Dogs feeling pressure same as Dees: Daniel
THE pressure of meeting their own expectations at the Western Bulldogs is equal to any Melbourne players are carrying as they seek to end the longest active AFL premiership drought in Saturday’s grand final.
Caleb Daniel, one of nine members of the Bulldogs’ 2016 flag success set to run out against the Demons, said the players had flicked their own switch to get grand final ready after a week of intense training, but “chilled” time off the field.
Having blown their chance to finish in the top four with a sluggish end to the home and away season, the Bulldogs have had to do it the hard way to get to the decider.
Melbourne, on the other hand, will be playing just a second game in a month as it looks to win a first premiership since 1964.
But Daniel said that didn’t mean the Demons were carrying a bigger burden.
“Both teams have a fair bit of pressure on their shoulders,” he said on Monday.
“We dropped from the top four in the last month, we were in the top two and people were writing us off.
“There’s pressure on us, on them, breaking the drought. But I don’t think they will be reading too much into that.
“It’s all about the now for them, and for us. It’s who is going to weather that pressure, if it’s in the game or your head, it’s going to be a huge battle.”
Bulldogs defender Alex Keath rejoined the main group for training on Monday after an extended session on Saturday to test his hamstring and is set to take the field in Perth.
Daniel said the players didn’t need to be told to up their intensity this week after the first-ever two week grand final preparation.
“I don’t think there needs to be a switch flicked,” he said.
“We are old enough and experienced enough to realise now is the time you want to be playing footy.
“It was a little bit more chilled (last week) but mainly that you didn’t need to stress about a game. We are in tune with our emotions enough to realise when to pick it up.”
Daniel pinpointed skill execution, a cornerstone of his game coming out of the Bulldogs defence, as a key factor in Saturday’s game, and getting through the well-oiled Melbourne machine.
“It’s incredibly important,” he said.