VFL Bulldogs' main aim is developing AFL players

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This was published 9 years ago

VFL Bulldogs' main aim is developing AFL players

By Brent Diamond

Footscray coach Chris Maple insists his team remains firm on its aim to develop its AFL contingent rather than winning a VFL flag, despite being second on the ladder.

The Bulldogs, in their return to the competition as a stand-alone club, have defeated league leader Port Melbourne and pushed premiership favourite Box Hill and as a result are equal favourites with the Hawks to win the flag.

It would be some kind of feat to win a flag in its first season since splitting with Williamstown, which, after winning its second Foxtel Cup on Tuesday night against West Perth, is also in the market given it is likely to re-join the top four this weekend with a win over bottom-placed Bendigo.

Despite there being plenty of incentive due to the Bulldogs' lack of silverware in the VFL/AFL for five decades, Maple said his team wasn’t in it for the points or the glory.

"We never really had any aspirations of setting a place to finish on a table like that," Maple said. "It was more in and around how our boys merge into AFL footy when they get their chance and what we're seeing is our young guys stepping straight in and having an impact at AFL level and that's the most important thing to us that our young guys are developing.

"It's the reason we have our team so as far as aspirations, when you come in with none in that respect, you're not rapt and you're not disappointed, it's kind of just a part of it."

Maple said Bulldogs fans, however, should be excited about the club's growing depth.

"I think what it demonstrates is that we've got good depth and what it does demonstrate to our fans is that we've got some young players coming through," he said.

The Bulldogs' cause has also been helped by limited injuries this year.

"There hasn't been as many injuries at AFL level [and that] certainly helps, but our VFL players have developed nicely considering most of them are just out of club footy,'' he said. "It’s been a real strength of our program that they've improved so much."

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Meanwhile, Port Melbourne premiership star John Baird will play his 200th match, against Richmond on Saturday, while Coburg skipper Nick Carnell will clock up his 150th against Box Hill on Sunday.

Richmond midfielder Shaun Grigg will return from a hamstring injury against Port and Collingwood's first-year midfielder Matthew Scharenberg is expected to have his first hit-out of the season against Frankston on Sunday.

Scharenberg, who has undergone surgery on both feet, was pick six in last year's draft.

Ben Sinclair (hamstring) and Quinten Lynch (broken leg) are others to be in the mix to resume in the Pies VFL team.

VFL Round 16 (with tips in capitals)

Saturday:

Richmond v PORT MELBOURNE, Punt Road Oval, 1.10pm

Sunday:

Frankston v COLLINGWOOD, Frankston Oval, 2pm

BOX HILL HAWKS v Coburg Lions, Box Hill City Oval, 2pm

WILLIAMSTOWN v Bendigo Gold, Burbank Oval, 2pm

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