By RUSSELL BENNETT
BUNYIP is the latest Ellinbank and District Football League club to make big moves in an effort to secure a spot in the competition’s cut-throat top eight this season.
The Bulldogs have welcomed back a trio of premiership stars from their last flag in 2012.
Brad Wolfe and Shane Smith have returned from Nilma Darnum, while full-forward Brent Heus – who kicked 109 goals at around five-and-a-half per game in his last EDFL season in 2013 – has also come back to the kennel.
But it’s the inclusion of a premiership-winning team mate of Heus’ in Beaconsfield’s Casey Cardinia triumph of last year that is making big waves.
Kris Fletcher, a former Eagles best-and-fairest winner who was named on the half-forward line in the club’s Team of the Decade from 2001 to 2010, has also come across to the Bulldogs in a massive boost of experience and toughness for the senior side.
The good news doesn’t stop there either, with Jake Proctor and Lachlan Petch coming across from Warragul in the Gippsland League; and Michael Whyte and Zac Vansittart expected to be fit for a full season.
The Dogs have, however, lost Adam Rakip and Marc Rotunno and are desperately in search of a ruckman.
Still, Jack Blakey is fresh off a pre-season at Port Melbourne and youngsters Jack Roberts, Codey Manning and Sam McMillan are all set for big years in 2015.
Dogs’ player-coach Brad Walker said Heus would again line-up deep in the forward line for the side this year but the rest of the makeup of the side would be built around versatility.
“Out of our last grand-final side we became a bit too predictable and dependent,” Walker admitted.
“It’s all about getting some versatility in this year.
“Now that we’re starting to get a bit of depth it’s all about having a bloke who plays on a back flank who can push down and play forward if need be.
“You have to always be prepared for something different and always be coming up with new plans and game styles.”
Walker said with other clubs like Kooweerup, Garfield, Nar Nar Goon and even Cora Lynn improving on their lists from last season it was hard to narrow down any specific expectations for his boys this year.
“Our aim is to win more games than we lose at this point in time,” he said.
“If we can do that, wherever that puts us on the ladder, we’ll just wait and see.”
