With Jordan Roughead still weeks away from returning from his hamstring injury, the Bulldogs' already thin ruck stocks took another hit in the Good Friday win over North Melbourne when Tom Boyd bore the brunt of a hit from Roos backman Scott Thompson, a blow which led to Boyd sitting out the bulk of the match with delayed concussion.

The situation looked to have deteriorated further when the Bulldogs' surviving ruckman - Tom Campbell - had his ankle attended to by club medical staff. He bravely played out the match, and while he was icing the ankle in the rooms post-match, insisted there was no lingering problem.

Campbell conceded after the game that he was exhausted, having shouldered the ruck duties almost on his own after quarter-time. "I won't lie, I was pretty tired by the end," Campbell said.

"It was a big workload when Tom Boyd went down but that's what we train for. We train to be able to run out the game."

Boyd's concussion and the broken ribs suffered by pinch-hitting option Travis Cloke are the latest obstacles to confront the Bulldogs in what is proving to be a tricky year for the club's big man department, which had already been tested by Roughead's February setback, and an earlier ankle complaint for Campbell in the pre-season.

The reigning premiers had already identified the ruck as an area of need following Minson's retirement at the end of last season. In came West Australian beanpole Tim English early in the national draft. That was supposed to be a long-term play though, given English is still in the development phase.

But it raises the question of just how might the Dogs support Campbell next week against the Brisbane Lions if Boyd is sidelined because of his head knock. English would be an option but there's not much else left at the Whitten Oval in the form of conventional ruckmen. Campbell was diplomatic when asked whether he'd prefer to go it alone again if Boyd isn't cleared to take on the Lions.

"Selection decisions aren't up to me. Whatever Bevo goes with I'll just play my role as best I can," he said.

In the past the Bulldogs might have opted to employ third-man up tactics, with star Marcus Bontempelli among the best exponents of the move in the AFL last year. Of course that is no longer an option following the controversial rule change ahead of this season.

While Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has not been a fan of the new rule, his side benefited from the confusion it is causing on Friday when youngster Josh Dunkley won a free kick just before three-quarter-time after being held by North's Andrew Swallow, who appeared to think that Bontempelli - who had raised his hand - was the designated ruckman.

Notwithstanding that moment, Beveridge has said his team has been relatively slow in adjusting to the new rule. Campbell sounds comfortable with the changing landscape though. "As players, we've just got to play to the rules the AFL sets," he said.

"As a ruckman it's probably put more responsibility on our role, but we adapt as players, and I think it's fine."

Given the Dogs' recent history of overcoming challenges, it is perhaps no surprise that their last experienced ruckman standing is getting on with the job with a minimum of fuss. Regardless of the ruck who and how, the Dogs are holding up. Just don't expect Minson to be a part of it.