With new Senior Coach Brendan McCartney appointed last September and a solid preseason under their belt ruckman Will Minson says the team can’t wait to sink their teeth into the real stuff.
While there has been an increase in game simulation drills compared to previous preseasons, Minson is eagerly awaiting the NAB Cup competition to see the new style of play come to fruition.
“[Senior Coach Brendan McCartney] has bought some new game philosophy to the football club and we are looking forward to implementing that,” Minson said.
“There is definitely a good feeling at the footy club, a new environment and we are looking forward to putting it all into place in the coming weeks.
“We’ve definitely embraced some of the subtle changes that he has brought to the footy club, more of a mindset around the defensive part of the game.
“You train for so long but it is when games come around that you get to see how it all works and what we have been taught over the Summer and we are really looking forward to that period.”
Minson believes the new game style draws on one of football’s most basic fundamentals - winning the contested ball.
“Most footy clubs are pretty similar and it is only the small [changes] that make the difference and in the end and that is what we have been focusing on,” he said.
“The footy fundamental of winning the contested ball is what is needed to win grand finals.”
Whitten Oval is an exciting place to be according to Minson and despite mixed expectations from the public he believes the Bulldogs will only improve as the current playing group continues to develop.
“We certainly don’t worry about the external expectations but we know we did a lot of things right last year, we want to improve on the things that we did do well,” he said.
“Everybody is really excited to start training early and to learn the new ways.
“It has been a long summer and it is a very exciting place to be.”
Minson sees preseason as a time of change and has had no issues adjusting to the new look coaching panel.
“Your holiday period prior to the start of a new season you know you are coming into a new environment, new faces, new coaches and new staff,” he said.
“Sometimes changes are in equipment whether it be the new Elite Learning Centre we had a few years ago and other times it is in personnel and this year we have had a personnel change.”
The Bulldogs playing group will be testing out their new game structures in Saturday’s Intraclub clash which will be held at Whitten Oval from 9:30am.
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