Matthew Suckling has been a Bulldog since October, but it wasn’t until he walked into the Star Trak Oval rooms before the Club’s first NAB Challenge match that it really hit home.
“When I got to the rooms in Canberra they had the number one jumper laid out with my bag next to it,” the two-time Hawthorn premiership player told Terry Wallace and Tony Leonard on CrocMedia's SportsDay.
“That’s probably when it hit me that I was in a new club and a new environment, but I was just keen to get out there and have a run around and get the first one out of the way.“
Spending the majority of the night on the wing, Suckling wasted no time settling into his new colours, amassing 17 quality disposals at 100% efficiency, and a goal in the 31-point win over the Giants.
Whether he finds a permanent home up the ground or settles into a utility role is still up for debate.
According to Champion Data, the 27-year old spent 43% of game time in the forward half in 2015 and 40% as a defender in 2015, Suckling telling SportsDay that the ability to play in multiple areas of the ground will help him find a spot in the Bulldogs' best 22.
“It’s a tough backline to break into, but I’ve spoken with Bevo over the course of the pre-season, and I think with the new interchange cap, I’m not sure how that’s going to pan out,” he said.
“Being able to play all three lines is a good thing, and I think initially I’ll probably want to stay on the wing, but I’ve got to get a kick in the next couple of NAB Challenges first.”
With round one inching closer by the day, Suckling said that he can’t wait to run out under coach Luke Beveridge in the season proper again.
“I played two or three years under Bevo as a backline coach [at Hawthorn] - had my two or three best years under him - we see the game pretty similar, he likes an attacking, bold game, so he was definitely a key factor.
“I remember sitting on the couch a few times last year and watching the way the Club went about it, thinking that it looked like good fun.
“It was really attacking and I could see myself fitting in there, so when the opportunity arose last year it seemed like a good fit.”
