It has been a long 18 months for Bundoora, who was forced to watch from the sidelines during the 2019 Meadows Greyhounds Division 1 finals series for the first time since 2000.
Now, with Michael Ryan at the helm, the Bulls will be looking to fly back up the ladder in 2021 and reinstate themselves as one of the NFNL’s powerhouses.
2019 was a tough year for Bundoora, who had to watch in horror as they fell to a ninth-placed finish after losing nine consecutive games to finish the season.
In the 18 months that have followed, Bundoora’s leaders have been strong in trying to avoid another below-par campaign.
“The group were definitely embarrassed with what happened in the 2019 season,” Ryan said to NFNL.org.au.
“Our leaders have been sensational in the past 18 months by driving the standards on and off the training track to ensure we never repeat that again.
“They’re trying to make every post a winner so that we can give ourselves the best chance at success in 2021, because Bundoora hasn’t been associated with the tail end of the ladder in the past, so it probably stunned the playing group quite a bit.”
Ryan believes the key to Bundoora’s return to finals action lies in “making more of an effort to be a more attacking side”, as he hopes a rise across the board will produce the ball movement required to post a winning score.
“We averaged only nine goals per game in 2019, so we definitely have to focus on hitting the scoreboard more consistently,” Ryan said.
“We understand we have to be adding four or five goals on top of that to be kicking a winning score weekly in this competition.
“We also have been working towards de-risking our style of play so that if we make turnovers we don’t make them in areas that will hurt us on the scoreboard.”
This aggressive shift will have to succeed without some of the club’s biggest names, with legends Matthew Dennis and Gary Moorcroft both leaving Yulong Reserve after highly decorated careers.
But Bundoora is adamant it has the depth to cover the losses, with some young forwards impressing Ryan throughout the lengthy pre-season.
“I think based on what they’ve (Dennis and Moorcroft) achieved in their football career, you’re never going to be able to replace the quality or calibre of that player on just talent alone and what they’ve achieved at Bundoora,” Ryan said.
“In that ruck division we’re going to put a lot of faith in Joel Grace, as well as Hamish Shepheard and Nathan Howard to fill that vacuum that Matthew (Dennis) has left since moving down to Tasmania.
“We think we can spread the goals to cover the loss of Gary (Moorcroft). There’s going to be an emphasis on John Jorgensen, Jesse King and Sam Lloyd to even out the goal kicking and make sure we’re not too one-dimensional up forward.”
The recruit of former Richmond and Western Bulldogs forward Sam Lloyd is a major boost for the Bulls’ hopes in 2021.
Having “already gained the love from the playing group”, Ryan is excited about what he can offer Bundoora in the coming seasons.
“Sammy’s a ripping guy – sometimes when you get someone back from AFL level you don’t know which way they’ll go in terms of their attitude, but already he has shown the ability to buy in and connect with the group,” Ryan said.
“We’re going to make sure we don’t pigeon-hole him in one spot, so we’ll play him as a midfielder and as a forward.
“Obviously, it would be nice to have two of him so we could play him at both positions, but he’ll do what’s best for the team.”
Former Fremantle-listed forward Hamish Shepheard has already made a big difference to the playing group, and Ryan expects him to have “quite a presence and an influence on the field each week”.
But Ryan is most keen to see a young group of players breaking through at senior level in 2021. Jesse King has caught the coach’s eye since moving from Eltham after the 2019 season, while Kain Proctor and Kyle Green threaten to dazzle as star recruits for the Bulls.
“Jesse (King) is an elite trainer – he and Brendan Carlyon are the benchmarks at our club in terms of their running and aerobic capacity,” Ryan said.
“Kain (Proctor) has been unbelievable since coming back from Fitzroy Stars. His leadership has really stepped up and he’s really maturing as a footballer. Now he’s come back to Bundoora he’s been brilliant in that regard, as has Kyle Green.”
This wide range of talent available has Ryan confident his side can bounce back in 2021 after such a long lay-off. With plenty of reasons for optimism, the Bundoora coach is placing clear benchmarks on his rejuvenated group.
“Our goal is to play finals,” Ryan said.
“We’re definitely not putting a ceiling on what we can achieve or where we can go as a club.
“I understand the outside perception is we might have gone backwards in terms of who we’ve lost, but at the same time we think some of the people we have brought in will definitely fill that vacuum.”
The Bulls head into tomorrow’s Round 1 encounter against reigning premier West Prest-Lakeside with pre-season form on their belt, after playing “three really good hit outs” against Ajax, Greenvale and Banyule.
