Friendship runs deep for Bulldogs leaders

DYLAN Main and Mason Shaw have a bond that runs far deeper than just being teammates at South Fremantle Football Club.

The pair were already good friends long before the donned the white and red after attending the same high school and running in the same social circles, but that friendship only solidified when football brought them together as part of the Bulldogs’ colts.

Now their decade-long friendship has extended to South Fremantle’s leadership group, with Main the WAFL captain and Shaw the vice captain.

Main, who spent time in the AFL circuit after being drafted to West Coast in 2013, said he had enjoyed progressing in his football career with his mate.

“Mason and I go back to our colts days seven or eight years ago, but we also attended Seton Catholic College with a year separating us,” he said.

“Mason was good friends with my older brother and after crossing paths in colts we became good friends.

“Football is such a good way to make life-long friends and it’s great to play alongside Mason, a close mate of mine, along with the rest my teammates.

“ I feel like it works both ways, footy brings you closer together as mates and at the same time knowing your teammate makes you cooperate better on the field.”Shaw, who also spent time on an AFL list after being drafted to Port Adelaide, agreed.

“We are part of the same friendship group outside of football, so I do end up seeing a fair bit of him,” he said.

“We both came back to the club in the same year as well, which I think made it easier for us to both fit in with the group at that time.

“It definitely helps playing with a good mate, and it’s exciting for him being the captain of the club and being able to play a supporting role, helping out where I can.

“But there is a core group of about six or seven guys that I played development and won two colts premierships with at South Fremantle, guys who I have played with and known for 10 or so years, which makes it so enjoyable to play there.”