Josh Dunkley wanted to get out of the Western Bulldogs, he made his demands clear that he wanted to join Essendon when he was looking for more time in midfield.
His manager Liam Pickering announced the star’s hopes of leaving the club, a demand that blinded the Bulldogs.
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>
Of course, the Bulldogs stuck to their respective bomber demands during the AFL trading period to make the move easier.
The Bulldogs pursued two picks in the first round for the 23-year-old midfield star, who still has a two-year contract. Essendon refused to cater to the dogs’ needs and time was running out so Dunkley was a member of the Bulldogs.
Dunkley has broken his silence on everything for the first time since the fallout of his trade demands and trade failures.
“In the back of my mind I knew it was a possibility after I came out and asked to go to Essendon, but with all due respect the Bulldogs really held me tight and made it a challenge for Essendon to get me,” he said to reporters.
“It’s nice to know that the club is now looking for you. I am very excited to be going back and getting to work. “
Dunkley wanted to join the bombers after its share of the center bounces visited dropped from 63 percent in 2019 to just 36 percent in 2020 for the Bulldogs.
His return to the Bulldogs and request for more time in midfield are now tougher after the Dogs brought in unwanted Pies midfield star Adam Treloar.
Dunkley says he has not only caught up with coach Luke Beveridge but has spoken to his new midfield teammate and is looking forward to getting back on track with his teammates.
“I let the dust settle a little and then caught up with (Beveridge). I actually drove to him. We had a good chat and I also talked to him a lot.
“I’m definitely going to put everything aside (and) I think it’s going to be exciting to go back,” he said.
“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.
“When it didn’t go through, I was back the next day of training and was looking forward to what we can do in 2021.”
.
