Adelaide 12.14 (86), AAMI Stadium

Brownlow Medal votes from last meeting
3. Scott Thompson (Adel), 2. Ryan Griffen (WB), 1. Matthew Boyd (WB)

Squad
B: Tom Young, Jordan Roughead, Liam Picken
HB: Jason Johannisen, Dale Morris, Brett Goodes
C: Jackson Macrae, Matthew Boyd, Koby Stevens
HF: Ryan Griffen, Liam Jones, Daniel Giansiracusa
F: Jason Tutt, Ayce Cordy, Luke Dalhaus
Foll: Will Minson, Nick Lower, Adam Cooney
Interchange from: Mitch Wallis, Daniel Cross, Jake Stringer,Tom Liberatore
EMERG: Clay Smith, Lukas Markovic, Christian Howard

Stats that matter
Forward Liam Jones played one of his best games as a Bulldogs last weekend, slotting four goals. Jones kicked two goals against Adelaide in Round Two last season. Livewire Luke Dalhaus leads the Club’s goalkicking (six) after three rounds.

Brownlow Medallist Adam Cooney has overcome a chronic knee injury and returned to form this season. Cooney is averaging 22.7 possessions and a goal per game in 2013. Cooney and fellow South Australian Ryan Griffen were among the Dogs’ best players in the loss to Richmond last weekend.

Griffen is an excellent user of the ball by foot, ranked fifth in the AFL for long kicks.

Bulldogs ruckman Will Minson is ranked second in the competition for hit-outs and hit-outs to advantage.

Tony Modra holds the record for most Crows goals against the Dogs, booting eight in a match at Princes Park in 1997.

Patrick Dangerfield is ranked third in the League for hard-ball gets (21) this season.

The Crows have lost four of their past five games against the Bulldogs, but won the most recent meeting in Round Two, 2012. Adelaide has won 16 of its 36 clashes with the Dogs for a winning percentage of 44.4% - the Club’s worst against any current opponent in the AFL.

The Dogs have not won outside of Victoria since Round Eight last year when they beat Gold Coast in a ‘home’ game at TIO Stadium in Darwin.

Bob Murphy is a key player in his team’s scoring chains, ranked equal-first in the AFL in score assists.

The Crows are ranked third in contested marks, averaging 13.3 marks a game. Josh Jenkins leads the way with seven – ranked equal-third in the competition.

Adelaide has been outscored 10.11 (71) to 16.14 (110) in third quarters this season.

Taylor Walker is ranked top-five in the AFL for goal assists (five) after three rounds. He’s also kicked eight goals of his own – ranked in the top 10.

News bites
Two to debut for Dogs
Highly-rated draftees Jake Stringer and Jackson Macrae will make their AFL debuts against Adelaide, as two of six changes to the team. Captain Matthew Boyd, tall Ayce Cordy and defenders Jason Tutt and Jason Johannisen have also been recalled.

Dogs skipper calf a chance – AFL.com.au
WESTERN Bulldogs captain Matthew Boyd is a chance to return for Sunday's match against Adelaide, after overcoming a calf injury. The skipper faces one final hurdle, needing to get through Thursday's training session to get the all clear.

Debutants in the Mix – AFL.com.au
Jake Stringer is certainly in the box seat to debut this week, after his five goal haul in Williamstown's 100 point win over Coburg on Saturday. In fact, he was so red-hot, four of his goals were consecutive as he blitzed the third quarter. Jackson Macrae also made strides, with some impressive work in the midfield. Mark Austin and Lukas Markovic held up the defensive end in the win, and could also be considered for selection to replace Easton Wood. The door is certainly open at the Bulldogs this week, with injuries to Shaun Higgins, Tory Dickson and Wood forcing at least three changes.

Higgins out for season – AFL.com.au
WESTERN Bulldogs midfielder Shaun Higgins is out for the season after fracturing a navicular bone in his left foot. He'll undergo surgery later this week. It's not the only injury blow for the Bulldogs, with Easton Wood and Tory Dixon sidelined after the loss to Richmond.

Fight like Dogs: Cross – Herald Sun
WESTERN Bulldogs veteran Daniel Cross has implored his side to "fight like Dogs" against Adelaide on Sunday, after a belting at the hands of Richmond. The Bulldogs had just five tackles in the first quarter and coach Brendan McCartney said the side had to "reboot" for Sunday.

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