There’s a huge buzz around the Western Bulldogs, who are sporting a brand of football that is exhilarating breathtaking as they launch a serious challenge for the 2016 AFL Premiership.
I might be jumping the gun after just three rounds of footy, but there is no doubt in my mind that they will challenge and overcome the best teams in the game this season.
It is the style the Bulldogs carry themselves with and the confidence in each other that should be worrying the rest of the competition. Luke Beveridge’s men are on a mission started, but not accomplished, last season.
Three-time reigning premiers Hawthorn were lucky to come away with the points after a gruelling encounter with the Bulldogs. That the plucky pups lost by less than a goal to the benchmark side of the competition, despite conceding much in experience to one of the best outfits of the modern era, is testament to their belief in themselves.
The Bulldogs can reflect on the Hawthorn encounter as one that got away. The pre-game expectations of an epic contest turned out to be justified despite Hawthorn jumping out to an early 32 point lead.
The Sydney Swans, Gold Coast Suns and North Melbourne Kangaroos have emerged as the early pacesetters in the competition but, with a long way to go, the real contenders appear to be Hawthorn. Of the others, the real challenge for this year’s premiership will definitely come from the unflinching Bulldogs, Geelong, North Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, and perhaps the underperforming Richmond if they can get their act together.
Last year’s grand finalists West Coast appear to have dropped off the radar as a serious competitor, as their lacklustre performance against Hawthorn showed. Collingwood and GWS, who both promised much appear, have struggled to come up with a winning formula. both side’s coaches have their hands full to turn things around.
Fremantle, once on the cusp of winning a premiership, have gone winless through the first three rounds. They’ve also lost key ruckman Aaron Sandilands to injury. On form, they will not make the eight; they appear to be slow and sluggish and in need of some new talent to bolster their ranks.
Essendon, touted by the experts as a team who will remain winless due their decimated list, shocked the competition with an upset victory over the Demons. The victory showed their detractors that despite all that’s gone on in Essendon, the Bombers’ spirit remains unbroken.
The rest, including St Kilda, Melbourne, Carlton and Brisbane, will contemplate when their lists are ready to compete with the best.
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