AFL Grand Final: Young Western Bulldogs star Caleb Daniel says the Doggies won’t bow-wow-wow to the past
THE little man with the big heart — Caleb Daniel — says his Western Bulldogs will crash “through bricks walls” against Sydney to fulfil football’s captivating premiership pursuit.
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THE little man with the big heart — Caleb Daniel — says his Western Bulldogs will crash “through bricks walls” against Sydney to fulfil football’s captivating premiership pursuit.
The young Dogs’ cohort has responded to coach Luke Beveridge’s call to make history rather than bow wow to a past littered with finals torment since the club’s solitary 1954 flag.
“I think it will a great contest, physical and bodies flying everywhere which is how we like to play,” said 33-game on-baller Daniel.
The new breed at the kennel including superstar Marcus Bontempelli, Daniel, Luke Dahlhaus and Tom Boyd were untouched by the club’s catalogue of seven straight preliminary final defeats broken by last Saturday’s indomitable win against Greater Western Sydney.
“The team is remarkable and the belief we have between the 22 that play is incredible,” Daniel told The Advertiser.
“There will be blokes who run through brick walls if they have to and do some tremendous things for the team which is something to marvel at.”
Daniel, 20, will run into battle against Sydney set on vindicating the love and support of mother Karen and sister Chloe.
Mum always backed the precision skill and spunk of a 167cm son to outweigh the height prejudice of recruiters as South Adelaide’s standout 2014 draft hopeful.
“They have been enormous in my football life and coming up through the ranks since I was five at Edwardstown Football Club to being here now is something special and I love them to bits,” said Daniel.
“They drive over more than anyone for games. It is an eight hour drive, they watch the game, stay over and drive home the next day.
“They will be here for the GF.”
Luke Beveridge’s men are distinguished by collective conviction and deserved start at the “big dance”.
Season-ending injuries to Robert Murphy, Mitch Wallis and Jack Redpath didn’t rattle the Bulldogs defying a 62-year backstory of pain.
Lin Jong’s elimination final broken collarbone, personal tragedy for Clay Smith and Jordan Roughead’s preliminary final eye complaint were never an excuse for failure.
“It has kept brewing through the year and we start to think why not us? Even through the adversity of injury the players who have been able to play good VFL football and been able to come into the side and play their role has been enormous,” said Daniel.
Beveridge, notes Daniel, is the ultimate father figure for a group that entered the season with the 14th youngest list before 34-year-old skipper Murphy’s knee buckled against Hawthorn in round three.
“There is definitely something special about Bevo, he has been my only coach in the AFL system, pretty special to me and a lot of the boys,” Daniel said.
“He is just like a mate when you walk around the club, sort of like your older brother. You go out and play for him each week.”
Before Beveridge, Daniel had South Adelaide boss and former St Kilda rover Brad Gotch in his corner. Gotch blooded Daniel aged just 16 in the SANFL — a move crucial in AFL’s shop window where the kid from Edwardstown showed skill rather than size mattered.
“I actually got a text from Brad on the weekend, after the win he said ‘go the Doggies’ and it was great to speak to him,” said Daniel, with Jimmy Deane’s bar at South Adelaide shouting free drinks every time its Panther cub kicked a goal during the finals series.
“I still keep in contact with a fair few of them and formed lifelong bonds.
“It is a bit of a dream, playing for Edwardstown Football Club and through the ranks at South Adelaide Football Club has been tremendous in my football development. I am pinching myself to be in AFL grand final week.”
Gotch championed Daniel’s AFL cause and the Bulldogs listened, recruiting the Beaudesert-born ball magnet at pick No. 46 in the 2014 national AFL draft.
The inherent decision making prowess and ability to pinpoint inside 50 delivery that set Daniel apart as a junior has evolved as a key element in Beveridge’s grand final master plan.
“It is something I have worked on and anyone who can use the footy in a grand final is valuable. I am sure there will be a lot of guys step up,” said Daniel.
Sydney is armed with five of the top midfielders in the business who crushed Adelaide and Geelong with a ferocious preliminary final attack at the contest demanded by coach John Longmire.
Daniel notes the Bulldogs scalped West Coast, Hawthorn and GWS with their own kamikaze approach to winning the ball.
“It will be a great tussle. Sydney is a talented football team. Luke Parker, Josh Kennedy, Dan Hannebery are elite midfielders in the competition as well as Kieran Jack, Isaac Heeney. We have respect for the way their midfield goes about it,” said Daniel.
“We are hoping beat them in the contested areas and if we can do that we should give it a red hot crack.”
A Bulldogs AFL flag would evoke the euphoria of underdog Leicester’s 2015 English Premiership League title triumph. Daniel, chuckling, insists his trademark helmet will never gain the cachet associated with rugby league legend Jon Thurston’s protector.
“JT has a few premierships on me and is a great player,” said Daniel.
Originally published as AFL Grand Final: Young Western Bulldogs star Caleb Daniel says the Doggies won’t bow-wow-wow to the past
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