For many, the recent COVID-19 disruptions that affected the Bulldogs’ AFLW program would have been seen as a negative or hindrance.

But for head coach Nathan Burke, he could see the silver lining to it all.

“Personally, I love these distractions because it makes your success at the end even sweeter – if that’s possible,” Burke told westernbulldogs.com.au.

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Nathan Burke | 'It hit quite a few of them pretty hard'

AFLW Head Coach Nathan gives an insight to the last few weeks at the Kennel as COVID-19 spread amongst the group.

“We pre-empted about nine things that might happen to us throughout this season, and we’ve been crossing them off as they happen – things like a late change to games, or if we had to postpone a game or play train-on players.  

“That’s the way we look at it. We have a bit of fun with it.”

The Bulldogs had their round two and round three matches postponed, after a significant portion of the playing group entered AFL Health and Safety Protocols following their season opener.

“Pretty soon (after round one) everyone sort of went down (with COVID-19). It was just impossible for us to field a team – we didn’t have the required 16 players,” Burke said.

“We were hoping that the COVID wouldn’t affect them too greatly, and they’d be asymptomatic and get through but unfortunately that wasn’t the case.

“It hit quite a few of them pretty hard – so much so that it was just unsafe to put the girls out there in round three either.

“We’ve got players back now – to be honest they still aren’t 100% and are all on different pathways – but we’ll have enough to get out there on Friday night and put up a good show against the Giants.

Burke said while going from no games in two weeks, to two games in five days does raise some concern, he understands why it needs to happen.

“It is a little bit concerning just to have that little five or four-day break – it’s not ideal because one of the unknowns is how quickly can the players recover after stressing them on Friday night?

“Another seven or eight-day break would have been the ideal, and that’s what we would have preferred – but we understand the need to get the season going and under way, and that these things have to occur.

“We’ll roll with it, and keep our fingers crossed that they all pull up well.”

The Bulldogs will head interstate to face GWS on Friday night, before hosting Fremantle at VU Whitten Oval on Tuesday 1 February.