The Footscray Bulldogs have a range of opportunities to action their game plan before their first hitout for points against Richmond’s VFL side in April.
With five official practice matches scheduled throughout the month of March, Footscray will be well accustomed to playing as a team before the VFL’s home and away season.
Testing their wares against a number of established VFL sides, the similarly placed Richmond VFL team and an intra-club match against the Western Bulldogs, Footscray will be well prepared ahead of their inaugural season.
The practice match schedule begins with a curtain raiser game against the Northern Blues before the Western Bulldogs take on Carlton in the final game of the NAB Challenge.
An official intra-club match between the Bulldogs’ AFL and VFL sides on Thursday 13 March 2014 poses as a significant occasion at Victoria University Whitten Oval, bringing matches back to the home ground.
The Bulldogs VFL side will then go head to head with Bendigo, Richmond’s VFL side and Geelong’s VFL affiliate in the lead up to round one.
In an exciting move for local members and fans, two of the five practice matches will be held at Victoria University Whitten Oval.
Footscray co-captain Lukas Markovic said the opportunity to cultivate a home ground advantage at the kennel is an exciting prospect.
“It’s going to be a great atmosphere and it sounds like a lot of people are really looking forward to coming down back to the old home ground to watch us,” Markovic said.
“[I’m] really, really excited about that, I think that was another big attraction for me because I know it will be a well-supported environment and it will create a great atmosphere for us to play in.”
Footscray Bulldogs practice match schedule:
Friday 7 March 2014, 1pm – Footscray Bulldogs vs Northern Blues, Visy Park
Thursday 13 March 2014, 6pm – Footscray Bulldogs vs Western Bulldogs, Whitten Oval
Saturday 15 March 2014, 1pm – Footscray Bulldogs vs Bendigo Gold, Bendigo
Friday 21 March 2014, 4:30pm – Footscray Bulldogs vs Richmond VFL, Whitten Oval
Saturday 29 March 2014, 1pm – Footscray Bulldogs vs Geelong VFL, Simonds Stadium
