Bulldogs brace themselves for tough start

The Gunnedah Bulldogs AFL first graders will face one of their “biggest challenges of the year” on Saturday as they line up at the Inverell-based Varley Oval in round one of the North West season.

These were among the sentiments from Gunnedah player-coach Jakob Vearing as his team prepares to face last year’s premiers.

Vearing said the Saints had built a competitive culture and a winning culture while he “can’t remember the last time they lost at home”.

“They’ve made it into a bit of a fortress,” he said.

“Going over there is always a really tough ask.”

Vearing said it was “a good litmus test” while it was “good to get it out of the way nice and early” in the season, while it could be “a bit of a trial by fire” for Gunnedah’s newcomers.

“Inverell are always the benchmark with how competitive you can be in the league,” he said.

While it remains to be seen how many premiership-winning players line up for the Saints, Vearing predicted “they’re going to be strong, regardless”.

“They’re a very physical team, and they hunt in packs,” he said.

While describing the Saints as a team “you want to beat”, Vearing said there was a lot to admire about them.

After the Bulldogs were competitive in their trial matches, Vearing said he was happy with how the pre-season unfolded although it could take a few rounds for the team to click.

Vearing spoke about “playing with effort and enthusiasm” and being honest and accountable, while the game plan “follows from there”.

“I think we’ve got a long way to go in terms of development,” he said.

Vearing said fitness, game plans and “getting used to each other” took time, but that he felt these aspects were progressing quickly while the players were gelling.

Gunnedah’s coach said fundamentals had been focused on at training, as well as “some of the disposal weaknesses” as he identified “needing to hold onto possession a bit more”.

The make-up of the team will be known closer to the opening whistle, with Seth Morony a likely inclusion after not playing in the trials.

Originally from Mandurah in Western Australia, Morony previously played underage AFL in Gunnedah, with Vearing saying he would be a “boost to our forward line”.