Shaking off a slow start to season 2015, a career-best seven goal haul for Stewart Crameri might suggest he’s finding his best form when it matters most.
After sitting out the NAB Challenge, Crameri returned for the opening round of the season against West Coast, but kicked just just seven goals in eight games.
Short on match practice, the Club’s leading goal-kicker from season 2014 by his own admission felt out of sorts.
"The guys had three or four games under their belts and I'd come in and had an operation right before the season started. It was a big load straight away and I just didn't recover," Crameri said after the Bulldogs’ emphatic win over his former Club Essendon.
"I'd played nine games straight and I'd hurt my hip as well. My body wasn't in the greatest shape."
Crameri was far from out of sorts on Sunday as he turned on a best afield performance in the Bulldogs' 87-point drubbing of the Bombers.
It was the high-point in what has been a challenging season for the mobile-forward, after he was forced to regain his place in the side after ankle and adductor issues flared up during the mid-point of the season.
Beveridge said Crameri's resilience had shone through after a difficult start to the year.
"I spoke to him early on and pretty much guaranteed him a spot," Beveridge said on Sunday.
"It didn't really work out for him early, and for us and to his credit, he went back to VFL level and it took him a few weeks to be selected, and we're seeing the fruits of him putting his head down and working hard right now.
"It would be nice to think he's got a fair bit more in him and we think he does toward the back end of the year."
To kick seven majors against his old side made the moment even sweeter, as Beveridge attested to.
"Having been there before, he would have lots of people from Essendon who would've been right in his corner," Beveridge said.
"Once you leave that's all gone. There's no soft spots for him and it's great for him to come and do that this afternoon."
It was not only Crameri who ran riot against the Bombers, with Jake Stringer and Tory Dickson also kicking four goals each as the Bulldogs' trio of mid-sized forwards continue to provide headaches for opposition sides.
Crameri said it was satisfying to know that his hard-work was starting to pay off after nothing seemed to be working for him early on in the season.
"It's the majority of training, in the last month in particular, and it all seems to be coming together. It's been good and hopefully I can keep it going towards the end of the year," he said.
