Onto our final team to preview and the team that has been the talk of the off-season. The Western Bulldogs come into 2015 with internal expectation and external doubt.
Last season
An upset win over Richmond in Round 3 gave some hope to the Bulldogs faithful. They had a couple of other nice wins against Collingwood and Gold Coast, showing positive signs but a loss in Round 23 to GWS dropped heads.
The season of Tom Liberatore was again outstanding and the emergence of Marcus Bontempelli and Jack Macrae provided excitement.
Next season
What an off season! The coach got the boot and the captain came out asking to be traded. Ryan Griffen got his wish, being shipped to GWS in return for power forward Tom Boyd.
It was a risky trade by the Bulldogs but it may prove to be a masterstroke in years to come.
The issue looks to be the next three to four years, where the Dogs lack the class and firepower to be a threat. I’m predicting the Dogs to take a step backwards and finish in the 16th to 18th range next year.
Who to look out for
Bontempelli looks to be an absolute superstar. He can find the ball, he can hit targets, he can take a grab, he can lay a tackle and he hits the scoreboard.
At 194-centimetres tall with the ability to run, he looks to be the blueprint of the modern midfielder.
He showed signs of brilliance last season and will enter year two of his AFL career full of confidence in his ability to mix it with the best.
I expect him to take the Nat Fyfe and Dyson Heppell route to AFL and quickly put himself into the elite bracket by the end of the year.
Needs a big year
Tom Boyd may only be 19-years-old and with nine games to his name, but a weight of expectation will be on him this season.
The Bulldogs lost their best player to secure an elusive big forward and the pressure of being a former number one draft pick will be illuminated now he is in Victoria.
Boyd won’t be expected to be in Coleman contention but he will be expected to put in a handful of dominant games where he produces bags of goals.
This will be enough to provide some positive talk around his game and the Bulldogs recruiting department.
Best 22
FB: Picken, Roughead, Morris
HB: Murphy, Talia, Johannisen
C: Macrae, M. Boyd, Stevens
HF: Dahlhaus, Crameri, Bontempelli
FF: Stringer, T. Boyd, Hunter
R: Minson, Wallis, Liberatore
I: A. Cordy, Hrovat, Smith, Wood
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