It got as high as 36 degrees at Victoria University Whitten Oval today, and as the Bulldogs battled through week five of the preseason, Assistant Coach Daniel Giansiracusa said the coaching group couldn’t be happier with how the team is tracking.

“[It’s] obviously a hot day today, the boys have put in the work.  We’ve got a couple in rehab,  but they’re slowly coming back into the program.   We’re gradually getting more guys out there which allows us to do a bit more game-like simulation and that’s what we’ll do building up to round one.

“All in all we’re pretty happy with the way the boys are going.”

While it’s common place this time of the year to nominate a player or two who is tearing up the track, Gia said that he was genuinely impressed with how the whole group have presented after the break

“They’ve all been pretty good to be honest, the younger boys came back (a week) or so earlier, so they got a jump on the older guys, he said. 

“We’ve got new players into the group too, like Matty Suckling, who sort of knows the system.  He’s impressed in the way he goes about it, as you’d expect from an experienced player.

“[But] all in all it’s been pretty level and we’re happy the way the boys have gone so far.”

Gia said that maintaining momentum going into next season will important, especially for the forward group that he looks after.  The Dogs jumped from 13^th to 4^th for goals kicked per game in 2015, and he puts it down to improved ball movement.

“It didn’t really work at the start of the year, we relied on our defence a fair bit and they really stood up for us. 

“As the year went on we got better chemistry with the forwards and the midfielders and the defenders kicking the ball inside 50. 

“We’ll look to carry that momentum through the preseason, it’s an area we need to work on, especially that connection going inside 50.  It was good toward the back half of the year and the momentum going into next year is something we definitely need. “