Bulldogs announce leadership group for 2015

SOUTH Fremantle has announced its leadership group for the 2015 McDonald’s WAFL Premiership season with Ryan Cook to continue for a fourth season as captain with Craig White and Adam Guglielmana his deputies.

The Bulldogs’ are now just over two weeks out from the WAFL season-opener against West Perth at Fremantle Oval on Friday March 20 and in readiness for that, the leadership group has been announced.

It was confirmed that Cook will remain as captain with White and Guglielmana the vice-captains, and Jarrod Parry, Toby Bairstow and James Sellar forming the rest of the leadership group.

Cook originally took over the role for the 2012 season and now remarkably he is closing in becoming South Fremantle’s longest-serving captain in history.

And he has done a tremendous job in his first three seasons as skipper in what has been an up and down rollercoaster ride for the Bulldogs.

The 27-year-old is now entering his fifth season at South Fremantle since arriving after spending four years and playing 14 games with Collingwood in the AFL.

Upon arrival at the Bulldogs for the 2011 season, Cook had an immediate impact as a hard-running midfielder and ended up winning the first of his WJ Hughes Medals as fairest and best.

He had another tremendous season in 2013, making it back to back fairest and best awards, and then again in 2014 led the team admirably averaging over 24 possessions a game before suffering a season-ending injury against Claremont in Round 15.

However, Cook has now played 73 matches since joining South Fremantle and averaged 24.2 disposals over those four seasons cementing himself as perhaps the hardest-running midfielder in the WAFL.

He has also represented Western Australia in three of his four seasons, and now will be looking to lead the Bulldogs to the finals for the first time since 2011.

Meanwhile, White will continue in his role as vice-captain for South Fremantle with the 177-game versatile veteran undergoing a career revival in 2014 returning to a role in the forward-line after spending several seasons as an important part of the defence.

He captained the Bulldogs as well in Cook’s absence for the final seven games of the season and now his leadership, on top of his ability to play forward and back will be crucial for the team in 2015.

Guglielmana has also been named vice-captain with the 26-year-old having now played 88 matches for the Bulldogs and has proven himself to be equally effective forward or back, or in stints running through the middle.

Rounding out the leadership group is 107-game midfielder Bairstow, second-year recruit Sellar and the emerging on-baller Parry who has battled through a horror run of knee injuries to return to the league team in 2014 to play the final 10 matches uninterrupted.