IT came as a surprise to Western Bulldogs dasher Bailey Dale when coach Luke Beveridge proposed he switch ends at the huddle of a pre-season game.<\/p>\n
Just months later, Dale is the number one ranked general defender in the league, ahead of highly-touted names such as Adam Saad, Christian Salem and Jordan Ridley.<\/p>\n
It comes less than two years after he booted 20 goals in six games as the Dogs surged into a finals place in 2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was a little bit taken aback,\u201d Dale told SEN\u2019s Bob and Andy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought I mustn\u2019t have been going very well up forward for him to swing me back in the last quarter of our Hawthorn praccy game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dale kicked goals in seven consecutive appearances in 2020, but couldn\u2019t recapture his white-hot form of the season prior.<\/p>\n
Drafted at the end of 2014, he has rarely settled in a position at the elite level, even spending a stint on the wing in 2017.<\/p>\n
The 24-year-old may have found his niche however, with his new role producing averages of 22 disposals, six intercepts, five rebound 50s and 429 metres gained, and four goals to boot.<\/p>\n
\u201cI try to use the things I didn\u2019t like as a forward, and just put them in place when I\u2019m playing down back,\u201d Dale detailed.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo play a really assertive brand, and try to use the ball as well as I can and play my role for the team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dale is in good hands; his line coach is Dogs great Rohan Smith, who played 300 games and won two All-Australian selections at half back before mentoring the defenders of the 2016 premiership team.<\/p>\n
\u201cBubba has been really good, I\u2019ve done my review with him every week since being down back. He\u2019s a really positive guy, he doesn\u2019t really have a negative (thing) to say,\u201d Dale added.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome guidance there from him has been great, I love working with him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dale and the Dogs reclaimed their place on the winners list by beating Carlton at Marvel Stadium on Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n
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