The jigsaw puzzle that is the Bulldogs playing list is nearly complete for season 2015 following last Thursday night’s NAB AFL Draft.
Six new faces officially became Bulldogs on draft night, joining trade period acquisitions Tom Boyd, Joel Hamling and Shane Biggs.
While Boyd, Hamling and father-son draft selection Zaine Cordy helped address key-position needs on the Club’s list, and Biggs adds a rebounding half-back option, the draft night newcomers – Toby McLean, Lukas Webb, Declan Hamilton. Bailey Dale and Caleb Daniel - all have one thing in common – versatility.
“You cant be a one position player the way the game is played now, and obviously with Luke [Beveridge] coming in and the way he’d like our boys to play the game,” List Manager Jason McCartney told BulldogsTV.
“What we’ve been able to do is address some key needs across the trade period,” McCartney said.
“[Thursday night] was all about the best available talent, but we were really looking for some focus on that creativity, link outside run, good decision making and it worked out really well for us as I’m sure all clubs are saying,” McCartney said.
Speaking in the aftermath of last week’s draft, McCartney revealed the cards had fallen the way the Bulldogs recruiting team had hoped, snaring the prospects they’d targeted with each of their five picks.
“We’d planned we’d prepared, we had that many scenarios, and we actually didn’t have to go there to those scenarios, it dropped the way we wanted it to tonight.”
VIDEO: Watch Recruiting Manager Simon Dalrymple share his insight into the Club’s new draftees.
But the challenge has now been thrown down to the new draftees to transform their junior level performances and potential into AFL careers.
“It’s over to them now, they’ve got an opportunity, and it’s up to them to grab it now,” McCartney said.
Just Wednesday morning’s AFL Rookie Draft remains to fill the Club’s rookie list of four players for next season.
One place has already been pre-committed to delisted Bulldog Daniel Pearce.
