Bulldogs keen to move on

Despite a challenging start to the week for the Bunbury Football Club – which had four premiership points deducted for an administrative error – Bulldogs coach Jamie Nani is confident it will be business as usual on the field for his men against Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault on Sunday at Brunswick Oval.

“It is what it is,” he said.

“It was a slight slip up – but we have moved on and are focussed on this weekend.”

During last weekend’s game against the Bulls, Nani’s side pulled away with a solid second half display.

“The first half was tough,” he said. “Harvey were good in close and contested pretty well. Maybe there was some perceived pressure as well, because we coughed up a fair bit of it and didn’t use it.

“But in the second half we tidied a few things up and responded pretty well.”

Nani believes his side will need to win their fair share of midfield battles on Sunday if they are to run out victors.

“They’ve had some handy additions into their side – including some on ballers and some talls.

“Obviously Jesse Crichton is a big one and he is a gun. He is someone you definitely have to put some attention into.

“They also have some good young kids who will be up and about as well following their good win last week.”

Post-game against the Magpies, Lions coach John Baggetta was delighted with how his team handled pressure in the final quarter.

“I said to the guys at three quarter time that they still needed to score more than us,” he said.

“And that if we had enough dangerous ball and kept going, I was pretty confident we were going to get over the line and in the last quarter we were quite dominant.

“Tim Yarran really excelled in the last term, Jack Fletcher continued on and Sean Bradley presented well.

“And I had a kid in for his first game – Geoff Saunders. He’s knee high to a grasshopper and probably 45kg wringing wet, but he typified what I have been asking for.

“I was happy all of the boys really clicked into gear.”

Baggetta said he would face an interesting dilemma at the selection table this week, with players likely to push for selection on Sunday.

Those likely additions are Lions leadership group members Jonathon Sabourne and David Newman along with Ty Armitage.

Bunbury have not lost at Brunswick Oval against the Lions since Round 12, 2016.