COACH: Matt Dillon (new)
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
LAST YEAR: 2nd – 16-3
ONE of the burning questions ahead of the 2018 season for North Bendigo is how will the Bulldogs structure up inside 50?
Gone from last year are their three leading goalkickers in Sam Barnes, Brady Herdman and Rhys Ford, who combined for 186 goals.
“There’s a lot of goalpower that has gone out of the side,” new Bulldogs coach Matt Dillon said.
“What it will mean though is we’ll be relying on guys to share the workload up forward a bit more.
“One of the negatives from last year that was relayed to me was we could have been a bit slow through the forward line, so we’ll counteract that this year with a bit of a different look.”
While there are some big-name departures for last year’s runners-up Bulldogs, there are also a host of key inclusions. Among them a quartet of returning premiership players in star ruckman Troy Kelm, Jeremy Mills, Jordan Collins and Blayne Ryan-Storey.
They have also added the reigning Loddon Valley Harding medallist and Calivil United premiership captain Ben Knight, plus Ryan Threlfall to what Dillon believes will be a bulked up midfield brigade, as well as ex Bendigo Gold-listed ruckman Jeremy Lambden.
Quick wrap on the Bulldogs
ARRIVALS
Jordan Collins, Troy Kelm, Ben Knight, Jeremy Lambden, Jeremy Mills, Billy Robertson, Ryan Threlfall, Blayne Ryan-Storey, Will Brohm.
DEPARTURES
Sam Barnes, Rhys Ford, Joel Helman, Jaran McKay, Brett Strange, Nick Waterson, Brady Herdman.
THE BASICS
Sportsbet flag odds: $3.50
Player points: 40
Last flag: 2016
FIRST MONTH
R1: v L'ville-Gunbower (a)
R2: v Mount Pleasant (h)
R3: v Huntly (a)
R4: v White Hills (h)
PAST FIVE YEARS
2017: 2nd - 16-3
2016: 1st - 17-3
2015: 1st - 17-3
2014: 2nd - 16-2
2013: 3rd - 10-9
