By sports editor Russell Bennett
South-east footy legends Aussie Jones and Ricky Clark could tell right from the opening minute of pre-season that Bunyip’s 2019 campaign would be different.
At that first session at the back end of last year, they were still meeting new faces – players hell-bent on being part of the Bulldogs’ new chapter moving forward.
The 2018 season was a difficult one on a number of fronts for the Bulldogs – there’s no shying away from that. The young, rebuilding outfit finished eighth on the ten-team ladder with just the four wins from its 18 games.
But, by the same token, Jones and Clark – together with the likes of Clark’s older brother Glen, who’s taken on the club presidency – refuse to shy away from the hard work that needs to be done.
They’re not after short-term solutions to turn Bunyip’s on-field fortunes around. They wouldn’t have made their long-term commitments to the club if they were.
They’re after sustained success – the kind that the Bunyip faithful had become accustomed to – and players, both inside the club and out, can see that.
While the 2019 playing group will still have a major focus on youth and development, Jones and Clark have recruited a number of proven, experienced performers to compliment them. Many of those have either got existing connections to the club, or its players.
Heading the impressive list is Ben Ross, who returns to ‘The Kennel’ as a one-pointer – having played at the club throughout his junior career.
The 2012 JJ Liston Trophy winner and VFL Team of the Year and state representative played at AFL level for six years, and most recently was a two-time Team of the Year selection in the Essendon and District Football League while at Pascoe Vale, which he captained in 2015 and 2016.
Another trio of Bunyip favourite sons – three-time best and fairest winner and multiple Team of the Year member Michael Whyte, and premiership team mates Shane Smith and Jeb McLeod – have also returned to the fold.
Heading the list of players new to the red, white and blue are: former WAFL player and Vic Country representative Jye Keath; former Pakenham skipper Stephen Morey; former Karingal captain Aaron Paxton and his former deputy Duncan Proud – both former MPNFL Team of the Year representatives; and former Beaconsfield stars Chris Kelf and (longest serving captain in its near 130-year history) Daniel Mislicki.
Kelf and Mislicki, in particular, should need no introduction to south-east football fans – boasting resumes that most players could only dream of. Their relationship with former Beaconsfield coach Jones was no doubt a significant factor in them coming across – as well as the 2018 form at Bunyip of a revitalised Damien Szwaja (WGFNC Team of the Year member), another former premiership-winning Eagle.
From early in the pre-season Jones estimated there were more than 40 senior-standard players who attended training. By contrast, he said it took until about Round 1 to reach that figure last year.
“Rick and I, and Tex (revered Bunyip premiership captain and former coach Brad Walker) were pretty much the voice for everything last year,” Jones said with trademark honesty.
“But from early this pre-season Duncan Proud called the boys in for a chat – he’s one who’s captained and coached in his own right.
“Pup (Michael) Whyte did the same thing. He said to any of the boys that if they’d made an error, he’d be there doing five push-ups per mistake.
“Last year this was coach-driven, but you could really see the change from early on this time around.
“That’s where the improvement will come from – having 40 blokes driving the standard, not just three or four.
“At the successful clubs I’ve been at, that’s been the driving force.”
With the influx of talent to the club for 2019, Bunyip will be right at its player points limit – Jones and Clark acknowledge that, and won’t shy away from it.
“Last year we were at max points too and won four games, which was the effect of having so many players leave (at the end of 2017) and there’s probably a bit of a flow-on effect there still.
“We’ll be at that same sort of points mark again, but we’ll manage that as we go.”
Looking ahead to the third year of the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition – which has been expanded to include Tooradin-Dalmore and the Warragul Industrials – Jones raved about just how hotly contested it has been so far, and will continue to be.
“Rick and I are completely honest about that as well – we’re going to make huge improvements, but where that puts you in terms of the finals picture you just don’t know. We’re under no illusion – it’ll be the one, two, three-goal games that will be the difference between fifth and sixth, or second.
“It’ll be red-hot once again.
“With our group last year, we were so competitive for periods of time and then we’d be 15 points down at half-time but lose by 10 or 11 goals. Half our recruits this time around are former captains or have played a lot of interleague, so we feel the player control out on the ground will be very different.
“If players call it out on the ground and get their mates to react, that’ll be quicker than what any coach can affect from the box.”
