Dogs boss on pair’s strong starts in new colours

WESTERN Bulldogs CEO Ameet Bains has commented on losing Lewis Young and Patrick Lipinski following the duo’s strong starts to the 2022 season.

Both Young and Lipinski requested trades away from the Dogs in the 2021 trade period, with the former joining Carlton and the latter Collingwood.

The Dogs had tabled multi-year deals to both players and hoped they would stay, although both left searching for more senior opportunities.

Lipinski played 11 games in the red, white and blue last year, while Young managed nine.

Despite both becoming integral pillars of their current sides, Bains doesn’t lose sleep over the lost talent at the Dogs.

“I don’t think it was an error,” he told SEN’s Whateley.

“Lewis Young had a two-year contract offer, Pat Lipinski had a three-year contract offer, so I think there are little misnomers about losing them because we wanted both players to stay.

“They were out of contract, they wanted more opportunity, which from both players’ perspectives they’ve got.

“They made the right move for their careers they would say and ultimately we wanted them both to stay, and we made them contracts we felt were fair and reasonable.”

Given Carlton’s injuries to key defensive stocks, Young has been forced to play above his weight and has held his own in a side challenging for the top four.

Meanwhile, Lipinski hasn’t missed a game this year, averaging career-best figures in disposals, inside 50s and clearances.

The Dogs secured pick 43 and pick 52 in the 2021 draft in exchange for the two 23-year-olds.

The club selected Sam Darcy, Arthur Jones and Luke Cleary with their three picks in the National Draft last year.

– BY SEB MOTTRAM/ SEN