Gun midfielder Josh Dunkley says it’s gratifying to know that the Bulldogs are looking for you and promises to regain the respect teammates have lost after a chaotic trading period.
Dunkley will officially return to training for Western Bulldogs in January after his club failed to close a deal with Essendon in the last AFL exchange period despite his trade request earlier this month.
The Bulldogs were looking for two first-round picks from Essendon for the 23-year-old, who had been with the club for two more years. However, the bombers believed that Dunkley was only worthy of a top 10 pick, resulting in a trade crisis and eventual no-deal.
Get the latest AFL news, highlights and analysis straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Join Now!
Speaking to reporters at Yarram, Dunkley said he was always aware that the two clubs may have struggled to agree on an appropriate deal.
“In the back of my mind, I knew it was a possibility after I got to Essendon,” said Dunkley. “But with all due respect, the Bulldogs really held me and made it a challenge for Essendon to get me.
“It’s nice to know that the club is now looking for you.
“I’m very excited to be going back and getting to work.”
It meant the dogs kept Dunkley and Adam Treloar – whom Dunkley has already met – acquired from Collingwood, while the Bombers kept a whopping three picks in the first round: Pick 6, 7, and 8.
Kayo is your ticket to the best sports streaming live & on demand. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial and start streaming right away>
Despite the disappointment that his trade wish was not fulfilled, Dunkley was determined to show professionalism in the episode and stated that he would “definitely put everything aside”.
Dunkley announced that he had already sat down with trainer Luke Beveridge and brought his case as part of the Dogs’ starred midfield – a major reason he initiated the trade request.
Buckley: Brutal but necessary
3:00
“I caught up with ‘Bevo’ in Melbourne the other day. Let the dust settle a little, then catch up with it. I actually went to see him and we had a good chat. I had spoken to him a lot throughout the process, too, ”said Dunkley.
“The boys made me feel very comfortable. It’s nice to be able to go back now and really lower my head and earn that respect when I’ve lost one.
“You really have to lower your head and work hard – and I will. From last week when it didn’t go through, I was back on the next day of training.
“I’m looking forward to what we can do in 2021.”
Dunkley has scored 42 goals from 78 games for the Bulldogs since they drafted him with pick 25 in the 2015 National Draft.
.
