By Matt Fotia
New South Croydon captain Liam Cox says his side are eagerly awaiting their Anzac Day clash with Blackburn, as they look to avenge their 2019 Semi-Final loss and carry on from their scintillating Round One win against Doncaster.
The Dogs sit atop – the albeit early – 2021 Premier Division ladder after a convincing 69 point win over Doncaster at home as they get used to life under new leadership.
The Bulldogs have cited playing an attractive brand in 2021 under new coach Marcus Buzaglo and on so far they stayed true to their word, booting 19 goals and having 33 scoring shots across the game on the opening afternoon.
Cox, who has taken over the captaincy this season, said Buzaglo has been fantastic – in the short space of time he’s had – for this evolving Bulldogs squad and has the respect of the entire playing group.
“Buzz has been great; he was around the club in 2020 before the season got postponed and we spent a fair bit of time with him then when he was working with the midfielders and I was really glad he went for the job to be honest because he suits our group, and all the players really respect him.”
That being said, the performance on Saturday was somewhat of a surprise to the new skipper, given their inconsistent pre-season form, so they placed an emphasis on bringing energy and intent in the season opener.
And they certainly brought it.
Photo – Cassidy Captured (Facebook)
The Dogs had 27 more contested disposals than Doncaster and laid 78 tackles – of which 53 were effective – to the Sharks 44. Cox himself led all comers with 10 tackles, whilst Brayden Kilpatrick (8), Jordan Walker (7) and Daniel King (6) also threw their weight around.
“We didn’t have an ideal preparation coming into it, we had a sort of staggered practice match set up and our form wasn’t really that great,” Cox said.
“So, our focus on Saturday was bringing that energy and intent and it showed with our tackle numbers, you could tell the boys were switched on and we maintained it for the whole four quarters which was good to see,”
“The girls unfurled their flag after us as well, so there was a good vibe and a big crowd down.”
The Dogs have been active on the recruiting front in preparation for both the 2020 non-season and season 2021 and their work is starting to pay dividends.
Impressive duo James Wilsen (14 disposals, eight marks and four goals) and Matthew Burt (19 disposals, two clearances, four inside 50’s and one goal) both made an impact in Round One, after finding their way to Cheong Park thanks to a Box Hill connection.
Another signing in ex Woori Yallock midfielder Jordan Williams didn’t enjoy his first run around in Dogs colours as much, straining his hamstring in the early stages.
The Bulldogs are now readily awaiting their next assignment Blackburn, who snuck home by one point against newcomers Doncaster East, on Anzac Day.
It will be the first time the sides have met since the 2019 Semi-Final where the Panthers defeated the Dogs by 16 points on their way to a Grand Final berth. The day will have a real festival atmpshere in 2021 with Blackburn and South Croydon doing battle in six matches (Two Women’s, Two Under 19’s, Reserves and Seniors) across the two grounds at Morton Park.
Cox says the Dogs have great respect for the Burners and cited the relationships the two clubs have with their respective RSL’s which make the day so special.
Photo – Cassidy Captured (Facebook)
“(We) Can’t wait – I think we’ve been doing this for a while now (Anzac Day Clash) – so it’s a great yearly fixture to have and there’s a lot of mutual respect between the two teams,”
“Every time you come up against Blackburn you know what you’re going to get,”
“It’s a privilege to play on Anzac Day and they’ve got a lot of close ties with the local RSL and so do we, so it’s a special day to play footy and this year it’ll be even bigger because there’ll be six games on across the day.”
Speaking about his new role as captain of the Dogs, the 84 game South Croydon junior product praised the role previous skippers Dylan Marshall and Daniel King have played in helping him transition into the top job seamlessly.
“I haven’t found it too weird (playing with his predecessors), but they’ve been great in mentoring me,”
“I know they’re only a phone call away and they’re always vocal, willing to help out and push the standards,”
“It’s been a pretty good initiation phase for me, knowing you have those senior boys around,”
“So I’m very fortunate to have a guy like Dano (King) floating around, even though he’s coming up to 55 – 56 years old this year with a few grey hairs popping out.”