Western Bulldogs young gun Sam Darcy says he is confident the team will be able to cover the roles left by some injured key personnel ahead of Round 1 this Saturday.

The Bulldogs will host the Kangaroos at Marvel Stadium in their season opener, but will be without usual culprits Marcus Bontempelli, Adam Treloar and Cody Weightman to name a few.

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Speaking to SEN during the Club’s annual Bulldogs Blitz membership day, Darcy said there were a number of players who are ready to step up.

“It is disappointing seeing any member of the team go down with an injury, but I think over the course of the summer there’s been a ‘one man down, next man up’ kind of mentality,” he told Andy and Gazey on Tuesday afternoon.

“We’ve got plenty of people who are more than capable of playing the roles of those have gone down injured.

“I think we’ve got a few who could potentially come back for Round 1 as well which is exciting.

“We’ve got some confidence in whoever we put on the field, that we’ll able to have an impact against any team.”

Darcy hoped he could also have his own impact on the 2025 campaign.

“I think every year you want to try and keep levelling up and heading in the right direction. We have great coaches and players around me to help with my development,” he said.

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“You get more and more confident the more games you play, so hopefully this year I can have even more of an impact.

“(A big focus) over summer was that conditioning and getting stronger to be able to run out four quarters at a higher level. That’s a big thing when you first come into the AFL: to get your bodies right to be able to compete for four quarters at a high level.

“I’ve put a big emphasis on that while continuing to develop my ruck craft...the defensive side of the game too – all the running and chasing as a tall player.

“I’ve had a lot of different focuses going into the year.

“I do (feel stronger). You can get a gauge – we’ve got really great defenders at our club – if you can hold your own in those contests, so I definitely feel stronger.”

Yesterday’s special Bulldogs Blitz membership offer has been extended for a limited time only: buy three games and get nine. That’s a saving of $121!

Take advantage of this limited offer and become a member today.