Given his respect and popularity at The Graveyard, it’s hard to believe Brock Gilmour is playing just his 50th first grade game with Kurri Kurri on Saturday when the Bulldogs host Macquarie Scorpions.
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Gilmour has been a heart and soul Bulldog since he joined the club at the start of 2015 when he moved from Helensburgh Tigers in the Illawarra District League competition.
In that time he has missed just three first grade games and played one reserve grade game.
“He has become an integral part of the club since his arrival,” Bulldogs coach Ron Griffiths said.
“He has taken on the league tag co-coaching role. As soon as we advertised the job he was interested, it shows he is here for the right reason.
“Brock is willing to put his time back in. He spends four nights a week at the club which is a big ask.
“He has fitted right in from the beginning. Kurri is similar to the club he came from down there.
“Helensburgh is a club that’s not built on a lot of money, like us it’s a club that’s built on hard work and playing for your mates.
“There were a lot of blokes who played juniors together and went on to playing grade and winning a premiership together.”
Gilmour received several offers from other clubs during the off-season but there was little chance of him leaving the Bulldogs, who have become his family and were tremendous support when his wife Casey, a paramedic, required knee surgery last year and was off her feet for a number of weeks.
“We had no family or other support up here and the people at the club were terrific. There was a procession of people coming through supplying us with meals and helping me with the housework,” he said.
The Bulldogs will be determined to give Gilmour a win in his milestone game and give themselves a fourth win from five games.
“We’ve had a great start to the year, but it will be fruitless for us if we don’t turn up with the right attitude and expect a real tough encounter against Macquarie this weekend,” Griffiths said.
“We will really make sure that we get our process right, concentrate on the little things that we need to get right as a team. We need to make a good start with real intent or the Scorpions will make us pay.
“We believe we’re a well rounded squad. A squad that’s willing to keep on turning up and working for each other. That’s what we based our summer and our recruitment on.
“Our recruits have been great particularly someone like Zeb Dunstan who has been probably our most consistent player.
“We’re still to see the best of Jade (Porter) and obviously Sam (Wooden) has been very consistent.”
