WESTERN Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade believes he is beginning to see the benefits of a youth policy introduced to his club three years ago, with the continued emergence of younger players.
The youth policy was emphasised on Sunday against the Saints when the club's youngest player in Callan Ward debuted.
"It's a real pleasing thing at the club that we've got a lot of talented youngsters," Eade said.
"Josh Hill was best on ground for Williamstown yesterday, we want to get him back. And Jarrod Harbrow and [Shaun] Higgins [who]is out injured.
"It was [Andrejs] Everitt's first game back, Farren Ray has been back for a few weeks, he's a good young lad.
"Callan can play, and there's still some other young lads like Brennan Stack that we want to give a game because he's really improved.
"The pleasing thing that has been part of our philosophy over the past two or three years is to get as many kids in [as we can].
"For depth, you sometimes revert back to players that are sometimes going to play five or six games for the year, and it is best to go with kids in that situation.
"We've cleared the decks a bit and in the last two years we've probably had maybe 10 or 12 drafted lads in, who we think can all play."
Eade also spoke of the development of defenders Everitt and Tom Williams, who featured across halfback during Sunday's 27-point win.
He said while the Dogs have improved defensively in the past two years, they have further to go in all aspects of their game.
"[Defence] was just part of this development stage; 2006 in many ways was a good year, but it was a bit of a millstone because people get excited about the way you play and what you can achieve," he said.
"Then inside and outside of the club you get ahead of yourself. It was still part of the development phase, we knew we had to get a bit stronger, we had to be better at the contest, and we had to put more pressure on the opposition.
"So that's been a work in progress, and this is the year we've really focused on that. I think there's also a lot of improvement left, which is a good thing.
"Everitt is going to get better, Williams is going to get better, and generally except for probably four or so older players, we are a young team that can improve.
"With some other players that are going to come back in, 'Westy' [Scott West] is going to come back in, young Higgins is going to come back in, Hilly can get back in.
"Individually, there are a lot of areas we can improve in, and certainly as a team."
