AFL 2024: Latest pre-season news from Western Bulldogs

An emerging Bulldog has revealed he decided against seeking a trade after finding a new lease of life in defence — but he’ll have to hold out an off-season recruit to get a round 1 berth this year.

Western Bulldogs draftee Aiden O'Driscoll

Western Bulldogs defender Bailey Dale is comfortable with the amount of contact in AFL training this pre-season after a “scary” incident in which his teammate Aiden O’Driscoll was sent to hospital.

O’Driscoll was on the track on Wednesday, working away from the main group as he recovers after a collision with teammate Bailey Williams that left both concussed.

The draftee was taken to hospital as a precaution after the clash at training last month, one of a string of concussions across the league this summer.

Western Bulldogs draftee Aiden O'Driscoll at training on Wednesday.

A state coroner recommendation last year called on the AFL to limit contact training by next pre-season and AFL head of football Laura Kane said on Tuesday she had left the amount of contact during sessions in the hands of clubs.

“We feel confident that our club staff are managing training appropriately but we will always continue to evaluate,” she said.

Most clubs include some form of physicality in every session as the season gets closer and Dale said contact between teammates was a “touchy subject”.

Bailey Dale fires a handball. Picture: Michael Klein.

“What happened to Aiden was pretty scary but it is a contact game and we need to practice those situations where you are going to get hit and you are going to get the footy out under pressure,” he said.

“I think the AFL will find the balance between that. We just do as we are told and whatever comes from it, comes from it.

“It is a contact sport, there are going to be collisions that you can’t sort of help.”

O’Driscoll was joined in the Bulldogs rehab group on Wednesday by Liam Jones (soreness), Alex Keath (knee) and Jack Macrae (hamstring).

Macrae should begin integrating into training in the next two weeks after scans cleared his hamstring of any tear.

Williams ran laps for much of the session alongside Laitham Vandermeer and Riley Garcia.

Draftee Jordan Croft (shine soreness) watched on, while James Harmes missed the session due to sickness.

BACK GOES BUKU

Buku Khamis has been one of the big improvers on the track this summer, after a role switch convinced him to ward of rival interest and stay with the Dogs.

Khamis weighed up a trade in the off-season but was won over by being sent to defence following a 2023 VFL campaign in which he kicked 41 goals from 18 matches.

Khamis appears locked in a battle with recruit Nick Coffield for a spot as an intercept defender in Luke Beveridge’s round 1 side.

“Just the positional change really swayed the choice (not to seek a trade),” he said.

“There would be more opportunities if I was playing well so that was the main factor. And the Western Bulldogs being such a great club, I felt I would give back a bit to them.”

Western Bulldogs celebrate 10 years of Sons of the West community program.

Khamis helped celebrate a decade of the club’s Sons of the West program on Wednesday.

The 10-week program focuses on men’s mental health in Melbourne’s western suburbs and has seen over 5000 men through its doors in the past 10 years.

RYLEY HYPE KEEPS BUILDING

The Dogs are not shying away from the hype around No.6 pick Ryley Sanders, as Dale gushed about his pre-season so far.

Sanders has been the talk of the Kennel over summer and showed his poise and ability to find space during some competitive drills on Wednesday.

Ryley Sanders continues to win admirers. Picture: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images

Dale said it “wouldn’t surprise me at all” to see Sanders starting in the centre come a round 1 date with Melbourne.

“His first session he has come in and gone straight in the midfield and I reckon he would have had about 20 touches in about 15 minutes,” Dale said.

“He just has so much power, he is a good user of the footy and he is really going to add to our blend in the midfield.”

Dale also said midfielder Bailey Smith was “in a pretty good space at the moment” as he attacks his rehab after rupturing his ACL in December.