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.
mattyb
Guest
Jumping the gun on the doggies after round 3 is perfectly fine,I jumped it well before round 1 . There is a lot to like about this group and they will improve dramatically on their ok performance on the weekend. People will start taking notice of some of the lesser lights who played well on the weekend and there is still more of these players to come. The dogs still have a lot to learn in regards to tempo football and that will come. They have already shown they have improved defensively and will continue to get better in these areas. Beveridge would have seen the team let the game slip in the last and will remedy that. As a young group they also need to ice games earlier when the chance is there and they certainly need to improve their kicking for goal. Top 4? I said it last year,pre season this year and I have seen nothing to make me change my mind. This is a very special list indeed.
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
The way I saw it, a heap of the Bulldogs better players didn't play too well. It was Dahlhaus followed by Daniel, Suckling, Biggs, Adams and Bob Murphy. Wallis was not bad. Stringer, Bont and Libber were all poor by their usual standards, which bodes well for the future to think that we can compete well without contributions from these three (and Wood and Dickson out). But the same could be said for Hawthorn. Mitchell and Cyril were both damaging, but the rest of the win was built on an even spread, and they were missing Roughead and Hodge. Interesting cameos from Sicily and Tom Boyd in the last quarter, both with three shots at goal, both with a chance to turn poor games into good games. Sicily didn't have the weight of expectation and a $1m contract on his kicks for goal and converted all three. Boyd missed two easy ones and converted a difficult one. In the end those two tales told the difference. If the Bulldogs are to be any chance of top 4 this year, they need to learn to enjoy pressure moments, rather than worry too much. The Hawks composure was the biggest difference (plus horrendous umpiring in the first quarter!).