Sam Lloyd isn’t starting his season in front of packed house at the MCG this year, but that doesn’t make him any less excited — far from it, in fact.
After two opportunity starved seasons at Punt Road, where he managed only seven appearances last year and eight in Richmond’s premiership winning 2017, Lloyd was the first player traded last October period, landing at the Whitten Oval in a swap for Pick 64.

Six months on from that trade, Lloyd is days away from starting the next stage of his football life when the Western Bulldogs face Sydney at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night.

The 29-year-old has been making up for lost time since he was plucked out of Frankston in 2013 as a 23-year-old via Bendigo, Mt Eliza and Deniliquin — where he famously booted 107 goals in 2010 — and is ready to make up for it again in 2019.

“I’m really excited to be honest — probably too excited too early in the week — I need to simmer down a bit. I got excited playing the first JLT in the jumper with a new bunch of guys,” Lloyd told foxsports.com.au after playing 57 games in five seasons at Richmond.

“I miss the old boys at Richmond but I’m champing at the bit to get there this weekend.

“I do (feel like I’m making up for lost time) a little bit, but I try not to think of it like that because I was very privileged to play even eight games or what it was last year in such a successful side.

“I did let myself think about it [the probability he would have played a lot more games at other teams] at times, but the opportunity to hopefully play more senior football now in a side that could be anything is exciting.”

Lloyd spent much more time playing in Richmond’s midfield last year, both in the AFL and VFL, but Western Bulldogs’ list manager Sam Power didn’t lure him out west for that reason.

With first-year rookie Billy Gowers kicking the most goals for the club with 26 majors last year — and only Marcus Bontempelli (22 goals) and Mitch Wallis (20 goals) kicking more than 17 goals — the Dogs desperately need more goals this winter.

And that is where Lloyd fits into the equation.

“The last couple of years in both the AFL and VFL sides I was playing essentially midfield and resting forward. At the moment I think I will be playing more forward, which has been nice,” Lloyd said.

“I don’t look too far ahead — I don’t want to sound like a cliché — but they want goals there is no doubt about it.

“So if I can hit the scoreboard that is one of my goals, but also I’m pretty old in a young forward line so if I can impart a bit of wisdom and try and help a couple of guys fulfil their potential that is probably another goal.”

While Lloyd will play his first game for Luke Beveridge’s side this weekend, gun inside midfielder Tom Liberatore will play his first AFL game in 12 months, after he did his knee — his second ACL tear — in the opening quarter of the opening round of 2018.

Lloyd said the 2014 Charles Sutton medallist set the standard at the Whitten Oval this summer, impressing not just the new recruit but the entire group with his application after missing another season of football.

“I made that point last week to a couple of the boys down here and they said, ‘this is the best we’ve seen him play, prepare and everything for a long time’,” he said.

“He has obviously had the knee, but he has had a full pre-season and his effort throughout the whole pre-season on the track has been amazing; he has led the group in that way.

“I remember how good he could be from an outsider’s point of view and now I’m seeing it first-hand out there. He could do anything this year.”

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