Western Bulldogs defender Bailey Dale has praised backline coach Daniel Pratt for his impact in 2024.
Finding himself as the starting substitute in the early parts of the season, Dale said Pratt – who was subsequently named the AFLCA Assistant Coach of the Year - was important in helping him get back to some of his best footy.
“Being the sub was a little bit of a wake-up call – no-one wants to get dropped or made the 23rd man at any stage, but I think it did really kick-start my year again,” Dale said.
“I sort of stripped back my game and focused on what makes me a good player, and just had a really narrow focus on that part of my game.
“Pratty coming in was great – having a fresh set of eyes on my game personally. It was good to get some feedback and some honest reflections from him.
“I feel like we worked really well together towards the end of the year...we sort of felt each other out a bit earlier and worked out what I was good at, and what I needed to improve on.
“He had a really good and strong connection with the playing group – I’m really excited to see what we can do next year.”
Dale finished the year in strong fashion, recognised in the 2024 All Australian squad of 44 players while also finishing equal runner-up in the Charles Sutton Medal count.
He said his individual goal for 2025 is consistency.
“(I want to) start the year really well, and then work on my aerobic capacity to keep covering the ground and also my skills to hopefully break the lines and use the ball really well,” Dale said.
“As a team, we want to go a couple of steps further next year. I feel as though the group's really ready for that and we just need to take it by the scruff of the neck into next year.”
