Caleb Daniel Biography

Caleb Daniel has relished his time in the midfield this season, but is more than happy to play any role Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge throws his way.

"I've been spending a little more time in the midfield, which is nice. It's my ninth year now, and I'm still able to evolve and play my role for the team and get a kick here and there," Daniel said.

"This game, it's always going to throw up different challenges. You've got a new opposition every week, it's a challenge in itself. You don't try and count your stats, all you care about is the win column. So if I'm [playing my role] as well as I can, that's a positive for us."

Caleb Daniel is expected to miss several weeks following arthroscopic knee surgery.

Marcus Bontempelli will lead the Bulldogs for a third consecutive season in 2022, with Jack Macrae serving as vice-captain.

Caleb Daniel, Taylor Duryea and Aaron Naughton are also in the leadership group.

"I think it's no secret that everyone knows how much I love the club and how proud I am to represent this club every week," Macrae said.

Caleb Daniel wins the Charles Sutton Medal as the Western Bulldogs' best and fairest for the 2020 season.

Daniel finished with 205 votes, ahead of skipper Marcus Bontempelli (195) and Tom Liberatore (160).

"Being voted the best and fairest for the year is something you've obviously dreamed about ever since you started playing footy. To be able to do that in front of my friends and the players that I've been able to play with this year is something I'll hold with me forever," he said.

"It's really nice being able to have that confidence in your own ability and to trust you've done the work and it's coming out in your game. That's something I'm really happy with and I'm really glad I've been able to get that consistent form throughout the last couple of years."

Caleb Daniel's 2019 season is in doubt after pulling up sore from Bulldogs' round 20 loss with a hamstring injury.

"This is the second time he's damaged his hamstring this year, so we're going to take our time in returning him to play," Western Bulldogs' medical services manager Chris Bell said.

"We're still to set out his exact timeframe and will confirm this over the coming weeks."

The Western Bulldogs will likely be without All Australian hopeful Caleb Daniel for the next month, after the diminutive defender injured his hamstring on the weekend.

Caleb Daniel signs a new deal with the Western Bulldogs to remain at the club until the end of 2022.

"Over the past two years, Caleb has finished top-five in our best and fairest, highlighting his ability to perform consistently across matches and seasons," Bulldogs list manager Sam Power said.

"His ball use and decision-making from the back half provides plenty of impact, and he is having an outstanding season.

"Caleb is composed under pressure and a real competitor – traits which we value really highly."

Caleb Daniel hopes to use his versatility to great effect in 2019.

"That's one of the things that 'Bevo' really instils in you is to be a three-line player as much as you can. So it depends on where he wants me to play and where I'm playing my best football," Daniel said.

"Last year up forward I probably wasn't playing my best footy and the move down back towards the back end of the year worked out for myself and the team. I'm happy to play wherever."

Caleb Daniel's is forced to discard his protective helmet, that he has worn since his junior days, after it is badly damaged in a third-quarter incident against Carlton.

Daniel had always promised his Mum that he would wear it.

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said he didn't realise Daniel was playing without the helmet until assistant Daniel Giansiracusa mentioned it.

"Might have to have a burial at a service during the week and get him a new one," Beveridge said.

Toby Greene accepts a two-match ban for striking Bulldog Caleb Daniel.

Caleb Daniel signs a new deal to remain with the Bulldogs until the end of 2019.

"(To re-sign) was pretty much a no-brainer," Daniel said.

"The way we as a football club are able to get around each other and I guess, love each other, is pretty special to me, and that's why I loved to stay around."

Caleb Daniel is the round four nomination for the NAB AFL Rising Star Award.

Daniel picked up 23 disposals and took seven marks in the Dogs’ 36-point win against Carlton at Etihad Stadium.

Already blessed with outstanding endurance, Caleb Daniel says his work with Bulldogs assistant coaches Joel Corey and Daniel Giansiracusa had made him a much shrewder footballer.

"When you're younger you're all about running wherever the footy goes and Joel talks about smart running patterns and the way you can influence the game and save your legs by being a smarter runner, and that's helped me out a lot," Daniel said.

"Gia was one of the best leading forwards in the competition when he was up and going and he's passed a lot of those tips across to me."

Caleb Daniel is the only existing player to don a helmet.

"The helmet's been a part of my kit bag for a very long time now," Daniel said.

"It's like putting your mouthguard in and it does instill a little bit of confidence in my mind when I'm out on the field."

Caleb Daniel plays his best game for the Bulldogs after being assigned the role of curbing Hawk Sam Mitchell's influence.

In a finals-like atmosphere, Caleb picked up a career-high 29 possessions, while limiting Mitchell to a season-low 29 touches.

"I've looked up to Sam Mitchell for a fair chunk of my life because he's a pretty good footballer," Daniel said.

"I learnt just how smart he is with running patterns and how he distributes the ball.

"I've tried to model my ball use on him by being able to use both sides because he better than everyone with that.

"There's no area he can't kick it to as he kicked some crazy passes around the body, and he has exceptional vision."

Caleb Daniel signs a one-year contract extension with the Bulldogs that will keep him at the club until the end of 2017.

"It's definitely a pretty exciting time to be around the club, playing finals and the development of the boys this year and hopefully beyond is pretty exciting," Daniel said.

Tony Liberatore believes the hype around tall midfielders is a "fallacy" and is tipping diminutive Bulldog Caleb Daniel to have a long and successful AFL career.

Liberatore has taken a keen interest in the 168cm South Australian since Daniel arrived at Whitten Oval last November and has been impressed with the smallest player to grace the AFL since 2002.

"Last year (Bulldogs recruiter) Simon Dalrymple mentioned to me that the club had picked up a player my height and I thought that was fantastic," said 163cm Liberatore.

"He's made a big impact so far and I'm really impressed with how he takes the game on and his ball use is good.

"He's got a few tricks up his sleeve, so there's certainly a role for him."

Caleb Daniel makes his AFL debut for the Western Bulldogs at Docklands Stadium with 14 disposals (5 kicks and 9 handballs), 5 marks and a goal in a 11-point win over Carlton.

Caleb Daniel will miss at least a month after undergoing minor knee surgery.

Daniel suffered the injury during training last week and underwent surgery to repair the meniscus in his left knee.

He is expected to resume training within a fortnight, but is unlikely to play at any level for six weeks.

Dale Morris says Western Bulldogs teammate Caleb Daniel has impressed many with his work ethic at the club.

"I spoke about energy before and he's got tons of it," Morris said.

"In training he's the one that's always last off the track, always working the hardest already in his first year.

"So I'm excited to see how he goes and I'm sure he's going to do some nice things for this football club."

Western Bulldogs champion and Brownlow medalist Tony Liberatore says Bulldogs recruit Caleb Daniel is set to become "a cult hero" at the Whitten Oval.

The 168cm South Australian was selected by the Bulldogs with pick No. 46 in the 2014 NAB AFL Draft, and is the shortest player to be drafted into the AFL since Liberatore, who played at 163cm.

"I've seen Caleb play in a couple of matches and I was very, very impressed with the way he played," Liberatore said.

"I love hearing little guys getting up there and I'm very excited for Caleb. I want to see more small players come back and play AFL footy again, it's wonderful. I can see him being a cult hero actually. He should be a really exciting prospect."

St Kilda selects Daniel Pierce with pick No.40 in the 2014 NAB AFL Rookie Draft.

"His last year particularly was ravaged by injury so we just felt he deserved another opportunity," Saints recruiting manager Simon Dalrymple said.

"We were very much of the philosophy that the gap between state league and TAC Cup compared to AFL is every increasing and that players need time as long as they're displaying the right behaviors along the journey."

At 163cm, Caleb Daniel will enter the AFL system as the shortest player since Brownlow medallist Tony Liberatore after he was drafted by the Western Bulldogs with pick No.46 at the 2014 NAB AFL Draft.

"The height factor wasn't really an issue for us," Bulldogs list manager Jason McCartney said.

"The role he'll play, size won't really impact him.

"Many people have questioned his size but we went back and analysed how he won the football.

"His kick and decision-making and ball retention are so critical in the game, he was exceptional at that."