Josh Schache arrived at the Bulldogs at the end of 2017 with one main goal – to earn respect.

Schache played 27 games over two seasons at Brisbane before arriving at the Dogs during last year’s trade period.

“Coming to the club, I really wanted to earn that respect,” Schache told westernbulldogs.com.au.

“I wanted to make a good first impression and work on those little things that I needed to work on and still need to keep working on.

“I’ve really enjoyed this year, being at the Doggies. Coming from Brisbane, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but everyone at the Club has been quite welcoming and accepted me.  I’ve just loved it.”

Schache worked his way through an interrupted pre-season with a calf injury and bided his time in the VFL for Footscray. 

Three consecutive three-goal hauls would eventually lead to a senior call-up against Collingwood in Round 10.

“Being able to get into the side mid-year and hold my spot has been positive for me and I’ve really enjoyed being back out there and playing again,” he said.

“Each game I’ve played, the more comfortable, the more relaxed in the team I feel.  I feel like I belong out there more each week.”

With Schache settled and enjoying his footy, he notched up 13 games in 2018 and kicked 17 goals, including a career-best haul of three against St Kilda.

“Working closely with Ash Hansen this year, the forward line coach, has been awesome,” he said.

“He’s been able to teach me a lot of things I suppose I’ve never seen before – parts of the game.  I feel like this year I’ve learnt so much.”

Schache will enter his fourth season in 2019, and with 40 games of senior experience, he’ll use it as a launching pad for the rest of his career.

“I don’t mind getting up the ground and getting involved in that sort of way.  A big part of my development and where I need to keep growing is making an impact on the scoreboard a bit more, and getting back towards goal,” he said.

“I feel like I’ve made big improvements with my positioning on the ground and staying relevant to where the ball is and where that next contest is going to be.

“This pre-season I want to put a bit more weight, a bit more muscle, so I can add that part to my game instead of just hitting up.  (I want to) be that forward down there that can hold my own in a contest.”

The Western Bulldogs’ first-to-four-year players will commence pre-season on Monday, November 5.