Western Bulldogs big man and former North Ballarat Rebel Jordan Roughead quashed any suggestion the Bulldogs were an outside chance for their grand final bid this weekend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The tag of the hunter has been commonly associated with the giant-slaying Dogs.
When asked about the tag at Tuesday’s press conference ahead of its preliminary final against Greater Western Sydney, the inform ruckman said the group wasn’t fazed by the media hype around the club that has built the Bulldogs up as the Cinderella story of the finals series. It is here to win a preliminary final – and break a hoodoo in the process.
“I don’t think it really bothers us, I think we just love getting out there and playing against the best. No matter who you play at this time of year you’re playing against the best teams in the competition,” Roughead said.
Whether we are the hunters or the hunted it doesn’t really bother us.
- Jordan Roughead
“We’re excited, we’re ready to go. Whether we are the hunters or the hunted it doesn’t really bother us … there’s no point being out there if you don’t believe you can win.”
The Western Bulldogs will be looking to make its first grand final since 1961 as a long list of unsuccessful preliminary final endeavors haunts it – most recently suffering three consecutive heart-breaking preliminary final losses between 2008 and 2010. Roughead said the group entered Saturday night’s clash with a positive outlook ahead of a hurdle that has seen it stumble too many times before. The Western Bulldogs will travel to Spotless Stadium, where it lost to the Giants by 25 points in round nine. But the stars have aligned for the Dogs with the pre-finals bye allowing key players to return now making it arguably the form side of the competition.