Thanks Thanks:  0
Likes Likes:  2
Results 1 to 8 of 8
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Wherever the dogs are playing
    Posts
    60,862
    Post Thanks / Like

    'He's a competitive bugger': New Dog impresses



    PRIZED draftee Aaron Naughton has impressed everyone at the Western Bulldogs this pre-season with his ability to match it with more seasoned teammates, says AFLX coach Rohan Smith.

    Taken with pick No.9 in November's NAB AFL Draft, the 195cm West Australian has held his own in match simulation, with his athleticism, footy smarts and appetite for the contest catching the eye of the coaches.

    Naughton has already added four kilograms of muscle over the summer, and at around 90kg, will vie with Marcus Adams, Jackson Trengove, Lewis Young, Fletcher Roberts and Kieran Collins for a spot in the club's key defensive structure come round one.

    The Bulldogs faithful will get their first chance to see the 18-year-old when he lines up in Saturday night's AFLX hit-outs against Sydney and Brisbane.

    The 2017 under-18 All Australian has already tested himself against grown men after several starring performances for Peel Thunder in the WAFL last year.

    "He's a competitive bugger, he's really strong in the contest, strong overhead and uses the ball really well," Smith said on Friday.

    "He's missed a little bit of training because we didn't want to expose him too much to the rigours of AFL (football), so the first-year players have been eased into training,

    "But the way he's come into training the last few weeks in match simulation, it's been exciting for him.
    "He's been exciting for us."

    Fellow draftees Ed Richards and Callum Porter will join Naughton in donning the red, white and blue for the first time, with both adapting well to elevated training loads.

    While they're not making the trip to the Harbour City, fourth-year playmakers Toby McLean and Bailey Dale have Smith bullish about what the duo can achieve after breakout seasons in 2017.

    McLean evolved from a clever half-forward into a midfielder who averaged 22 possessions per game, while Dale finished the season as a dangerous goalkicker (17) after spending the first five weeks of the season in the VFL.

    In his usual role as the club's development manager, Smith believes the pair's growth is crucial as the club looks to rebound from an underwhelming premiership defence.

    "Those guys have really stepped up now (because) they're in their fourth year, and you'd expect in your fourth year to really stand up," he said.

    "The way those guys have hit the pre-season running and really standing up during training, it's been great for me."

    Smith is the latest at Whitten Oval to praise the pre-season efforts of Tom Liberatore, after the premiership midfielder's form in 2017 saw him dropped to the VFL for several weeks.

    Senior coach Luke Beveridge questioned the 25-year-old's preparation following the Dogs' 2016 flag success, but Smith believes Liberatore is well on the way to redeeming himself.

    "He'd be disappointed with the way he played last year, there's no doubt about that, but the best part about for us is that's he's looking forward, he's not looking behind," Smith said.

    "From a coaching point of view, he hasn't missed a beat.
    "He's been great from day one since he walked back into the club for pre-season."

    link
    FFC: Established 1883

    Premierships: AFL 1954, 2016 VFA - 1898,99,1900, 1908, 1913, 1919-20, 1923-24, VFL: 2014, 2016 . Champions of Victoria 1924. AFLW - 2018.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    27,890
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: 'He's a competitive bugger': New Dog impresses

    90 kilos is a Good weight for a first year draftee.
    Have you been reading those Roddy Doyle books again, Dougal!?


    I have, yeah Ted, you big gobshite

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    sydenham
    Posts
    12,590
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: 'He's a competitive bugger': New Dog impresses

    I'm not to sure Young will be a backman for to much longer.
    Natural forward but learning how a backman plays so he can be a better forward.
    Come to think Of it back and forward lines will be hard to break into, we have an extremely good list.
    Bring back the biff

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Mulligan's Boogie-board
    Posts
    13,681
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: 'He's a competitive bugger': New Dog impresses

    Trengove, Cordy and Adams I would have thought are the front runners for a round 1 berth, and that's if we even go with three talls or let Morris play mid/tall depending on match ups.

    Wood, JJ, Suckling, Biggs, Crozier - we could probably field 12 defenders at any one time.
    Western Bulldogs: 2016 Premiers

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    4,569
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: 'He's a competitive bugger': New Dog impresses

    Quote Originally Posted by Mofra View Post
    Trengove, Cordy and Adams I would have thought are the front runners for a round 1 berth, and that's if we even go with three talls or let Morris play mid/tall depending on match ups.

    Wood, JJ, Suckling, Biggs, Crozier - we could probably field 12 defenders at any one time.
    Digressing a touch, but we seem smartly poised to extract the absolute best from Moz at this stage in his career through a combination of not needing to deploy him on monsters and some judicious management along the way, to his and our betterment.

    Strewth there's some competition for a spot in defence though.
    BORDERLINE FLYING

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Surf Coast
    Posts
    5,462
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: 'He's a competitive bugger': New Dog impresses

    Quote Originally Posted by Twodogs View Post
    90 kilos is a Good weight for a first year draftee.
    Good, @&^% I would have been brilliant then.
    It's better to die on our feet than live on our knees.

  7. Likes Twodogs liked this post
  8. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Wherever the dogs are playing
    Posts
    60,862
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: 'He's a competitive bugger': New Dog impresses

    Quote Originally Posted by KT31 View Post
    Good, @&^% I would have been brilliant then.
    Depends on the distribution of those kilos
    FFC: Established 1883

    Premierships: AFL 1954, 2016 VFA - 1898,99,1900, 1908, 1913, 1919-20, 1923-24, VFL: 2014, 2016 . Champions of Victoria 1924. AFLW - 2018.

  9. Likes KT31 liked this post
  10. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    27,890
    Post Thanks / Like

    Thumbs up Re: 'He's a competitive bugger': New Dog impresses

    Quote Originally Posted by KT31 View Post
    Good, @&^% I would have been brilliant then.
    Quote Originally Posted by bornadog View Post
    Depends on the distribution of those kilos

    Indeed. They ain't much use in a spare tyre attached to your midriff.
    Have you been reading those Roddy Doyle books again, Dougal!?


    I have, yeah Ted, you big gobshite

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •