The Western Bulldogs have made five changes for their Thursday night clash with Sydney at Marvel Stadium, with Tom Boyd part of the club’s 2016 premiership reunion spotlight. The match is set for 7: 30pm AEST on Thursday, and the club says the night will mark the 10-year anniversary of that premiership-winning season. The Bulldogs will also stage a special on-ground ceremony before they run out, while the majority of the 2016 team will be in attendance.
Tom Boyd in focus as the Bulldogs reshuffle
The selection call brings Ryan Gardner and Jedd Busslinger into the side in place of injured pair Rory Lobb and James O’Donnell. Adam Treloar returns for his first game of the 2026 campaign after collecting 41 touches in the VFL last week, while Lachie Smith is set for his debut in the ruck. Josh Dolan also comes back after a three-goal VFL performance.
Tom Boyd is among the names tied to the reunion atmosphere around the club’s milestone night, with the Bulldogs framing the fixture as a celebration of the 2016 premiership team. The club says the full 22-player premiership group will come together on Thursday night for the 10-year reunion.
Injuries, omissions, and the team balance
Sam Darcy and Tom Liberatore will miss through injury, and Jordan Croft has been omitted. That leaves the Bulldogs with a reshaped lineup as they prepare for a marquee home clash under the lights at Marvel Stadium.
The club’s changes are being made against the backdrop of a celebratory occasion, but the on-field task remains immediate: settle the new combinations quickly and handle a Sydney side in a round seven ANZAC Appeal match.
Tom Boyd and the reunion night
The Bulldogs say the pre-game ceremony will be part of a broader nod to the club’s premiership history, with current-day players and coaches among those expected to be involved. The team’s weekly pre-game playlist and club content have also been themed around the 2016 season, sharpening the sense that Tom Boyd and his premiership teammates will be central to the night’s framing.
For the Bulldogs, Thursday is both a match and a marker of club history, and Tom Boyd sits inside that story as the side prepares for a five-change lineup in front of a reunion crowd. The next step is simple: see whether the changes hold up when the siren sounds at 7: 30pm AEST.
