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By Chris Maple
3:38 PM Tue 08 June, 2010
OVER the next three weeks, development manager Chris Maple will take a look at the Bulldogs' young guns and provide an update on their progress. He starts with the club's four first-year players taken in the 2009 NAB AFL Draft last November.
CHRISTIAN HOWARD - selection No.15 overall
Has done a fantastic job with his rehab after his hip operation. We were really pleased with his dedication and he's got back playing again. It's a credit to him with how he's managed to get back to where he is.
He's played the past three games in the Williamstown reserves. He was on limited game time in the first game and he played pretty much the full game in the second week. He's progressing really well and we're really happy with him.
I think we'll see him play VFL seniors shortly. You never want to say never to an AFL debut but we just have to see how he adapts. He hasn't really played much with the men yet so we want to see how he goes when we up the levels but I wouldn't rule it out this year.
JASON TUTT - selection No.31 overall
Jason's played a couple of games in the VFL seniors and a few in the seconds but he hurt an ankle in his last senior game and missed a couple of weeks. That's put him back a bit. He resumed two weeks ago and has been going well.
Jason's showed some real talent with his change of gear, he's got good speed and is a good kick, so we've been happy with his progress.
He's in the reserves at the moment but he's pushing his claims for a senior berth at VFL level. It's hard with the 12-10 rule against teams like Frankston so we have to make some selection decisions based on that.
LUKAS MARKOVIC - selection No.63
Lukas started the year really well. He had a great pre-season, and he's a mature-aged player so he adapted to the training really quickly. He showed some good leadership as a former captain at Box Hill and in his first four or five games in the VFL seniors he was in the best.
He's had a shoulder problem so he's missed the last few weeks. He's got a joint problem - like an AC joint - but he should be right to go next week.
His form prior to getting injured had been very good. If a spot in the Bulldogs' side came up as a key defender, he would definitely be taken into account.
SHANE THORNE - selection No.76
Shane played some practice matches with Williamstown seniors early and then in the very first VFL game of the year, he was on the ground for about 30 seconds before he dislocated his kneecap.
He's had to have a reconstruction of the ligament that holds the kneecap in place, around the medial side. We have three - the patella tendon across the top and then one on the lateral side and one on the medial side, and he's got it knocked out and it's ruptured the medial.
It's probably a 15-week injury. We're hoping he'll get back just before the end of the season.
Before he got hurt, his practice match form was really good. He showed us he's a beautiful kick and very agile.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
for westernbulldogs.com.au
3:38 PM Tue 08 June, 2010
OVER the next three weeks, development manager Chris Maple will take a look at the Bulldogs' young guns and provide an update on their progress. He starts with the club's four first-year players taken in the 2009 NAB AFL Draft last November.
CHRISTIAN HOWARD - selection No.15 overall
Has done a fantastic job with his rehab after his hip operation. We were really pleased with his dedication and he's got back playing again. It's a credit to him with how he's managed to get back to where he is.
He's played the past three games in the Williamstown reserves. He was on limited game time in the first game and he played pretty much the full game in the second week. He's progressing really well and we're really happy with him.
I think we'll see him play VFL seniors shortly. You never want to say never to an AFL debut but we just have to see how he adapts. He hasn't really played much with the men yet so we want to see how he goes when we up the levels but I wouldn't rule it out this year.
JASON TUTT - selection No.31 overall
Jason's played a couple of games in the VFL seniors and a few in the seconds but he hurt an ankle in his last senior game and missed a couple of weeks. That's put him back a bit. He resumed two weeks ago and has been going well.
Jason's showed some real talent with his change of gear, he's got good speed and is a good kick, so we've been happy with his progress.
He's in the reserves at the moment but he's pushing his claims for a senior berth at VFL level. It's hard with the 12-10 rule against teams like Frankston so we have to make some selection decisions based on that.
LUKAS MARKOVIC - selection No.63
Lukas started the year really well. He had a great pre-season, and he's a mature-aged player so he adapted to the training really quickly. He showed some good leadership as a former captain at Box Hill and in his first four or five games in the VFL seniors he was in the best.
He's had a shoulder problem so he's missed the last few weeks. He's got a joint problem - like an AC joint - but he should be right to go next week.
His form prior to getting injured had been very good. If a spot in the Bulldogs' side came up as a key defender, he would definitely be taken into account.
SHANE THORNE - selection No.76
Shane played some practice matches with Williamstown seniors early and then in the very first VFL game of the year, he was on the ground for about 30 seconds before he dislocated his kneecap.
He's had to have a reconstruction of the ligament that holds the kneecap in place, around the medial side. We have three - the patella tendon across the top and then one on the lateral side and one on the medial side, and he's got it knocked out and it's ruptured the medial.
It's probably a 15-week injury. We're hoping he'll get back just before the end of the season.
Before he got hurt, his practice match form was really good. He showed us he's a beautiful kick and very agile.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
for westernbulldogs.com.au
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