Lachie Hunter says Western Bulldogs young stars happy to play for less money to build a premiership team

Lachie Hunter says Western Bulldogs young stars happy to play for less money to build a premiership team

http://s29.postimg.org/rwaer4ok7/d50..._width_650.jpg

WESTERN Bulldogs dasher Lachie Hunter says the emerging band of Whitten Oval stars will sacrifice cash for success as the club plots to end the AFL’s longest premiership drought.

The Dogs have now locked away their hottest 10 young talents as they try to add to their only flag, won in 1954, in the wake of the mega $7 million, seven-year contract used to lure forward Tom Boyd.

Hunter yesterday joined Marcus Bontempelli in signing on until 2019, while All-Australians Jake Stringer and Easton Wood are off limits until 2018.

Hunter has been in blistering form leading up to Sunday’s *!Etihad Stadium match against premiers Hawthorn, a clash set to test the Dogs’ premiership credentials.

He has amassed 31 and 35 disposals in the first two rounds.

“You might not always get the biggest deal at the club, but everyone’s happy,” Hunter told the Herald Sun yesterday.

“It was a no-brainer for me to sign because I know I’m going to enjoy my time.

“Money, *!although it’s still relevant, is just not as much of a factor as how much you’ll enjoy your time.”

The stance falls in line with the Geelong and Hawthorn models where stars repeatedly reject mega bucks in search of flags.

It took less than a month for Hunter and the Dogs to reach terms in the latest fillip for list manager Jason McCartney’s retention strategy.

McCartney said a perception Tom Boyd’s seven-year $7 million bonanza would force stars out was “a fair way off the mark”.

“People pass comment and that’s fine, but unless you’re internal no one has an understanding of the TPP (total player payment) position,” McCartney said.

“We started our retention strategy on the back of Tom arriving and haven’t had any issues.”

McCartney said for any club to produce a sustained run of success they would have to embrace the Cats and Hawks way.

“You’re always going to be worth more somewhere else,” he said.

“It is pleasing to hear (Hunter) if that’s starting to filter into the playing group. You don’t leave players on the shelf too long, otherwise you leave yourself wide open.”

Hunter’s deal caps a golden run for the slick left-footer who wants to be a Bulldog for life.

His horse Berisha won the $180,000 Mornington Cup on Saturday, hours before he was best-afield against St Kilda.

McCartney praised Hunter’s football nous and endurance, pivotal to allowing him to “soak up minutes” as some players struggle with the reduced rotations cap.

Since Round 17 last year Hunter is ranked No.1 in the AFL for outside ball and No.3 for disposals.

The reform followed a hellish pre-season in 2015 where Hunter was suspended by the Dogs’ leadership and then faced an AFL investigation over a gambling breach, which he was cleared of.

“It was a hard start and to a certain extent you kind of feel like you owe the people you let down,” he said.

“I think that drove me in the second half of the year and it’s still a driving factor.”

Hunter said the mood at the Dogs was considerably better than two years ago with players relishing coach Luke Beveridge’s licence to play on instinct.

Beveridge said Hunter had grown into an influential player and a valued teammate.

“He had some battles, some things going on in the background, so he needed to change a few things in his life and he has,” Beveridge said.

The son of ex-Dog Mark, he was photographed in front of the Dogs’ next wave of father-sons yesterday.

Former stars Luke Darcy, Jose Romero and Paul Dimattina all attended with their boys enjoying a kick on Whitten Oval.

LOCKED KENNEL

Top ten pups staying put

JASON JOHANNISEN, 23, 2017

LUKE DAHLHAUS, 23, 2018

EASTON WOOD, 26, 2018

MITCH WALLIS, 23, 2018

TOM LIBERATORE, 23, 2018

JAKE STRINGER, 21, 2018

JACK MACRAE, 21, 2018

LACHIE HUNTER, 21, 2019

MARCUS BONTEMPELLI, 20, 2019

TOM BOYD, 20, 2021

I think it is Luke Darcy's daughter that is the player in the family. He said it the other day on television. Mentioned a father/daughter recruit.

Great work by the club to have all these kids locked in, great times ahead.

That is such fantastic news and a great attitude by young Lachie.

Look at that list of Top 10 pups. That is how you build a premiership.

Kudos to McCartney and the recruitment team.

Would love to see all those names with a '2020' beside their names! But I guess its a good start.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ozza

Would love to see all those names with a '2020' beside their names! But I guess its a good start.

---

It is a good start Ozza and although I was thinking 2018 would come around quick, I have confidence in the process that JMac has facilitated to date (we need to lock this man into a 2020 contract as well!)