Bulldogs by name, Bulldogs by nature.
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Panmure is hoping to copy the game plans of the past two AFL premiers, the Western Bulldogs and Richmond, as it searches to find the right formula to rise up the Warrnambool and District Football Netball League ladder.
New Bulldogs senior playing coach Tim Condon highlighted its AFL namesake and Tigers’ ability to move the ball quickly from the inside of contested pack situations to its outside runners as his focus for Panmure’s pre-season training.
“We are trying to base it on the Richmond and Bulldogs’ models, where they were able to win the contested footy and get blokes in a bit of space and with a bit of time,” he said.
“Our focus has been to get better with our hands and making better decisions with the footy. A lot of the stuff we have been doing is in tight confines and focusing on contested type of footy and trying to get clean from inside to outside of congestion.”
Condon hopes that the smoother transition of the football will enable his side to score more.
“We want to score a lot more than we have in previous seasons,” he said.
“So our ball movement around the ground and our ability to control the ball form the inside to the outside has always been tough and we are not one of them classy or a high running sides yet and we could improve on that.”
The Bulldogs have recruited smartly to address the deficiencies in outside class and forward capabilities, by recruiting young speedy midfielder Louis Kew and powerful forward Nick Butters from North Warrnambool in the off-season.
“They have both been really good on the track lately,” Condon said. “It’s really good to get Nick as a key forward. I know he has kicked a few goals for North Warrnambool’s reserves and I think he is good enough to step up.
“He is an aggressive forward who likes to be very physical around the ball and he is a natural leader.
“Louie is that type of skillful player we are after who uses the footy well and makes good decisions with the ball in his hands.
“A lot of our midfielders are contested footballers, so he will give us that speed on the outside, helping to propel us forward and give us a bit of pace through our midfield.”
Condon has moved back to Panmure after winning the reserves flag with the Eagles in the Hampden league.