Veteran Boyd back for the Bulldogs

May 4, 2017 - 9:06 AM Young winger Bailey Dale is the unlucky player to make way for returning veteran Matthew Boyd as the Western Bulldogs look to get back on the AFL winners' track against Richmond.

With Tom Liberatore passed fit to play and Boyd and ruckman Tom Campbell both pushing hard for recalls, coach Luke Beveridge had foreshadowed some tough calls at selection.

In the end, there was only one change, with Boyd replacing Dale.

Campbell could do no better than a berth amongst the emergencies, leaving Tom Boyd to ruck one-out against Tigers' first-gamer Ivan Soldo at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.

The Tigers' winning start to the season came to an abrupt halt in round six when they ran headlong into the Adelaide juggernaut and were trounced by 76 points, despite holding the lead at quarter-time.

Beveridge is expecting a fierce response at Etihad Stadium from the chastened Tigers.

"They've played some great football," said Beveridge.

"Even in the first quarter last week they were very good again and there was a change in the complexion of the game after that for one or two reasons.

"We'll be preparing for their best."

Tough onballer Liberatore was passed fit after being concussed in a heavy tackle by GWS ruckman Shane Mumford in last week's narrow two-point loss, while skipper Bob Murphy has recovered from a twisted ankle.

The Bulldogs came up just short against the Giants in Canberra, despite having eight more scoring shots.

"There were elements of the way we played that we liked but ... we didn't capitalise on some of our transition, we were a bit chaotic in our forward line and 9.19 is not that attractive on the scoreboard," said Beveridge.

"We want to be better than that and that's our objective this week."

In other news on Thursday, president Peter Gordon announced the high-flying Bulldogs had signed a three-year, multi-million dollar sponsorship deal beginning in 2018 with Mercedes-Benz vans, which will be among the most lucrative in the club's history.

"It's a real statement of the progress the club has made on and off the field," said Gordon.

Source: AAP