The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs have announced Blake Mara as their Academy Coach for the Toowoomba and south-west region.

As part of the new partnership between the Bulldogs and the Western Clydesdales, the NRL club is establishing an academy program in south-west Queensland to help develop players to rise through the Clydesdales ranks to the Bulldogs NRL team.

Bulldogs General Manager of Football Phil Gould (pictured right) visited Toowoomba today (April 21) to announce Clydesdales Colts coach Blake Mara as Bulldogs Academy Coach and to further discuss the establishment of the program.

“Blake has been employed by the Bulldogs to run the Bulldogs Academy up here for the Western Clydesdales. It will be a satellite program,” Gould said.

“We’re delighted to be associated with Toowoomba to offer this to the kids of this area to give them a pathway through to the NRL, and allow them to stay in their region and play football in their region, but still get access to expert coaching and high performance.

“Blake will run that program up here on behalf of Toowoomba and behalf of the Bulldogs, and we’ll liaise with him and help him with the coach-the-coach programs and coach-the-player programs and provide opportunities for kids to come and see that as a pathway to the Q-Cup and hopefully the NRL and beyond.

“Blake has a great association with the area. He’s already been appointed as their Colts coach for this year. He knows the landscape, he knows the school system, he knows a lot of people in the town.

“It was just good to get a local person here that we can liaise with. That’s a big start for us in trying to set up an academy program here.”

Mara was thrilled to have the opportunity to work closely with the Bulldogs and help develop talent across the region.

“It’s a terrific opportunity to be mentored by Phil and the club,” Blake said.

“I’m really passionate about helping our younger players in their pursuit of their dreams, so it’s really good that regional kids are going to get opportunities right at their door step to progress on to that level of footy.”

Providing opportunities for aspiring players across the south-west is something that Gould is passionate about supporting.

“For too long, country and regional areas were drained of young talent,” he said.

“What we want to be able to do is leave kids in their home towns longer, but in doing that, not disadvantage them.

“Satellite NRL programs in country and regional areas (provide) expert tuition, expert coaching, some strength and conditioning.

“Therefore, when they make the step finally to got to one of the NRL programs, not only are they not behind the other kids but they’ve also finished their schooling or their education or started a trade or apprenticeship so they’re prepared for life after football, which is a big part of these academy programs.

“To satellite these into regional areas, I think, is vitally important for the future of the game.”