With Aaron Sandilands unavailable to play against the Western Bulldogs in round one, Jonathon Griffin says he knows what’s required for the increased workload.

Griffin hasn’t played without Sandilands alongside him since round 18, 2014 in which he only played 45 per cent of game time.

Following a solid second half of 2015 and a full pre-season, Griffin is confident in his approach, leading up to round one.

“My approach doesn’t change that much,” Griffin said.

“It’s about respecting the responsibility that comes with spending more time in the midfield.

“It’s a different style of running, and it’s more of a grind whereas up forward is more explosive.

“Overall it’s about having smarter running patterns, and making sure you can last the whole game."

Versatile defence needed for Dogs

While the Western Bulldogs rotated a series of ruckmen throughout the pre-season, Griffin said not having a clear opponent isn’t an excuse to change his preparation.

“They’ve tried a number of guys in the role so I’ll be paying close attention to them,” he said.

“Will Minson played some pre-season games, so I’ll have a good look at studying him and the others and make sure to not leave anything to chance.”

One of the players the Bulldogs trialled in the ruck this pre-season was key forward Tom Boyd, who impressed in his time through the midfield.

Griffin said lining up against the highly touted Boyd posed a defensive challenge, given the young Bulldog’s goal scoring ability.

“He’s a very mobile guy and very athletic so that’ll be a challenge in itself,” he said.

“But these are the things you prepare for when you commit to playing professional football.”