Dogs’ dose of experience as Clinton Young signs for two years

Young joins the Bulldogs as an assistant coach and has committed to the club for the next two years.

The 30-year-old played 137 AFL games for Hawthorn (2005-2012) and Collingwood (2013-14).

He was a member of the Hawks’ 2008 premiership team, collecting 19 disposals and kicking one memorable long-range goal in the grand final win over Geelong.

Young also played in the Hawks’ losing grand final side to Sydney in 2012.

Young spent this year playing with his junior club Minyip-Murtoa in the Wimmera league, but lives in Gisborne.

“Clinton is going to be a fantastic acquisition to the club,” Gisborne coach Brad Spear said on Thursday.

“He has a real desire to help our young kids. He spent the year training with us, fitted in really well and is a great person, so we’re very lucky to have him.”

The experience Young will provide the Bulldogs will be invaluable next year given the young side Gisborne fielded this season.

“Experience is obviously something we’re lacking, so Clinton will bring a lot of knowledge having not long been out of the AFL system,” Spear said.

“As well as playing with us, he’s going to be an assistant coach and will have some terrific information to pass on, particularly during the pre-season.”

As well as the announcement of Young, the Bulldogs have also reappointed Spear for a second season as coach.

In what was a rebuilding year in 2016 with a weekly team of 22 one-point local players, the young Bulldogs finished ninth on the ladder with a 3-15 record.

Having had 36 player points available this year, AFL Central Victoria has increased the Bulldogs’ allocation next year to 45.

Young will be a six-point player for the Bulldogs, having played 19 games for Collingwood in 2014.

“Based on what we had this year we can comfortably accommodate those points, as well as a few more and going forward that’s what we’ll be looking at doing,” Spear said.

“While we’ll still keep a really strong core of local talent, we just need a bit more experience around them.

“We’re certainly not going to go crazy trying to sign players because we believe the sensible way is to continue to develop the group we have, but we’ll look to add a couple who can assist us to improve next year, and then improve again the year after and ensure it’s sustainable.”

The Bulldogs were captained this year by Jarrad Lynch, who has confirmed he will stay on with Gisborne in 2017.