Footscray head coach Stewart Edge says it’s disappointing that his team won’t be able to contend for a premiership in 2021.
The ‘Scray did not register a loss from their 10 VFL games, named minor premiers for finishing on top of the ladder.
The shortened season was called off last week, after extended COVID-19 lockdowns and border closures.
“We haven’t put a foot wrong in 10 straight (games) – a huge effort has gone into the hope of even keeping finals alive,” Edge told westernbulldogs.com.au.
“Just as our AFL boys have been in full training, our VFL-listed players have remained in isolation and working really hard.
“It comes as a huge disappointment that the hope of playing finals is now removed, but enormous credit goes to all our guys – both in the AFL and our VFL contracted players.
“We didn’t really put a foot wrong for the whole year, and just won’t quite get the chance to play finals.”
Remarkably, the Bulldogs’ last home-and-away loss came against Collingwood in Round 12, June 2019.
With his first season at the helm now complete, Edge himself will also enter 2022 with a perfect win-loss ratio.
“Obviously winning form is good form, and it’s a good program to be part of,” he said.
“It certainly got a bit fractured when we were really only planning on a week-to-week basis - I’m sure no-one expected when we drove out to Casey (in July) that it’d be the last time we played together.
“There’s disappointment amongst the AFL guys as well, who won’t get to run out again.”
