“You’re my hero”. “No, you’re my hero”. Bailey Smith (left) and Lachie Hunter, keys to Bulldog midfield. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

WESTERN BULLDOGS
2020 record: 10 wins, 8 losses (8th)

THE INS
Adam Treloar (Collingwood), Stefan Martin (Brisbane), Mitch Hannan (Melbourne), Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (Oakleigh Chargers), Dominic Bedendo (Murray Bushrangers), Lachlan McNeil (Woodville-West Torrens)

THE OUTS
Matt Suckling (delisted), Tory Dickson (retired), Jackson Trengove (delisted), Sam Lloyd (retired), Billy Gowers (delisted), Lachie Young (North Melbourne), Brad Lynch (delisted), Callum Porter (delisted), Fergus Greene (delisted)

THE STRENGTHS
If there’s one team that’s pushed their chips into the middle of the table and declared themselves a legitimate premiership contender this year, it’s the Bulldogs. They pulled off the biggest coup of the trade period by snaring Collingwood star Adam Treloar while managing to hang on to Josh Dunkley, who declared his desire to join Essendon. On top of that, they brought in underrated ruckman Stefan Martin from the Lions, to help with Tim English’s development, as well as handy ex-Melbourne goalsneak Mitch Hannan, who makes a homecoming of sorts given he played for Footscray in the VFL. Last but not least, they were able to take highly-rated key forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan with the first pick in the draft, despite making the finals, via the contentious Next Generation Academy system. The additions of Treloar and Martin make it hard to argue that the Dogs don’t have the best midfield in the competition given they already had Marcus Bontempelli and Jack Macrae, who were All-Australian again last year, rotating through there along with Tom Liberatore, Bailey Smith, Lachie Hunter and Dunkley. It’s an incredible collection of talent that will be very hard to stop. After a two-year hangover following their 2016 flag, Luke Beveridge seems to be getting his troops back on track with consecutive finals appearances. And with the significant bolstering of their playing stocks in the off-season, top four must be the aim at a minimum. Much like they did in 2019, when they won seven of their last nine to finish in the top eight, the Dogs won five of their last six in 2020 to qualify for the finals again. Their two-point win over West Coast in round 16 was the highlight. The Doggies’ third All-Australian member last season was Caleb Daniel. This writer nominated Liam Ryan as arguably the best field kick in the game in West Coast’s “Tale Of The Tape”, but it’s hard to go past Daniel as the cream of the crop. The little genius is like a wizard with the ball, hitting targets left, right and centre from the half-back line, no matter how difficult the task might seem. And he has no shortage of quality assistants down back in Easton Wood, Jason Johannisen, Taylor Duryea, Bailey Williams and Hayden Crozier. Up forward, they have a potential superstar of the game in Aaron “Air” Naughton, and Bulldogs fans must be champing at the bit to see him team up with Ugle-Hagan over the next 12-24 months. Meanwhile, Mitch Wallis reinvented himself as one of the game’s most damaging small forwards last year, and youngster Laitham Vandermeer looks like a super talent with a bright future.

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THE WEAKNESSES
The Doggies really have to work on their slow starts to the year which have set them back over the past three seasons. Luckily for them they were able to hit their straps in time the last two years and sneak into the top eight, but as we know, unless you manage a miracle result like the Dogs achieved back in 2016, it’s basically impossible to win the flag from the lower rungs of the top eight. Maybe their core of premiership players still think otherwise given they lived and breathed the exception to the rule five years ago? If so, it’s not a healthy mindset, because a top-four finish unquestionably enhances your chances of winning a flag, and sluggish starts to the year have cost them the double chance the last two seasons. And what has been the end result? Back-to-back elimination final losses. A team with so much talent at its disposal is better than that, and 2021 is the time to prove it. The Doggies had few issues in accounting for teams below them on the ladder, but when it came to the big boys, they struggled badly, as their 1-7 record against the top-eight teams indicates – and even that one win was only by two points! That’s just not good enough. If the Dogs want to be taken seriously as a premiership threat, that record has to improve dramatically. Despite having the sixth-best attack in the AFL last year, they still look a little “iffy” up forward with the likes of Josh Bruce, Toby McLean, Patrick Lipinski, Vandermeer and Bailey Dale probably not hitting the scoreboard as often as they should (although that’s probably a harsh thing to say about young Vandermeer after one season). And while on paper the Dogs look good down back, they do appear to be a little bit undersized, finishing 2020 with only the No.10 defence in the league. They were really found lacking in the air last year, too, ranked 16th for marks on differentials and 13th for contested marks – hopefully more games from Naughton and the acquisitions of Ugle-Hagan and Martin can resolve this.

ONE TO WATCH
Vandermeer made a big splash in his first full season after being taken at pick No.37 in the 2018 draft. The 21-year-old debuted in round two, and didn’t look back, playing 12 games before a hamstring injury prematurely cut his season short at round 14. The small forward has speed to burn and displayed smarts around goal. He was the Doggies’ best first year player last year and has a strong foundation to build on in 2021.

UNDER THE PUMP
Perhaps Bruce gets a “Mulligan” because his first year with his new team was spent mostly in a hub, but all in all it was a really disappointing 2020 for the former Saint and Giant. Six of his 14 goals came in one game against North Melbourne and he quite simply failed to deliver on the promise as a genuine key target in attack which netted him a four-year deal at the end of 2019. He really has to get back to his St Kilda form which saw him kick 164 goals in his last 89 games there, because with Ugle-Hagan now at the club along with Naughton, he’s under pressure to keep his spot in the team.

BEST 22
B: Caleb Daniel, Zaine Cordy, Easton Wood
HB: Jason Johannisen, Alex Keath, Taylor Duryea
C: Adam Treloar, Tom Liberatore, Jack Macrae
HF: Bailey Dale, Aaron Naughton, Mitch Hannan
F: Mitch Wallis, Josh Bruce, Toby McLean
R: Tim English, Marcus Bontempelli, Bailey Smith
Inter: Stefan Martin, Lachie Hunter, Josh Dunkley, Bailey Williams
Emerg: Patrick Lipinski, Laitham Vandermeer, Hayden Crozier, Ed Richards

Yes, Doggies fans, shock horror, Ugle-Hagan isn’t in the team at the moment! But don’t read anything into it, these best 22s only consider exposed form at the top level and given the No.1 pick hasn’t actually played yet, he hasn’t been included. But it would come as little surprise if that didn’t change once we’re a month or so into the season. And Williams might be a little stiff to be on the bench after leading his team for rebounds last year and coming in at No.7 across the league in that category, but with Duryea back after missing most of last year due to injury, the Dogs are in the enviable position of not only tossing up between those two, but also struggling to fit a guy like Crozer in the starting 22. And yes, Dale did fall out of favour a bit last year, but at his best, he is definitely a starting member of the side. With Lipinski, Vandermeer, Crozier, Ed Richards, Roarke Smith, Rhylee West and Lin Jong also waiting in the wings, the Doggies have good depth.