The Western Bulldogs’ AFL Football Department has been further bolstered through the recruitment of two roles in the key areas of high-performance and medical this week.

Daniel Duvnjak-Zaknich has been appointed as Head of Physical Performance, while Dr Anthony Hipsley joins as the Bulldogs’ Chief Medical Officer.

Duvnjak-Zaknich arrives at the Kennel with 14 years of experience in elite sport, spending nine seasons at the Fremantle Dockers as Head of Strength and Conditioning before moving to the GWS Giants as Senior Physical Performance Coach.

Prior to his stints in the AFL system, Duvnjak-Zaknich was a Head Lecturer at Exercise Research Australia.

Dr Hipsley is no stranger to the AFL competition either, having recently worked as the Melbourne-based match-day doctor for both the Brisbane Lions and Fremantle Dockers.

Concurrently, Hipsley has worked as the Senior Sports Doctor at Western United in the A-League competition, while also consulting from a sports medicine clinic in Geelong.

Bulldogs’ Executive Director of Football Chris Grant was delighted to appoint two high-quality individuals into vital roles within the football department.

“We are thrilled that both Daniel and Anthony have seized the opportunity to work at the Bulldogs, leading the critical areas of high performance and medical within our football department,” Grant said.

“Daniel brings a wealth of professional sport experience and will head up our strength and conditioning and high-performance areas, working closely with Head of Sports Medicine, Chris Bell, to prepare our AFL players for the demands of the modern game.

“As Chief Medical Officer, Anthony will work closely with the experienced Dr Gary Zimmerman, supporting our players with sports medicine, GP and mental health expertise.

“We look forward to welcoming both Daniel, Anthony and their families to the Bulldogs in coming weeks.”