BULLDOG Daniel Cross has revealed that he considered leaving the club at the end of 2003, concerned that senior opportunities would be scarce if he stayed.
“I was hell bent on playing senior footy, and whether that was somewhere else, I just had to get that chance,” Cross said on Thursday, ahead of playing his 100th AFL match for the Doggies against Melbourne on the weekend.
“I suppose it didn’t turn out that something eventuated in that trade and I suppose looking back in hindsight it was a blessing that it didn’t happen. I’m still here at the great club that I am.”
The influential Bulldog, now a key member of the club’s leadership group, said there were times during that difficult third season where he thought he’d never be able to make a breakthrough and get a place in the senior set up.
“I was emergency quite a few times and just couldn’t quite crack into the side. I was playing quite well down at Werribee. I was being told I couldn’t do a lot more but I just couldn’t get a game," he said.
"I was hoping that other people would be watching and luckily enough, at the end of that year, I did get another contract and from there it sort of took off and when Rocket (Rodney Eade) came it really went from strength to strength.”
In fact Cross credits Eade for turning him in to the footballer he is today.
“He’s given me confidence in myself. Back in my early days I know I had a lot of weaknesses in my game but he more focused on my strengths and what I could bring to the team," the 25-year-old said.
"That gave me confidence in myself and allowed me to keep going out and training hard and thinking that I’m going somewhere with my career.
"So he’s stuck with me through the thick and the thin. He’s a real positive coach. He’s great to have around, not only as a coach, but as a person to speak to at the club.”
Eade was equally complimentary in his appraisal of the lifelong Bulldog reaching the 100-game milestone.
“It’s a great credit to him,” Eade said.
“He’s one player that probably with Matthew Boyd just smashed the door down to get playing AFL footy," he said.
"They just willed themselves through their work ethic. I think Crossy’s story is a great story.
"He's a guy that probably has a few shortcomings in his game but his positives just outweigh them by that much and the example he sets his teammates is outstanding.
"The courage he shows in games is an inspiration… he’s probably as good as I’ve seen on the training track at getting the best out of himself.”
