FORMER Western Bulldogs captain Luke Darcy is confident Ayce Cordy can still have a successful career at Whitten Oval, despite the underperforming ruckman playing just 20 games in six seasons. 

Darcy and Cordy share similarities as players, both agile ruckmen who found their way to the Dogs as father-son recruits.

Unfortunately for the Bulldog faithful, that is where the similarities end, with Darcy clocking up 226 games and earning All Australian honours across 14 seasons.

While Cordy has a modest record at senior level in comparison, and is out of contract at season's end, Darcy hasn't given up hope.

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"I still have a really strong faith in what Ayce can do," Darcy told AFL.com.au.

"He's had a huge amount of bad luck and significant injuries, but he's been through that now, he played a lot of games in the VFL last year and he's starting to get some continuity in his footy,

"But it's a massive 12 months coming up for him, and there comes a point where you have to play enough good football and prove to yourself you can be a really good AFL player." 

Solid form in 20 VFL matches in 2014 didn't translate into regular senior footy, with Cordy only getting a call up against St Kilda in round 20.

And with the injuries now behind him, Darcy says the 204cm beanpole needs to become a more rounded player.

"If you want to play the way the modern ruckman should play, you need to be able to run, cover the ground and to be able to win the footy at ground level, and he ticks a lot of those boxes," Darcy said. 

"But you've also got to be aggressive, compete hard and take a contested mark and that's why Shane Mumford is one of my favourite players in the competition.

"Ayce needs to get these elements into his game if he wants to succeed, because I think the ability is there, the physicality is there, so he just needs to be really aggressive in the practice games and the opportunities will come."

And Darcy is just as enthusiastic about the Bulldog side Cordy could be a part of in 2015 under the guidance of new coach Luke Beveridge.

"I'm an eternal optimist and I have great faith in where the club is heading at the moment," he said.

"I'm not expecting them to win 12 games, but I'm an unashamed fan of what Luke Beveridge can do and instill in the group, so I expecting to see some real improvement and some surprising results."