Guglielmana feels Bulldogs have learned from heartbreaking losses

ADAM Guglielmana is not getting too carried away with South Fremantle’s strong finish to the 2014 WAFL season knowing that it means nothing unless built on next year and it is that level-headedness that could very well see him a future captain of the Bulldogs.

Following last Friday night’s win over Subiaco at Fremantle Oval, South Fremantle has now won four straight matches heading into this Saturday’s final round clash with Peel Thunder also at the port.

In those four wins over the past month, the Bulldogs have beaten the second-placed Subiaco, third-placed East Fremantle and fourth-placed Swan Districts, but that came on the back of South Fremantle losing six straight matches between Rounds 9 and 15.

Over the past month, South Fremantle has also managed to win tight contests over Peel and Subiaco which is something that wasn’t happening earlier in the year with losses to Perth and Swan Districts that should have been wins after the Bulldogs had sizeable leads.

Guglielmana, who began the season as a small forward but is finishing in defence and having perhaps the best season of his 87-game career despite missing four games with a hamstring injury, is enjoying being part of South Fremantle’s resurgence to finish the season.

What he in particular is impressed with is to have won a couple of tight games to show the team has learned some lessons from the earlier heartbreaking losses.

“It’s a funny game football, it can be the worst game ever and then you win games like we have been the last few weeks and it can be the best game ever. The tide can turn pretty quick,” Guglielmana said.

“We’ve learnt a lot from those games we’ve lost and we’ve spoken about not wanting to waste this year because we could be in a position in the next few years where we have a handy lead in a final, and we have to draw on the experiences from losing those tight games to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“We firmly believe we will be challenging over the next couple of years and these situations will help win these close games going forward.”

What has Guglielmana cautious about getting too carried away with the strong finish to the season is that the same thing happened in 2012 and 2013 as well, but the Bulldogs came out and started both the 2013 and 2014 seasons slowly leaving them no chance of making the finals.

“This has happened the last two years as well when we’ve finished like this and we have to understand that teams have taken us lightly from the way they’ve played against us with a bit of a lack of respect,” he said.

“We have to continue to improve because we are playing good footy, but we are winning games because teams aren’t respecting us as they would an East Perth, Subiaco or Swan Districts so we can’t get too carried away.”

Guglielmana also feels that too much can’t be read into the wins over the finals bound opponents in the Lions, Sharks and Swans either given when they met they basically had their spots secured and had little to play for up against South Fremantle.

“They have got bigger fish to fry and the top-four is pretty settled so if there’s any risk they won’t take it with players against us and they might try different things,” he said.

“We fully understand that because we know where we are at and we have a lot of hard work to do. We are looking forward to doing that hard work in the pre-season and onwards.”

Guglielmana is yet to meet with incoming South Fremantle coach Todd Curley and likely will do so following the final round clash with Peel this Saturday at Fremantle Oval and once the Mad Monday celebrations have quietened, but he likes what he knows of the incoming boss.

“I haven’t actually heard too much about Todd Curley except that the process to select him was awesome, and everything I have heard about it is good,” Guglielmana said.

“I’m looking forward to starting to play under him and letting him put his stamp on this team.”