There was an undercurrent of excitement at Belmore this week when Mitchell Woods was named in the extended Bulldogs squad for Thursday’s clash against the Dolphins.
But any hopes of a rapid rise to first grade have been promptly played down by the club’s general manager of football, Phil Gould.
Woods, who turned 19 just last week, has built a buzz around him after turning heads across three codes, rugby league, union and AFL, at schoolboy level. He chose to stay loyal to Canterbury despite interest from rival codes, and has impressed since returning from a hamstring injury earlier this year.
'No need to rush him': Gould cautious despite positive signs
Speaking on Wide World of Sports’ Six Tackles with Gus, Gould confirmed Woods would not be making his debut this week.
“No, not this week,” he said. “He was named in the extended squad, and he's actually been travelling with the team and staying with the team in camp over the last few weeks. He's just getting the run of what it's like in professional football.”
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Woods has made a strong return via the Jersey Flegg (U21s) side, leading the Bulldogs to two straight wins after his SG Ball campaign. But Gould was quick to remind fans that there’s still a long way to go.
“He's still only young, but he's showing really positive signs. We're not rushing him at all, there's no need to rush him — as I always say, the career of a professional playmaker is between the ages of 25 and 35, and he's still SG Ball, he's still 19,” Gould said.
“We don't want to rush him, but we won't hold him back either if he shows positive signs, and he's certainly showing positive signs.”