Bulldogs star Adam Treloar has opened up on how the criticism of his semi final performance motivated him to return to his best in the club's dominant preliminary final win over Port Adelaide.
Treloar was one of the best afield for the Dogs on Saturday night as the team cruised to a 71-point win at the Adelaide Oval. The 28-year-old kicked a goal to join his 23 disposals and 13 score involvements, a game high.
The performance was a contrast to the week before, which some commentators criticised. In the Bulldogs' semi final win over Brisbane Treloar was limited to just 10 touches and struggled to have an influence on the game.
"I was really disappointed with his body language...He looks like he's spat the dummy a little bit because he's not playing midfield."@kanecornes on Adam Treloar and his behaviour in this finals series. #9FootyClassified | Watch @channel9 pic.twitter.com/Lygrxd95oU
— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) September 6, 2021
Speaking to the Western Bulldogs' website, Treloar conceded that he did hear some of the external commentary in the lead up to the game against the Power.
โYeah, you always hold that with you. Youโd be lying to say that as an athlete you wouldnโt be extra motivated,โ Treloar said.
โBut to be honest I didnโt really read anything about it โฆ I kind of know what was getting spoken about early on and kind of just left it. I only worried about what I could control.
โIt was, obviously, a really challenging week for me personally. It was quite challenging, to be honest"
Treloar, who joined the Bulldogs from Collingwood last year in a highly publicised move, has been open about his struggles with anxiety, stemming from the pressure of being an elite athlete.
The star revealed in 2019 that he was close to quitting the game before suffering a season ending hamstring injury, but credits his support system for helping him perform at his best.
โBut the one thing I do love about the footy club and being a part of a footy club is the backing that you get from, not just the coaches, but the players and supporters. The love and care I got from so many people in my circle, and supporting me โ and all they care about is me the person, not the footy player. Those people know who they are, Iโm truly grateful for that," Treloar said.
"It's starting to sink in."
๐ฅ Hear from Adam Treloar as he reflects on the side's #AFLGF berth: https://t.co/USDBk9DpWJ
— Western Bulldogs (@westernbulldogs) September 13, 2021
โIt really put me in a good headspace going into the game โฆ For me, it was just getting back to the basics and getting back out there and really enjoying being out there. Itโs been sometimes, as I said before, a challenge being away from family and your loved ones.โ
Following a Grand Final loss with Collingwood in 2018, Treloar is keen to be part of the winning side next weekend as the Bulldogs take on Melbourne at Optus Stadium.
Despite the distance the team has covered to make it to the final game of the year, Treloar believes that there is nothing standing in their way of claiming the flag.
โNone of the other teams have had to travel like weโve had to,โ he said.
โWe pride ourselves on being able to travel and perform really well when weโre playing away.
โThereโs no limit on what we feel we can achieve.โ
