Can the Bulldogs crack the Top 4?

For much of 2015 it was the year of the dog. They played explosive and exciting football under new coach Luke Beveridge. Between Rounds 12 and Rounds 20 the Doggies lost only one game. There was talk of a Top 4 finish and a possible Preliminary Final appearance. Some people even considered the Bulldogs ‘smokeys’ for the flag.

But the Bulldogs had some big hiccups as the season neared a close. They got absolutely flogged by the West Coast Eagles (77 points) at Etihad Stadium. Then in the second last match of the year they went down to a hopeless Brisbane Lions. These losses halted the Dogs momentum and put a dent in the confidence. They missed the Top Four and faced an inspired Adelaide in the knock-out first week of the finals. The dogs played some good football against the Crow- but were ultimately overawed on the big stage. Whilst it was a little disappointing to see the Dogs go out in the first week of the finals, there were still some great signs there.

But how are they going to ensure the same doesn’t happen in 2016?

Let’s look at how they went at the trade table.

In: Matthew Suckling (free agency)

Out: Ayce Cordy (delisted), Sam Darley (delisted), Matthew Fuller (delisted), Jarrad Grant (delisted), Michael Talia (trade), Brett Goodes (delisted), Jordan Kelly (delisted), Daniel Pearce (delisted), Stewart Crameri (Essendon ban)

The Doggies appear to be quite happy with the state of their list- hence they were fairly conservative at the trade table. And let’s be honest they probably don’t have all that much cash left to throw around with Tom Boyd on the books. Whilst there are no big names on this list, there is one guy returning who Bulldogs fans didn’t see a lot of in 2016. And that brings us to the good….

The Good:

Libba is back! The son of a gun is returning after sitting out 2015 as he recovered from a knee reconstruction. The 2014 Best and Fairest can definitely play footy and will be an integral part of their midfield engine room.

Easton Wood was phenomenal in 2015. He capped off a brilliant season by taking out the clubs B and F. There’s nothing to not like about this bloke. He had a great pre-season and is expected to shut down opposition forwards again this year.

Wood is also a big Star Wars fan- but his Missus isn’t impressed.

Asked my girlfriend what she thought of putting Star Wars art in our house? Quote “I will leave you” #simplenowouldhavesufficed — Easton Wood (@easton_wood) February 28, 2016

Coach Luke Beveridge has been a huge find. He has had an instant impact and has clearly has the respect of his players. He is not satisfied with the Bulldogs 2015 efforts and is hungry for them to take the next step.

“We haven’t achieved anything yet,” he told Fox Footy. “We haven’t won a final yet. We are a team that is pressing to be better. This year presents an enormous challenge for us and our own expectations will drive that.” “The review of the final and some of the things we haven’t done quite so well in the NAB Challenge is an instant reminder that we are still a fair way off.”

What needs to improve:

The Bulldogs mini fade out in 2015 was a little bit of a let-down. But to be fair they still have a young team and their overall improvement was remarkable.

Tom Boyd.

The Bulldogs moved heaven and earth to steal the former number 1 pick from the GWS. He is reportedly on a bigger wage than Donald Trump and the Sultan of Brunei.

He is still young- but the results have to start appearing soon. Bulldogs fans might think this is harsh but the reality is Boyd is taking up a huge chunk of the club’s salary cap. This is money they could be using on another gun player. So they really need to see some results. The guy has all the attributes and with some game time, Bulldogs fans will hopefully see Boyd start to impose himself.

The coach believes 2016 could be the year.

“This year I’m bullish about him nailing a regular spot in the 22 and being an extremely productive player for us,” Beveridge told AFL Tonight. “I don’t really want to compare him to other key forwards because I think he can explode now. The more game time he gets, and experience he has the better off he will be.”

Will Minson. What the heck happened to this bloke? He fell right out of favour in 2015- and this season is make or break for the big man.

Ouch.

The verdict: The Bulldogs surprised everyone last year so their opponents will not make the mistake of taking them lightly in 2016.

That said, we expect 2016 to be a huge year for the Bulldogs. There is some real quality there. They play a fast brand of football that can tear other sides apart. The return of Libba should help give them the extra grunt they lacked at the end of last season. They were unlucky to miss the Top 4 in 2015- we think they will crack it this season and win their first final under Luke Beveridge.

Final Position: 4th.