Ablett sharpens Bulldogs’ teeth

By Ken Moore
LAST season’s Ellinbank and District Football League (EDFL) runnersup, Bunyip, is hellbent on premiership success in 2007 and newly appointed firstyear coach Ryan Ablett is confident he can measure up and deliver it.
“It was my first year at the club last season and I learnt a lot,” he said.
“We’re well placed to go one better and have plenty of talent. We should be better for the experience of last season’s hard final series and we’ve topped up our side with some quality recruits.”
Bunyip appears to have a topnotch squad and the quality newcomers Ablett referred to include former Garfield and Pakenham pair, brothers Jack and Joe Allen, Poowong utility Luke James and tough defender Robbie Hughes has been lured back to the club from Doveton.
Ablett said he intended to implement his own way of doing things modelled on the best he has picked up playing football across the nation.
This has included stints in the VFL with Port Melbourne, where he won the Burra’s best and fairest in 2001 and in the SANFL and WAFL.
Asked to give an insight to his approach, Ablett said he aimed to take Bunyip to the next level of professionalism across all areas.
“This includes our preparation on game day and just doing the little things a lot better,” he said.
“Players can expect a big preseason the forward structure will be different with more avenues to goal and more variety with direct, hardworking and hardrunning team football.”
The magnitude of the job has not been lost on Ablett.
“It was a big decision (to accept the coaching role) and I go into it knowing full well it will come with responsibilities across many areas, but have weighed it all up and I’m confident I can build relationships,” he said.
Ablett replaces Ben Proctor who was controversially sacked and has headed back to his former club Drouin where he will coach in 2007.
President Alan Wright said Bunyip was excited about Ryan Ablett’s appointment and the Bulldogs would be aiming at the top two this season and hopes to clean up on grandfinal day.
“Ryan comes with a strong background in football, can offer us diversity in training, has good football knowledge and everybody respected his efforts since he has joined us,” he said.
“This Friday, 1 December Bunyip has a meetthecoaches’ night barbecue at the club starting at 6.30pm and prospective recruits and all supporters are most welcome.”