After the Carlton game, I'm team Buku.

[angelopetraglia]

Re: After the Carlton game, I'm team Buku.

I was wrong. Buku looked so calm tonight.

[JanLorMill]

Re: After the Carlton game, I'm team Buku.

Excellent. Eating my words

[Happy Days]

Re: After the Carlton game, I'm team Buku.

Yeah I’d given up too but he was awesome last night. The bad habits are drifting further out of his game each week.

[westdog54]

Re: After the Carlton game, I'm team Buku.

I've talked to two Geelong supporting mates in the last 24 hours. They are both blown away by Buku and what he was able to produce last night.

His trajectory from where he started our in the system is truly astounding and he hasn't hit his ceiling yet.

He's not the finished product yet but by God it's fun watching him get there.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: After the Carlton game, I'm team Buku.

Well done Buku and our coaching and development staff.

A brilliant story that’s improving by the week.

[jazzadogs]

Re: After the Carlton game, I'm team Buku.

A month ago Lobb was traded and Buku delisted.

It's got Hamling and Roberts vibes to it.

[HOSE B ROMERO]

Re: After the Carlton game, I'm team Buku.

Buku's played 23 AFL games. Has proved his versatility in the 2's whether up forward or down back; which can be invaluable. He's had some big on field challenges at the top level and done extremely well. Does that mean he won't have a shocker? Course not. But it must be a huge boost for him personally and well done to the development coaches and match committee.

[Axe Man]

The training partner who has young Bulldog ready for anything

Buku Khamis's toughest opponent is the one he has to face at training every week, meaning coming up against some of the competition's best key forwards is relatively easy

THE CHALLENGE of preparing yourself to play on some of the game's best key forwards must be relatively easy, when every week at training you're coming up against Sam Darcy.

That's the story for Buku Khamis, whose growing influence in the plans of Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge have been felt both on and off the field across the past fortnight.

Khamis put in hours of work with his line coach Daniel Pratt last week, when he found out he would be handed the job on Carlton's dual Coleman Medal winner Charlie Curnow on Friday night.

But nothing could prepare him for the task quite like having to stop Darcy at training, where Khamis' focus is placed squarely on trying to quell all 205cm of the side's unique, generational talent.

"Mate, he's impossible to stop," Khamis told AFL.com.au on Friday night. "He just takes the piss sometimes. But he's really good. He's come along this year and I think he's going to be really hard to stop."

So, when you're at training, how do you try to shut down a talent like Sam Darcy?

"Oh, man," Khamis laughed. "To be honest, you've just got to play really hard on him. It's hard, with all that length that he has. Plus, he's pretty smart too. That makes it so, so difficult."

The benefits of Khamis' lockdown efforts at training were visible last Friday evening, where the athletic interceptor recovered from a slow start to limit Curnow's influence in the second half and help spur the Dogs to a comeback eight-point win.

Khamis bravely left his opponent in several key moments, taking four big intercept marks and racking up four spoils, while limiting Curnow to just three touches and only one behind in the second half.

"It's important not to go into your shell," Khamis said.

"Obviously, if he's got a couple, it's easy to just go into your shell and stay quiet. But that's when you've got to work with your teammates and just continue to back in your gameplan.

"It is challenging. But, to be honest, every week is challenging. The AFL level is pretty tough at times. It's just about working with Daniel Pratt, our backs coach, looking at vision and leaning on guys that have played on forwards like Charlie before and getting some tips. It comes down to backing your read as well and respecting him."

Having missed a round one victory over North Melbourne, Khamis returned to the side the following week and performed admirably in the side's narrow six-point loss to Collingwood.

His growing importance was reflected when Khamis held his spot in the side, despite Liam Jones and James O'Donnell both returning from injury, with O'Donnell even thrown forward to accommodate Khamis featuring in the backline.

"Buku has been with us for a while," Beveridge said. "I think it's probably about eight years now. He hasn't played a lot of AFL footy, but he might just be maturing as gets into his late 20s.

"I thought he was very, very good last week. Tonight, he, Liam Jones and Rory Lobb as the three key backs were quite outstanding. That's really promising for us, because Buku's initial challenges were the four-quarter aspect and getting his fitness and his strength up to a certain level. Now, as he's matured, he's in that sweet spot.

"We're starting to see it at AFL level, and we love it. He's an undersized key back, but he's extremely athletic and really powerful and he really gets off the ground. He was terrific tonight."

After playing just 10 games across his first five seasons on the Dogs' list, Khamis broke through to feature 17 times last year. This season, though, looks like it could be yet another year of improvement for the talented 25-year-old. Performances like last Friday night's back up that viewpoint.

"At the moment, I feel like I'm tracking in the right direction," Khamis said.

"I'm working well with the boys down there, especially Rory and Liam. When it comes to backing my read, I just back it 100 percent and I just play hard. 'Bevo' puts a lot of confidence in me. We all have that license."

[Rusty12]

100% agree, on Buku's play, and being wrong about him!
I will add, I really like the scenario where he is the 3rd banana back there, although who would not be better supported by Jones.

It is flawed to link the exact goals or shots on goal a player has, to a defender.
How many 1v1s did he loose, when he left his man, did he mark or kill it.
Back half turnover that leads to an uncontested mark and goal, is not on the defender, even if they were the closest defender when the mark was taken.

Kid played good.

[Mofra]

He's played at a level higher than I gave him credit for. I liked him as a depth player, but he's legitimately making a difference 2 weeks in a row now as a best 22 player.

[Grantysghost]

What is it with supporters nowadays that there's an expectation players will be constantly at the level immediately.

I blame social media. Sugar rush society I want it now !

Incremental improvements are all you need to see.

Buku has been doing that for a few years now so this should not be a surprise.

[hujsh]

What is it with supporters nowadays that there's an expectation players will be constantly at the level immediately.

I blame social media. Sugar rush society I want it now !

Incremental improvements are all you need to see.

Buku has been doing that for a few years now so this should not be a surprise.

Let's not forget Buku is 25, it has been a slow burn.

Let's also not forget he was a cat B rookie and that was always going to be the case if he even did work out.

[Grantysghost]

Let's not forget Buku is 25, it has been a slow burn.

Let's also not forget he was a cat B rookie and that was always going to be the case if he even did work out.

True, however a Buku 25 is probably someone who grew up with footy 21.

[Garbs_7]

Yeah he was excellent on Friday and really solid against the Pies the week before. I'm nervous still if he gets isolated deep against a big KPF as that isn't his strength, but love having him in next to Jones and Lobb where he can play on the third tall and float a bit more to intercept or spoil over the top.

[Scragger77]

But he needs to play the third tall, he is not a key defender and he proved how good he could be as the interceptor