bornadog
03-07-2013, 01:58 PM
Link (http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/dogs-look-forward-for-change-20130703-2pb0f.html)
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/mmsalih/art-wbAFLgrant-620x349_zpse7352af1.jpg (http://s202.photobucket.com/user/mmsalih/media/art-wbAFLgrant-620x349_zpse7352af1.jpg.html) Forgotten man. Jarrad Grant has not added to his 50 career games in 2013. Photo: Pat Scala
The Western Bulldogs’ mid-winter blues looked to have deepened on Wednesday morning when Jordan Roughead – a ray of hope in another challenging season – left the training track clutching his right shoulder.
But a club that desperately needs some luck breathed a little easier when the 22-year-old, whose 48-game career has been ignited in 2013 by a shift to defence, rejoined the main session of the week and took part in competitive drills.
Roughead doubled over in pain and was clearly distressed following innocuous contact in a routine bumping drill at the start of training at Whitten Oval. His reappearance was a fillip for the Bulldogs, who will face the winless Greater Western Sydney in Canberra on Saturday without captain Matthew Boyd, and on the back of a potentially shattering three-point loss to struggling Melbourne last Saturday night.
Coach Brendan McCartney hinted at changes to a forward line in which Liam Jones, Jake Stringer and the returning Ayce Cordy and Tory Dickson were largely ineffectual against the Demons, and admitted it was tempting to "make a statement" at selection.
"A bit of you does want to maybe take some opportunities away from people sometimes to make a point ... Sometimes it’s a reminder that it’s a privilege to play footy at this level, and there is a responsibility in the team to play a certain way," McCartney said.
"The key is not to be overreactive and too emotional, but have enough aggression about the game as a coaching group and a playing group.
"The challenge we have at the moment is do we bring a couple of forwards in who might be a bit different, or do we back in some people who didn’t have their best day last week? But they didn’t have great supply either, that’s the thing we’ll work through today."
McCartney identified Dylan Addison and Jarrad Grant, who is yet to play a game this season, as potential inclusions up forward, while Liam Picken and Daniel Cross are in contention to replace Boyd, who the coach praised for playing more than a half against Melbourne with a broken cheekbone that will sideline him for up to a month.
"He’s getting closer," McCartney said of Grant. "He started the year quite slowly because of injuries, but he’s just building some good form steadily."
With the Giants having put the No.1 draft pick on the table this week, the coach also ruled out the prospect of star midfielder Ryan Griffen being used as trade bait. "I don’t think we’ll quite play as well without Griff," McCartney said.
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/mmsalih/art-wbAFLgrant-620x349_zpse7352af1.jpg (http://s202.photobucket.com/user/mmsalih/media/art-wbAFLgrant-620x349_zpse7352af1.jpg.html) Forgotten man. Jarrad Grant has not added to his 50 career games in 2013. Photo: Pat Scala
The Western Bulldogs’ mid-winter blues looked to have deepened on Wednesday morning when Jordan Roughead – a ray of hope in another challenging season – left the training track clutching his right shoulder.
But a club that desperately needs some luck breathed a little easier when the 22-year-old, whose 48-game career has been ignited in 2013 by a shift to defence, rejoined the main session of the week and took part in competitive drills.
Roughead doubled over in pain and was clearly distressed following innocuous contact in a routine bumping drill at the start of training at Whitten Oval. His reappearance was a fillip for the Bulldogs, who will face the winless Greater Western Sydney in Canberra on Saturday without captain Matthew Boyd, and on the back of a potentially shattering three-point loss to struggling Melbourne last Saturday night.
Coach Brendan McCartney hinted at changes to a forward line in which Liam Jones, Jake Stringer and the returning Ayce Cordy and Tory Dickson were largely ineffectual against the Demons, and admitted it was tempting to "make a statement" at selection.
"A bit of you does want to maybe take some opportunities away from people sometimes to make a point ... Sometimes it’s a reminder that it’s a privilege to play footy at this level, and there is a responsibility in the team to play a certain way," McCartney said.
"The key is not to be overreactive and too emotional, but have enough aggression about the game as a coaching group and a playing group.
"The challenge we have at the moment is do we bring a couple of forwards in who might be a bit different, or do we back in some people who didn’t have their best day last week? But they didn’t have great supply either, that’s the thing we’ll work through today."
McCartney identified Dylan Addison and Jarrad Grant, who is yet to play a game this season, as potential inclusions up forward, while Liam Picken and Daniel Cross are in contention to replace Boyd, who the coach praised for playing more than a half against Melbourne with a broken cheekbone that will sideline him for up to a month.
"He’s getting closer," McCartney said of Grant. "He started the year quite slowly because of injuries, but he’s just building some good form steadily."
With the Giants having put the No.1 draft pick on the table this week, the coach also ruled out the prospect of star midfielder Ryan Griffen being used as trade bait. "I don’t think we’ll quite play as well without Griff," McCartney said.