Bomber superstar Dustin Fletcher says Friday night's win against the Bulldogs has provided a big boost of confidence to the club.
Speaking to media after the game, Fletcher said the players' ability to lift for big games was very encouraging.
“It was big (the game) - our last three or four weeks have been pretty good,” he said to K-Rock radio.
""We’ve got a bit of confidence going now I think the players know when it’s a big game.”
Fletcher said from early in the week he expected he would play on Barry Hall as young Tayte Pears had only just returned from injury.
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He said the much publicised ‘niggling’ which troubled Hall in the Bulldogs' previous game against North Melbourne wasn’t going to be part of his game plan.
“That niggle and stuff sort of means a bit for the start of the game, but you’ve just got to spoil when you can, put your head over the ball and be calm,” he said.
“I just tried to get off him a little bit, make sure he couldn’t push off me, and used my pace to go with him on the lead, and I managed to do that a few times.""
Fletcher said he knew Hall was strong enough to throw him over the fence if they wrestled for the ball so he stayed off him and concentrated on spoiling.
He applauded the work of players such as Alwyn Davey and Leroy Jetta for their pressure around the ground which he says makes the job of the Bomber backline far easier.
“If everyone can do their job with their tackles, it’s going to help the backline out,” he said.
""I think in the third quarter that really set the game up for us. The ball didn’t really come in but when it did it came in long to my favoured side, not (Hall’s).
“I thought we hit targets when we had to, but there still was the odd occasion that we did turn it over and got hurt on the way back.”
At 35 years of age, Fletcher is showing no signs of slowing down.
“I’ll just keep going...I’m enjoying my footy and I’ve got all these young guys around me that I want to help and teach,” he said.
