muttley3028
26-08-2009, 01:57 PM
http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/season2009/news/newsarticle/tabid/4112/newsid/83505/default.aspx
"WESTERN Bulldogs midfielder Daniel Cross will return for Sunday's crucial clash with Collingwood but Ryan Griffen look likely to miss again.
Cross has missed the past two games after having an ankle arthroscope while Griffen was a late withdrawal in round 20 and sat out last week with a hamstring.
Coach Rodney Eade said Cross was a definite inclusion for this week, "unless he pulls up sore", but Griffen had a bit more to do to prove his fitness.
"Because it's a Sunday game, it gives him [Griffen] the chance to play, but he's probably about 90 per cent and we won't risk him if there's any doubt at all," he said.
Eade also said the Dogs were enduring the perfect lead up to finals with matches against three top eight sides rounding out their season.
"I thought it would certainly show where we were at and we had our own destiny in our control," Eade said at Whitten Oval on Wednesday.
"It's a great lead in for us, playing three good teams, I think it terrific.
"It sharpens your focus, and the players know they needed to win the games, and I think now against quality opposition they know they need to play that way."
He also said he was pleased with the way his players had responded to their shock round 19 loss to West Coast with wins over the Brisbane Lions and Geelong in subsequent weeks.
"I knew they had a lot of character and I knew they'd bounce back, but whether that equated to wins I didn't know because of the quality of the opposition," he said.
"The Brisbane game, with Griffen pulling out and Cross out, and also [Daniel] Giansiracusa and [Shaun] Higgins out, it was a terrific performance away.
"We got a couple back last week and it was another terrific performance."
Eade said Tom Williams was walking on his foot nine days after it operated on and would start running next week ahead of his possible availability in the second week of the finals.
for westernbulldogs.com.au"
"WESTERN Bulldogs midfielder Daniel Cross will return for Sunday's crucial clash with Collingwood but Ryan Griffen look likely to miss again.
Cross has missed the past two games after having an ankle arthroscope while Griffen was a late withdrawal in round 20 and sat out last week with a hamstring.
Coach Rodney Eade said Cross was a definite inclusion for this week, "unless he pulls up sore", but Griffen had a bit more to do to prove his fitness.
"Because it's a Sunday game, it gives him [Griffen] the chance to play, but he's probably about 90 per cent and we won't risk him if there's any doubt at all," he said.
Eade also said the Dogs were enduring the perfect lead up to finals with matches against three top eight sides rounding out their season.
"I thought it would certainly show where we were at and we had our own destiny in our control," Eade said at Whitten Oval on Wednesday.
"It's a great lead in for us, playing three good teams, I think it terrific.
"It sharpens your focus, and the players know they needed to win the games, and I think now against quality opposition they know they need to play that way."
He also said he was pleased with the way his players had responded to their shock round 19 loss to West Coast with wins over the Brisbane Lions and Geelong in subsequent weeks.
"I knew they had a lot of character and I knew they'd bounce back, but whether that equated to wins I didn't know because of the quality of the opposition," he said.
"The Brisbane game, with Griffen pulling out and Cross out, and also [Daniel] Giansiracusa and [Shaun] Higgins out, it was a terrific performance away.
"We got a couple back last week and it was another terrific performance."
Eade said Tom Williams was walking on his foot nine days after it operated on and would start running next week ahead of his possible availability in the second week of the finals.
for westernbulldogs.com.au"