Drubbing doesn't bother Dogs

Tory Dickson of the Bulldogs cools down during the practice match against Fremantle in Mandurah. Source: Getty Images

THE Western Bulldogs deny any momentum gained from the NAB Cup win against Hawthorn a fortnight ago was lost in last week's Fremantle drubbing.

The Bulldogs took a severely under-strength lineup to Western Australia last Saturday and paid the price with a 109-point loss.

But with a near-full compliment of players to choose from for tomorrow's final pre-season hitout against Richmond at VISY Park, Dogs assistant coach Shannon Grant said preparations for Round 1 were on track.

"I think more than anything (the Freo game) gave some of the older guys a chance to have a week off just to recover," Grant said.

"The demands of the game are pretty high these days and it is a long year so we're hoping it works the other way for us.

"It was a great experience for the kids to be able to go across, a lot of them haven't travelled yet interstate. Perth is a long trip, it takes a lot out of you.

"You certainly don't like to lose by that amount, but I still think we can take a lot from it."

Some teams hope for nothing more than a clean bill of health from their final practice match.

But Grant said the Dogs would be using the match as a tune-up for Round 1 against the Brisbane Lions in a fortnight.

"We'll certainly have a much stronger side in (than last week)," he said.

"So we'll be treating it as basically a full dress rehearsal and hope that we go in to Round 1 with some confidence under our belt."

The Bulldogs only have short-term injuries to Easton Wood (hamstring) and Jake Stringer (ankle) to worry about - and neither player has been ruled out of contention for Round 1.

Grant said the absence of any long-term injury concerns made the coaching staff's job much easier at this time of year.

"Being able to have a lot of depth makes for a lot more competition for spots," he said.

"We've got a healthy list and we're hoping to keep it that way."
 

You're reading an article about
Drubbing doesn't bother Dogs
This article
Drubbing doesn't bother Dogs
can be opened in url
http://aflnewstop.blogspot.com/2013/03/drubbing-doesnt-bother-dogs.html
Drubbing doesn't bother Dogs