Now in the third year of the Brendan McCartney era, the 2014 season is an important one for the Western Bulldogs as they set about climbing back up the ladder.
Season 2013 was somewhat of an improvement on the previous season – even though the club matched its ladder position of 15th, they won three more matches and won four of their last six matches.
This suggests that there are brighter times ahead for the Bulldogs’ long-suffering fans, most of whom may not remember the club’s solitary flag way back in 1954.
If the Bulldogs are to climb out of the bottom four this season, they must maintain the momentum they gained towards the end of last season and impress early in the season – they were victorious only once in the first eight rounds of 2013.
The charge will be led by new captain and All-Australian Ryan Griffen, as well as fellow All-Australian Will Minson, former Brownlow Medallist Adam Cooney and former captain Matthew Boyd, who relinquished the captaincy at the end of last season.
How will the Bulldogs fare in 2014? Let’s now take a look at their chances for the upcoming season.
Western Bulldogs
Last season: 15th
Most recent premiership: 1954
Notable arrivals: Sam Darley (GWS Giants), Stewart Crameri (Essendon)
Notable departures: Daniel Cross (Melbourne), Dylan Addison (GWS Giants)
Leading goalkicker: Daniel Giansiracusa (36)
All-Australians: Ryan Griffen, Will Minson
Best-and-fairest: Ryan Griffen
Although the club remains a long shot at returning to the top eight for the first time since 2010, four victories from their last six matches to end 2013 will raise hopes of a revival at the Whitten Oval in 2014.
Injury-prone Matthew Boyd has passed the captaincy on to Ryan Griffen, whose excellent season saw him named in the All-Australian team for the first time.
The club also found a belated replacement for the retired Brad Johnson during the off-season, picking up Essendon’s Stewart Crameri during trade week. Along with the aforementioned senior core, he will also be a key factor in the Bulldogs’ bid to climb back up the ladder in 2014.
The only major losses for the club are that of Daniel Cross – who has crossed to Melbourne after giving the Bulldogs 210 games of service – and Dylan Addison, who has headed to the GWS Giants.
The playing list is a good mix of youth, talent and experience, and there is no reason why this squad cannot continue to develop into a force.
Matches to watch in 2014
1. Western Bulldogs versus GWS Giants, Round 4
The Bulldogs once again return to Canberra for their away meeting against the GWS Giants, who they defeated by just four points in their previous meeting in Round 15 last year.
This match will have some spice added to it, as Sam Darley takes on the club which he represented 13 times between 2012 and 2013, and the Bulldogs also take on Dylan Addison, who has returned home to his AFL state to play for the Giants.
The Bulldogs have a good record in the nation’s capital, winning six of their eight matches there, so if the Dogs haven’t won a match by the time Round 4 rolls around then this match will present a great opportunity for the team to do so.
2. Western Bulldogs versus Essendon, Round 7
The Bulldogs’ showdown against Essendon will be significant for one man as Stewart Crameri opposes the team who he represented 57 times and kicked just under 100 goals for.
Crameri arrived at the Bulldogs through the trade period in search of more opportunities, and he will look to continue the good form that saw him lead the Bombers’ goal-kicking charts in each of the last three seasons.
As the perfect replacement for Brad Johnson at Footscray, Crameri will look to deliver the last laugh on the teammates he deserted as they fight to stay afloat in the aftermath of their supplements scandal.
Can Crameri continue his good goalkicking form and help the Bulldogs to victory over his old club?
3. Western Bulldogs versus Gold Coast, Round 17
The Bulldogs will have already played the Suns on the Gold Coast by the time these two teams meet again, but this match will be more notable as it will mark the first time the Bulldogs have played a premiership match in Cairns.
After Richmond pulled out of its unsuccessful foray into North Queensland last season, the Bulldogs agreed to replace them and thus keep the Cairns fixture on the AFL calendar.
This fixture has annually been enjoyed by the Suns since 2011, however the Bulldogs will see this fixture as not only a good opportunity to win themselves, but also to expand their fan base.
Can the Bulldogs make their foray into Cairns a successful one, or will they once again fall victim to the Suns’ habit of performing well in the northern tropics?
4. Western Bulldogs versus St Kilda, Round 20
The battle of the AFL’s two least successful Victorian clubs will kick off a run of four straight matches at Etihad Stadium to either end the Bulldogs’ season or prepare them for an unlikely finals assault.
It was against the Saints that the Bulldogs won their second match of 2013. Brendan McCartney will again see this late-season fixture as a good chance to either notch up a pride-salvaging victory if the Bulldogs are out of finals contention, or fire the team up for September.
That aside, the Saints and Bulldogs have fought out some notable matches while they were contending for the flag at the end of the noughties.
But with both clubs having finished lowly last season, it seems the only match between them this season could be a battle to stay off the foot of the ladder.
Verdict
The addition of Stewart Crameri to the Bulldogs will fill a void that has been left empty for so long, and it’s hoped that the form he showed at Essendon will carry on at Whitten Oval.
Fans will also hope to see more from the senior core, as for some of them the end of their careers are looming – namely Daniel Giansiracusa, who with 250 AFL games is one of the club’s longest-serving players.
Whether the Bulldogs will continue to make progress in 2014 will remain to be seen, but it could take a few more years before they start climbing up the ladder.
I hope that my final prediction is wrong and that the Bulldogs can defy the odds.
Prediction
15th
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