Dogs cut ‘heart and soul’ veteran Wallis

Shayne Hope | October 17, 2022

Mitch Wallis says he will never fully understand why he fell out of favour with Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge before his “abrupt” exit from the AFL club.

The Bulldogs’ leading goal-kicker in 2020 and vice-captain the following year, Wallis made just 11 appearances at senior level in his final two seasons before being delisted.

It has left the 29-year-old searching for answers.

“I’ll grapple with it for as long as I think about footy,” Wallis told SEN radio on Monday.

“I obviously would’ve loved a little bit more opportunity in the end to play and show my wares, but that’s just the way the match committee and Luke went.

“He’s the senior coach, he’s in control and he makes decisions at the end of the day that you have to live with.

“I was never going to fight that. We’re a team, we have to always put the team first and contribute in that respect.”

Wallis had injury battles, with foot surgery in July ending his 2022 campaign early.

He featured in four of the Bulldogs’ first seven games this year, kicking four goals, but was substituted either in or out of each of them.

Wallis’ final appearance for the Dogs was as an unused sub against Geelong in round 12.

“I only played a handful of games this year but I felt like I’d turned it around a little bit before I got injured, unfortunately, but I think that’s footy,” he said.

“Everyone has a different journey and different experiences and the one that I finished on was not great.

“But if you look at my career as a whole and the amount of influence good people at that club have had on me, I couldn’t be more grateful and thankful.”

Wallis, who turns 30 this month, played 162 games for the Bulldogs over a dozen seasons after being selected as a father-son recruit.

He has a “burning desire” to continue his career at another club.

“I love footy. I’ve got a young family that are willing to move to the end of the earth to follow my dreams of playing footy again,” Wallis said.

“I’m open to all offers and all ideas, but it’s only been a few days that I’ve come to terms with not playing in the red, white and blue.”

Beveridge, who was a Footscray teammate of Wallis’ father Steve in the mid-90s, described the versatile hard nut as someone who “poured his heart and soul into his football”.

“He has been a committed and supportive club man and an influential leader, having experienced the honour of being vice-captain,” Beveridge said in a club statement.

“Unfortunately, he has been held back with injury at times, which has hindered his continuity and ability to influence on the field.”

Wallis cruelly missed the Bulldogs’ drought-breaking 2016 premiership, shining in the midfield through the first 17 games that year before breaking his leg.

He follows fellow father-son products Zaine Cordy (to St Kilda) and Lachie Hunter (Melbourne) out the door at Whitten Oval this month, with Tom Liberatore, Sam Darcy and Rhylee West still on the list.

The Bulldogs also cut Louis Butler and rookie Charlie Parker from their squad on Monday, while ruckman Stefan Martin announced his retirement.

Martin played 203 AFL games with Melbourne (57), Brisbane (133) and the Bulldogs (13).