Western Bulldogs forward Tom Boyd is set to return to the football field this weekend in Footscray's VFL clash with Essendon on Saturday.
Boyd stepped away from the game after his side's round 13 match against Melbourne, and has received treatment for clinical depression since making that announcement.
Dogs coach Luke Beveridge told media after his side's loss to GWS on Friday night that Boyd would likely make a return this weekend.
โItโs likely that he plays VFL footy next week,โ Beveridge said post-game.
โHeโs been back training in the full program the last couple of weeks so itโs likely that heโll have a run with Footscray.โ
Beveridge also spoke about Boyd's chances of making another senior appearance in 2017, and didn't rule him out, although he did concede it would be hard to see him return to the top level.
โHeโs missed a lot of footyโฆ itโd be hard for him to slot in in the near future, his yearsโ virtually gone I would have thought at AFL level, but who knows?โ
โโWho knows how much weโve got left. If it lasts for another month and a half he might be good for a sneaky chance but time will tell.โ
From his 11 matches so far in 2017, Boyd has averaged 11.4 disposals, 2.4 marks, 20 hitouts and 2.3 tackles per game.
