Ex Docker Paul Duffield hopes a strong pre-season from Wagin can pay dividends later this year, if country football can return

Former Fremantle Docker and Wagin Football Club player-coach Paul Duffield hopes a strong start to pre-season from his charges can pay dividends later this year, providing country football can return. Duffield is entering his third year at the helm of the Bulldogs in the Upper Great Southern Football League and has coached the association’s representative side at the last two Landmark Country Football Championships, which included their triumph in A-section last year. Wagin managed to win just four games last season finishing sixth, but Duffield said the signs were good prior to the coronavirus outbreak that halted sport across the country. “It’s hard to tell at this stage how we were shaping up this season but we had done a really big block of running and it’s as fit as I have seen the group,” Duffield said. “We were just starting some more football specifics but due to the current situation I don’t know how much of that work has been maintained, time will tell. “We had a couple of new recruits and managed to keep the majority of our imported players so we had some promise this season but again too early to tell.” The 35-year-old works on his family’s cropping and sheep farm just north of Darkan and is thriving in the country environment. “Farms have been in the family now for three generations,” he said. “Agriculture has given me an opportunity to dive into a fast-moving field, lots to learn and things are always changing. “I like being busy and working outdoors. “I like the peace in the country, I certainly enjoy getting back to the city but my home and heart is in the country.” Duffield played 171 AFL games for the Dockers and said this current situation was one no top level clubs or players could have imagined. “It is certainly unprecedented and challenging times,” he said. “Luckily due to our occupation as farmers and the relative isolation we haven’t been too affected. “Football especially for non-professionals is more about just getting together with mates and trying to achieve something, so we have probably missed our socialising. “For the professionals I can only imagine that for each one it’s probably a little different. “There would be some taking advantage of a break, there would be some that are struggling with what to do with themselves.” Duffield has been based at his farm since retiring from the AFL in 2015 and said the chance of country footy returning was rising by the day. “I think it will return in a shorter format, WA seems to be doing well in terms of combating the virus. “If enough people want to get some form of competition up and running and it is safe to do so then I think that will happen,” he said. “I am really enjoying (the UGSFL), it’s a great league and there always has been lots of great people and competitors from all the clubs. “It is a great standard of football and it’s been a nice way to get back into footy. “I really didn’t think we would have a competition this year so I probably switched off to football a bit but that is an evolving situation which seems more likely to get back on course than not.”