POINT Cook is ready to take the next step and deliver a finals appearance after three years in the senior ranks of the Victorian Amateur Football Association.
The Bulldogs have survived the teething process and coach Daniel Fraser says the club is in a healthy state on and off the field.
The next quest is for the red, white and blue to push for September.
“We’ve had two years of transition and setting the club up,” Fraser said. “Now is the time to start delivering with results on the scoreboard and on the ladder come the end of the year. Finals are definitely in our aspirations for this year.”
The Bulldogs are in the midst of their third
pre-season campaign. The coaching staff have
better control over the operation because of their ability to reflect on the past two seasons and improve.
The Bulldogs have been thrilled with the progress of their young developing players and have promoted a number of talented under-18s from last year to add depth to the senior list.
To a serious finals contender, Fraser felt it was important for his club to bolster their resources at the top end with some more experienced bodies, bringing in powerfully built onballers Paul Hegarty, Daniel Sidwell and Blake McKay, tall defender Tommy Randall and back-up ruckman Matthew Scalzo, who came out of retirement to join the kennel.
“We focused on getting a couple of bigger, stronger players in to help our younger brigade,” he said.
The Bulldogs are certainly not short of leaders. They have announced a seven-man leadership group of Travis Cassidy, Rick Munn, Tristan Furr, Troy Wilson, James Dunne, Mark Pozzuto and John Wallert, and signed new playing assistant coach Brad Ward.
The club has managed to gain a strong foothold within the community with new supporters joining and more volunteers becoming involved in the day-to-day operations. It is for that reason why Fraser wants success and wants it now.
“We’re starting to grow. It’s really starting to get a footy club vibe through here now,” he said.
“We’re getting more people around the club, more helpers and the structure of the footy club is looking a hell of a lot stronger than it did two years ago.”
The Bulldogs first game will be against a new-look South Mornington at the Point Cook Oval on April 21.
“We’ll have a good idea come 5pm on round one where we stand,” Fraser said.
