Polish and precision aren’t normally traits that reflect Dylan Addison’s no frills approach to football, but the 25-year-old is determined to develop both areas of his game to better suit his new role in the forward line.
Uncovering a natural aptitude as a forward last year, Addison quickly identified a need to sharpen his skills and decision making to play a more creative and damaging role.
“I’ll just keep bringing my attack on the ball and my pressure and physicality and competitiveness and keep building my polish with the football,” Addison said.
“I’d definitely say it is the main role that I want to be playing this year, but having played six years in the back line – I can certainly use that as another [asset].
“If I want to play that forward role I need to be really polished and take opportunities and be able to do something when I have the footy, so I have been working on my skills and decision making which I [feel has] come a long way.”
Surprising even himself with some impressive speed testing results in the pre-season, Addison said his improved times were the product of better transferring his gym work out onto the field.
“I surprised myself a little, but I think the work that we have done in the weights room probably helped with that,” he said.
“It is about harnessing and transferring it out onto the ground and into my football.”
The promising sprint tests further indicate he has more to offer as a forward, playing a creative role where he can run off his opponent.
While the 25-year-old is looking to enhance his skill set in his new role, he still prides himself on his defensive pressure and lock down abilities.
Addison’s inclusion as a defensive forward provides a hardened body in the Bulldogs’ attacking zone and will assist in keeping the ball inside 50 for prolonged periods.
“Certainly I think we’ve all got to bring our defensive pressure in the forward line to really keep the ball in our half.
“If we can keep the ball in our half for longer we are going to have more scoring shots and ultimately have more chance of winning the game.”
Making his return to senior football last weekend against West Coast, Addison played an admirable role despite being the only Bulldog forward to have played more than fifty games.
Addison said the young dynamic of the group makes it even more important that each individual plays their role and is accountable as a leader.
“We’ve got a pretty young forward line but there’s some good, mature, growing bodies in there, so hopefully they will be able to grow quickly,” he said.
“The list we’ve got now, we’ve got a lot of young players on our list, so we are striving to have all of us as leaders on the field.”
