HOME TRUTHS SPUR DEMPSEY
IT was the honest chat that has developed Bulldogs forward John Dempsey into a powerhouse.
Floating between Thuringowa’s seniors and reserve sides, then assistant coach David Black sat the young forward down.
He gave it to him straight, mapped out the areas he needed to improve and sent him back to reserves training.
It was the moment that lit the spark for Dempsey.
By the end of the season he was a regular in the Bulldogs forward line and this season is sitting on top of the AFL
Townsville goalscorers five games.
“Even in that chat he was adamant he belonged in the senior team. He has now proven that this season,” Black said.
“We just told him he needed to work on a few things in his game, the main one being his goal kicking.
“He went back to the reserves and worked tirelessly with coach (Peter) ‘Foxy’ Johnson. They worked on his ball drop and really straightened him up.
“Even now, whenever I go to training, he is already there inside the forward 50m taking shot after shot at goal.”
But it is not just Dempsey’s accuracy on goal that makes him a lethal weapon. list with 19 in
The 190.5cm forward towers over most opposition but, with his football nous, he rarely has to.
“He gets the footy with his leading patterns, he is quicker than he looks,” Black said. “When he gets in front, usually he puts a metre on his opponents.”
The Bulldogs will face a tough test on Saturday under lights at Riverway Stadium against a willing University Hawks side coming off a last-round bye.
Before that the Hawks were strong when picking up their first win of the season against Northern Beaches Suns.
In the other clash, the unbeaten Curra Swans aim to keep their season rolling against premiers Hermit Park Tigers.