WESTERN Bulldogs midfielder Callan Ward says outgoing captain Brad Johnson was as the side’s motivation as they faced elimination from the finals against the Sydney Swans on Saturday night.
Johnson, who announced his retirement last week, was spoken about as the Dogs readied for the final term with scores level.
Ward said the determination to get Johnson the premiership he so badly craved fired up the players against the equally-driven Swans, who were farewelling Brett Kirk and Paul Roos.
“At three-quarter time his name was mentioned. We spoke about how much he loved to win and hasn’t played in a ‘grannie’,” he told afl.com.au.
“It’s a big deal for us and really does motivate us. He’s played about 840 games.”
The game ended in thrilling circumstances after the Swans moved within a goal and the Dogs won possession from a kick in, playing keepings off and retaining the ball until the final siren.
Ward said he was on the half-forward flank when the game ended after earning a late reprieve from the pine.
“I was on the bench for probably the last eight minutes and then I came on with a minute and a half to go,” he said.
“It was pretty exciting. When we heard the siren we just all ran to each other and hugged each other, kissed each other. It was a great feeling.”
The Dogs will now meet St Kilda in a rematch of last year’s preliminary final, which the Saints won by seven points.
“I don’t think we’ll look at [last year’s game] but it will obviously motivate us for this week,” Ward said.
“They knocked us out last year so that will always be in the back of our minds.”
Ward said it was pleasing to finally break back and win the contested ball count after it was absent from the Dogs’ game for much of the past month.
He said the players’ belief had been maintained throughout that period because of habit of rebounding over the last few years.
“We’ve made the prelim in both years and we knew that if we could play the football we knew we could play, we could really match it with any team in the competition,” Ward said.
“It was a tough challenge, running out that last quarter knowing it could be our last quarter, but we were able to answer it.”
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