Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge is embracing the AFL’s condensed fixturing, saying he’s approaching it with a “sense of adventure”.
Starting on July 29, there will be 33 games across 20 days of consecutive football – which covers rounds nine to 12.
The Bulldogs face Gold Coast on Thursday night at Metricon Stadium before the mammoth task of playing three of the top four teams in just 11 days.
But an upbeat Beveridge said they were up for the challenge.
“There’s a sense of adventure attached to the tight turnarounds and flying by the seat of our pants,” Beveridge said on Wednesday.
“It’s quite exciting; as far as the ladder positions go we’ve got some teams coming up who are up in the top end so there’s some great challenges and opportunities for us.”
Beveridge felt that most clubs would feel similarly about what lay ahead.
“It’s breaking new ground, it’s exciting for the code and the competition and that’s the way we will look at it and translate it,” he said.
He expected that given the shortened season his players would want to play every game possible and predicted they could use all 45 on the list.
Midfielder Callum Porter will become the fifth Bulldogs player to debut this season after being named to face the Suns.
Beveridge said the shorter games and longer breaks between goals and quarters had helped players and he would rely on a mix of their honesty and data to make selection decisions during the compressed season.
“Significantly it will be the players themselves and how they’re feeling and the feedback we get from them,” he said.
“We need some honesty in those conversations, that’s where data will be important, to get some clarity.
“No one is looking for a break, especially when there’s only 17 games before the possibility of playing in a final.”
Beveridge said coaches were consulted on the draw before it was announced and what their “tipping point” was.
“I thought three days too extreme and four days will push the envelope, so the AFL has listened,” he said.