First-year Golden Square coach Christian Carter was all smiles at training this week.
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The Bulldogs are flying on the track, key players Jake Thrum and Will Lee have returned to the club after originally signing with Cohuna and a host of young players are showing signs of improvement.
"It's been super,'' Carter said on Friday.
"The boys have really put in on the track. The buy-in from the players has been great and we've been getting 45 players to training most nights.
"We're very happy with the way we're shaping up."
On the back of the 2020 season being cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a fear that some players might not commit to football going forward.
"The first few weeks there probably were a few boys that were weighing up whether they'd play after they'd found other things to do last year,'' Carter said.
"Once they got back into the swing of things, and got around their mates, it got back to normal."
Carter said the return of Thrum and Lee was crucial to the Bulldogs' structure.
Both players had indicated their intention to play for Cohuna in the Central Murray league in 2021, but their change of heart was music to Carter's ears.
Thrum, a Derrick Filo Medal winner for best afield for the BFNL at inter-league level, will play alongside skipper Jack Geary in a midfield group that will be without Michelsen Medal winner Adam Baird, who has signed with Mt Pleasant in the HDFNL.
"Thrummy is a very important player for us,'' Carter said.
"We class him as an A-grader, so to have him back in the midfield is really important for us.
"Will Lee has been our full-back for the past four years, so he's an important cog to us.
"It was fantastic to get those guys back. We're probably on the lookout for another midfielder, but it's pretty slim pickings this year."
Former Bendigo Pioneer Zane Keighran has also returned to his home club.
"Zane had moved to Geelong to be in the VFL system down there, but is back in Bendigo now,'' Carter said.
"Zane has a lot of talent and we'll probably use him off half-back and he has potential to go into the midfield.
"To have Thrummy, Will and Zane back at the club is huge for us.
"We've only lost Skinny (Baird) and Jaryd Cachia and Jaryd didn't play a game for us, anyway."
Former GVFL players Joel Brett and Liam Duguid have stuck with the Bulldogs after signing with the club at the end of 2019.
The Bulldogs have two practice matches locked away against Ovens and Murray power Wangaratta Magpies and Eastern Football League club Heathmont.
Golden Square starts its 2021 season on Saturday, April 10 under lights at the Kyneton Showgrounds.
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