Dogs deputy has faith in Dunkley

MITCH Wallis has said Western Bulldogs midfielder Josh Dunkley has regained the respect of his teammates, after his request to move to Essendon went unfulfilled.

The son of former Dogs captain Stephen, Wallis was this week appointed the Dogs’ vice-captain, while the leadership group Dunkley joined last season was scrapped.

“It was a bit sticky there for a while, I must be honest,” the 28-year-old told SEN Drive. “You want to support him as a person, but you understand the challenges he will face.”

Wallis dismissed any notion that Dunkley’s heart won’t be in it at Whitten Oval.

“Josh will never back down on his application to training and his professionalism to his footy,” he asserted. “That’s the caring person that he is.”

Wallis believes Dunkley has “definitely got the respect back from the team,” but suggested the matter won’t be put to bed until he pulls on the hoops again.

“He’s in our best 18, he’s going to play a lot of time in the midfield, but it’s about earning that respect on game day, and really buying into our team,” he added.

“Which he’s done, and I had every faith he was going to do, but we’re still waiting for Round 1 when he can put on the colours and fight in the right spirit.

Tim Watson believes Dunkley may have been in the frame for the vice-captaincy were it not for the scuppered move to Tullamarine.

“Dunkley wanted out of there, he wasn’t happy with some of the things he was seeing and the way the place was operating,” Watson said.

“Do you put the two of those together in any way?”

“You couldn’t have voted for Josh Dunkley as a leader of your footy club,” Gary Lyon agreed.

-BY NATHAN JOHN/ SEN