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Stewart Crameri said the lure of a reunion with Brendan McCartney, who led him during his break-out season of 2011, was the primary factor in him quitting Essendon in favour of the Western Bulldogs.
The 25-year-old cited the combination of his high regard for Bulldogs coach McCartney, who was the Bombers’ forwards coach in 2011, and a belief he had plateaued after three full seasons as being influential in him resisting the Bombers’ requests for him to stay with them.
‘‘This was just based purely on what’s best for my football,’’ Crameri said on Monday, when he was unveiled by the Bulldogs at their Whitten Oval headquarters.
‘‘A lot of people need a fresh start. That’s where I was trying to tell ‘Bomber’ [Mark Thompson, Essendon interim coach] and a few of the other coaches, that this is what I needed for my football . . . a fresh start, with a coach that I really respect.’’
Crameri said he was ‘‘chuffed’’ McCartney had been so dogged in pursuing him, despite the Bombers’ attempts to rebuff the Bulldogs’ offers to snare him until the final day of the trade period.
‘‘He was the one who put me in the forward-line in the first place and was very good in teaching me the roles I had to play. I’ve kept him contact with him over the years and in the past year he’s spoken to me closely. I think he can help me a lot in 2014, and coming years,’’ he said.
The new Bulldog acknowledged the ‘‘security’’ afforded by the four-year contract offered to him was welcome, but insisted it was nevertheless secondary to his belief he would thrive under McCartney.
Crameri’s record of 96 goals in the past three seasons would, if replicated, significantly bolster his new club’s scoring power. At the Bulldogs only veteran Daniel Giansiracusa, with 109 goals, has exceeded that tally. He said he did not expect his role, as a second or third forward target, to change significantly from the Bombers to the Bulldogs, where he will complement taller forwards such as Liam Jones, Jarrad Grant and Tom Campbell.
While Crameri’s immediate prospects of team success have suffered because of the move he said he had been buoyed by the Bulldogs’ finish to 2012. After a devastating loss to lowly Melbourne in round 14 they won five of their last nine matches.
‘‘I think next year we’re only going to get better,’’ he said. ‘‘We might make top eight but we’re going to focus on winning a few games. We’ll see what happens.’’
Crameri floated the possibility of making some cameos next season in midfield or half-back for the Bulldogs.
Stewart Crameri said the lure of a reunion with Brendan McCartney, who led him during his break-out season of 2011, was the primary factor in him quitting Essendon in favour of the Western Bulldogs.
The 25-year-old cited the combination of his high regard for Bulldogs coach McCartney, who was the Bombers’ forwards coach in 2011, and a belief he had plateaued after three full seasons as being influential in him resisting the Bombers’ requests for him to stay with them.
‘‘This was just based purely on what’s best for my football,’’ Crameri said on Monday, when he was unveiled by the Bulldogs at their Whitten Oval headquarters.
‘‘A lot of people need a fresh start. That’s where I was trying to tell ‘Bomber’ [Mark Thompson, Essendon interim coach] and a few of the other coaches, that this is what I needed for my football . . . a fresh start, with a coach that I really respect.’’
Crameri said he was ‘‘chuffed’’ McCartney had been so dogged in pursuing him, despite the Bombers’ attempts to rebuff the Bulldogs’ offers to snare him until the final day of the trade period.
‘‘He was the one who put me in the forward-line in the first place and was very good in teaching me the roles I had to play. I’ve kept him contact with him over the years and in the past year he’s spoken to me closely. I think he can help me a lot in 2014, and coming years,’’ he said.
The new Bulldog acknowledged the ‘‘security’’ afforded by the four-year contract offered to him was welcome, but insisted it was nevertheless secondary to his belief he would thrive under McCartney.
Crameri’s record of 96 goals in the past three seasons would, if replicated, significantly bolster his new club’s scoring power. At the Bulldogs only veteran Daniel Giansiracusa, with 109 goals, has exceeded that tally. He said he did not expect his role, as a second or third forward target, to change significantly from the Bombers to the Bulldogs, where he will complement taller forwards such as Liam Jones, Jarrad Grant and Tom Campbell.
While Crameri’s immediate prospects of team success have suffered because of the move he said he had been buoyed by the Bulldogs’ finish to 2012. After a devastating loss to lowly Melbourne in round 14 they won five of their last nine matches.
‘‘I think next year we’re only going to get better,’’ he said. ‘‘We might make top eight but we’re going to focus on winning a few games. We’ll see what happens.’’
Crameri floated the possibility of making some cameos next season in midfield or half-back for the Bulldogs.
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