bornadog
29-05-2013, 12:08 PM
Link (http://www.sportsnewsfirst.com.au/articles/2013/05/29/focus-on-youth-at-bulldogs/)
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/mmsalih/youngdogs-zoom_zps76fe8307.jpg (http://s202.photobucket.com/user/mmsalih/media/youngdogs-zoom_zps76fe8307.jpg.html)
THE FOCUS on the Western Bulldogs' younger players is set to sharpen after the club chalked up their second AFL win this season last weekend.
The Bulldogs had a newer look in their nine point win over St Kilda, dropping veteran Daniel Cross and bringing in several less experienced players.
Coach Brendan McCartney said the club was more intent than ever on concentrating on the youth policy, saying the win last week was a lot closer than people had realised.
He said patches of poor play and lack of concentration remained but the club's answer was to try to develop the young members as quickly as possible.
"You just keep giving game experiences to young people because at present more than half our team out there are still in their infancy in learning the game," McCartney said.
"What they were able to do in the second quarter last Saturday afternoon was hang in the game and just survive a 10 minute patch.
"Sometimes you've just got to exist in a game when it's not going your way and not let it get away on you.
"The more often they're in that environment and they come out the other side the closer you are to doing it."
The Bulldogs face several challenges this weekend, clashing with ninth-placed Port Adelaide in the heat of Darwin and plans to acclimatise are well underway.
McCartney said that the team had spent time in the heat chamber at Melbourne University.
"We're not overdoing it but just getting used to sweating a bit more," McCartney said.
"It does cool off there once the game starts but you do sweat a lot more and just being able to deal with that and get enough fluids in...other than that it will be the same."
The Bulldogs have won their past six games against Port but McCartney described that as a "historical" figure.
"They're different though, now, a different coach, clearly a different way of playing with a real ability to open you up if you're not ready.
"And their first five weeks wasn't a fluke, they played some terrific footy and we know we have to go up there and play well and do the basics of the game very well to get a good result," he said.
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/mmsalih/youngdogs-zoom_zps76fe8307.jpg (http://s202.photobucket.com/user/mmsalih/media/youngdogs-zoom_zps76fe8307.jpg.html)
THE FOCUS on the Western Bulldogs' younger players is set to sharpen after the club chalked up their second AFL win this season last weekend.
The Bulldogs had a newer look in their nine point win over St Kilda, dropping veteran Daniel Cross and bringing in several less experienced players.
Coach Brendan McCartney said the club was more intent than ever on concentrating on the youth policy, saying the win last week was a lot closer than people had realised.
He said patches of poor play and lack of concentration remained but the club's answer was to try to develop the young members as quickly as possible.
"You just keep giving game experiences to young people because at present more than half our team out there are still in their infancy in learning the game," McCartney said.
"What they were able to do in the second quarter last Saturday afternoon was hang in the game and just survive a 10 minute patch.
"Sometimes you've just got to exist in a game when it's not going your way and not let it get away on you.
"The more often they're in that environment and they come out the other side the closer you are to doing it."
The Bulldogs face several challenges this weekend, clashing with ninth-placed Port Adelaide in the heat of Darwin and plans to acclimatise are well underway.
McCartney said that the team had spent time in the heat chamber at Melbourne University.
"We're not overdoing it but just getting used to sweating a bit more," McCartney said.
"It does cool off there once the game starts but you do sweat a lot more and just being able to deal with that and get enough fluids in...other than that it will be the same."
The Bulldogs have won their past six games against Port but McCartney described that as a "historical" figure.
"They're different though, now, a different coach, clearly a different way of playing with a real ability to open you up if you're not ready.
"And their first five weeks wasn't a fluke, they played some terrific footy and we know we have to go up there and play well and do the basics of the game very well to get a good result," he said.