Cooney confident
The Age
Wednesday March 23, 2011
IT HASN'T been the most impressive of pre-season performances but Brownlow medallist Adam Cooney maintains he has completed enough work to take on Essendon on Sunday.The Western Bulldogs' match-winner has played in two VFL practice matches, having missed last season's finals with a major hamstring injury and undergoing knee surgery over summer.The Bulldogs have understandably adopted a cautious approach but, according to the man himself, it's left him ready to face the Bombers at Etihad Stadium."As usual I have timed my run perfectly, staying inside [training] until after Christmas," he said yesterday."I have played two games so far so I have probably just done enough work to get up."The major selection concern for the Bulldogs appears to be whether to include key defender Brian Lake.He played his first match of the season in an intra-club match at Whitten Oval last Friday but has limited training because of off-season operations.He may have to wait until round two before starting the season proper even though the Bombers possess a tall forward line.Lake could also be used as a substitute, having also had success as a forward.The Bulldogs have been impressed with father-son draftees Mitch Wallis and Tom Liberatore.The 18-year-olds could both debut, with Cooney predicting Wallis was just ahead of Liberatore in his bid for selection and could even emerge as an early favourite for the Rising Star award.
© 2011 The Age
