The Western Bulldogs will be looking to cement Ballarat’s Mars Stadium as their second home when they take on Hawthorn in their opening match of the JLT Community Series this weekend according to midfielder Caleb Daniel.
The Dogs have been scheduled to play two home games at the newly developed Eureka Stadium, in Rounds seven and nineteen against Gold Coast and Port Adelaide respectively, and Daniel says it’s important the Club establishes its credentials in the heart of the Victoria goldfields.
“I think it’s really important. When you have two home games, it’s pretty influential in any season,” he said.
“So to get out here in front of the Bulldogs faithful, it’s always good establish that sort of culture, and we’re trying to make it a second home.
“There’ll probably be few more games played here in years to come so we’d rather get off on the right foot, get some wins on the board and try and cement it as a second home.”
The Dogs have named an experienced outfit for the first hit out of the 2018 campaign, and Daniel echoed the sentiments of stand-in coach Daniel Giansiracusa when he said that they’ll be treating the game like a full dress rehearsal ahead of Round 1.
“As soon as you cross that white line you’re always in that mindset anyway. It’s a game versus opposition so [we’re keen] to get a win and work hard for each other, bed down some structures that we’ve learnt throughout the pre-season.
“We’ve done a lot of match sim against each other, so it’s always good to get out there and have a crack at someone other than your mates.”
