LION-TURNED-BULLDOG Jed Adcock says he feels "re-energised" and believes he could play on for another two seasons.
The former Lions captain was delisted at the end of last year and the Dogs were the only rivals to show any interest, picking up the 206-game veteran at No. 46 in the Rookie Draft.
Adcock, who played at least 20 games in each of his last five seasons with the Lions, made his first appearance for his new club in last week's win over Carlton and made further progress in a 53-point win over his old club at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.
Most notably in his 16-touch, four-tackle effort, Adcock burst through the centre and delivered the ball long to forward Jake Stringer, who received a free kick and goaled."I wasn't too bad. I was more nervous last week with it being my first game for a new club," Adcock told AFL.com.au post-match.
Five talking points: Western Bulldogs v Brisbane Lions
"This week felt pretty normal and I tried to treat it as a normal game, and the club was fantastic doing that for me.
"The best thing was we came away with the four points."
Considering he was cast aside by the battling Lions, and the Bulldogs' potential, it would be easy to assume that Adcock would simply want to hang on for his football life. But he is taking a broader view.
"It's not about hanging on," he insisted.
"I'm 30 and I feel I've got some really good footy ahead of me. Whether it's one year or three years, time will tell.
"I'm in a really good place at the moment, the body feels good, and it's nice to be in this system and playing some good, aggressive footy."
It's also easy to assume that Adcock has been fortunate with the timing of his move to Whitten Oval, with the Dogs seemingly on the cusp of becoming a serious contender.
"It feels like I'm at a place now where we're moving in the right direction," he said.
"Don't get me wrong, the Lions are doing some good things and playing some good footy. But being a 30-year-old, it's nice that things might happen a bit quicker here, and it's nice to be part of it."
The change of environment has been refreshing.
"When you're in the same system, walking into the same club with the same people – even though the people were fantastic for me and my family – a change can make you feel re-energised," he said.
"You learn a different way to play the game, you get a different perspective on the game, with different people, and you work out ways to better yourself as a player."
Injuries to skipper Bob Murphy and Jason Johannisen have opened the door for Adcock, whose experience, leadership and versatility are well regarded by the Dogs.
"It's unfortunate that we've lost some players, but it gives opportunities for other players who are really hungry to perform," he said.
"And a great thing is that everyone's in really good form, at AFL and VFL level. So we're really comfortable with whoever steps in, that they'll play the role they need to play."
