INCOMING Western Bulldogs chief executive officer Ameet Bains has pointed to the intense scrutiny on players as an area of concern as he prepares for his new role.
Bains will continue his role as chief operating officer at St Kilda until December, at which point he will become the Dogs' fourth CEO in three years.
He will take over from Gary Kent, with David Stevenson and Simon Garlick having previously held that position.
Bains' promotion comes at an interesting time for the Bulldogs, with their young list seemingly guaranteed for success after a heart-warming run to the 2016 flag.
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However, they were not able to click in 2017, with several players losing form and being engulfed by speculation surrounding their off-field habits.
That most notably happened to departed powerhouse Jake Stringer, who was forced out and sent to Essendon despite having another year to run on his contract and being just two seasons removed from having loomed as one of the competition's most exciting players, when he booted 56 goals as a 21-year-old.
Bains told SEN on Monday that supporting his players, who are constantly under the glare of the media spotlight, would be a continuing challenge.
"The increasing pressure that players are under, I suppose, and the scrutiny that they face … is something that we have to grapple with on a daily basis," Bains said.
"If you look at that demographic within society and some of the issues that plague that age group in a broader sense, we do a pretty good job within the industry and the players themselves need to take a lot of credit for the way that most of them behave most of the time, but no doubt there are some ongoing issues and challenges that it presents."
Despite plenty having gone wrong at the Bulldogs in a season they finished 10th, Bains believed the Bulldogs were not far off again being successful.
"It's very hard for me to comment on the specifics, not being involved at the club, but this is the same club that won a premiership only 13 months ago, so a lot has gone right at the footy club," Bains said.
"There have obviously been some challenges that have been speculated on during the season but I think again, for a club to have won a premiership so recently, there's clearly a lot that's right."
His relationship with president Peter Gordon will be an ongoing source of fascination. Gordon plays a heavy role in many facets of the club, including having his say on list management, but Bains had no qualms about their working relationship.
"He does (run a tight ship) but there'll be no issues there. The club's really fortunate to have a loyal, committed and passionate man at the helm like Peter and he plays a great role in positioning the club the way he does," Bains said.
"From my dealings with him in terms of this process and being appointed, they've all been terrific, so I see that as being a really positive relationship going forward."
