WESTERN Bulldogs high-flyer Aaron Naughton has been cleared to face fellow premiership hopeful Collingwood in their season-opener at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.
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Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge also confirmed on Thursday morning that recruits in former St Kilda forward Josh Bruce and ex-Adelaide defender Alex Keath would make their first appearances for the club.
Naughton missed a significant chunk of the pre-season after undergoing an operation on the left knee he injured in last year's elimination final loss to Greater Western Sydney, before receiving arthroscopic surgery on his other knee to repair a cartilage problem in late February.
The Bulldogs had taken a conservative approach with the exciting 20-year-old key forward, but his sterling training efforts have shown he is ready to face the 2019 preliminary finallist without having the benefit of an official pre-season hitout.
"Aaron's fit – he'll play. We'll name the side this afternoon but Aaron's in the 22," Beveridge told reporters at Whitten Oval.
"He's really important (to the team), not just for the now – we hope that as time goes by he keeps getting better and better.
"(It was) a little bit uncertain as to whether or not he'd front up round one … After about a week (after the second knee operation) he seemed fine. He's come through with flying colours."
Beveridge expects mature-aged newcomers Bruce and Keath to strengthen the Dogs' line-up at either end and make them taller, a prospect he described as "enticing".
"That's exciting for us and our supporters to see the difference they may make. In our key-position areas we've got a little bit more depth and our team will present out on the park differently than it has in the past couple of years," he said.
Young ruckman Tim English has enjoyed a solid pre-season but his coach was loath to place any added pressure on him given Collingwood star Brodie Grundy was best-afield in their two head-to-head clashes last year.
"I imagine Friday night Tim will give a better account of himself," he said.
Beveridge said the postponement of the VFL season until at least the end of May would challenge the likes of premiership midfielder Tom Liberatore (knee) to prove their fitness.
He said an option would be to play scratch matches against other clubs with reduced numbers.
The Bulldogs coach supported the AFL's decision to schedule games while it can during the coronavirus pandemic.
"Really, I think Friday night's a community service. It's an opportunity for us to put a spectacle on for people sitting at home … even though there might be others out there who think it mightn't make sense to play," he said.
