New Cat out of the doghouse

GEELONG recruit Luke Dahlhaus regrets his social media swipe at former Western Bulldogs captain Bob Murphy and says he has apologised.

Last month, Dahlhaus hit back at Murphy after the retired Bulldogs player questioned his dedication since the 2016 flag.

In a series of Instagram posts, Dahlhaus sarcastically spoke about how unmotivated he was while holidaying in Europe with fellow Bulldog Tom Liberatore.

“In hindsight I would have definitely handled myself a lot different,” the 26-year-old said.

“The emotions just got to me and I’m disappointed with how I acted. I contacted Bob and we’ve sorted it out and showed our love to each other.

“It’s all sorted, I’ve nothing but love for him and for the club.”

Dahlhaus, who indicated he wanted to leave the Bulldogs last month, also admitted Murphy was correct in his assessment.

“I just felt like I wasn’t myself out on the field and mentally I probably wasn’t there,” he said.

“That’s a massive reason for coming home and having a fresh start.

“I think after the grand final expectations on yourself can sometimes be a little bit too high.

“Maybe I expected myself to do too much in some games and when it wasn’t working out you get down on yourself and it’s just like a spiral of bad form.

“I feel rejuvenated coming down the highway and being home, so hopefully I can get back to my best.”

Dahlhaus, who played for the Geelong Falcons before joining the Bulldogs, said a conversation with second cousin Patrick Dangerfield convinced him he should join the Cats. He added there was no bad blood with the Bulldogs, saying coach Luke Beveridge had wished him well.