The Bulldogs will be desperate to forget the nightmare that was the second half of last year’s Grand Final. With a high quality squad, it’s hard to see the Dogs go deep into the Finals again this season.
Western Bulldogs Best 22
The big name departure from the Dogs side is former skipper Easton Wood who retired due to injuries. However the Dogs recruiting staff have pulled off a fantastic coup by signing former Hawk Tim O’Brien who impressed playing in defence late last season. He will fill the third tall spot perfectly and along with Josh Schache gives the Dogs a bit of flexibility as both guys can also play forward. Bailey Dale and Caleb Daniel will continue to provide plenty of drive and creativity from the backline while Bailey Williams is likely to play a shutdown role on the smaller forwards.
There is no doubt the Dogs engine room is one of the finest in the competition with stars everywhere. Expect Adam Treloar, Josh Dunkley and Marcus Bontempelli to all spend periods up forward this year and it will be interesting to see if Bailey Smith gets more chance to play on the inside at all.
Cody Weightman and Laith Vandermeer were excellent small forwards last year while Jason Johannisen also gives them some flexibility off the bench as he can play forward or back.
With no Josh Bruce for the majority of the season I expect Tim English to still play a lot up forward, especially if Stef Martin can remain fit. Any development from Jamarra Ugle-Hagan will also be a huge boost to the Dogs premiership chances.
Should any injuries occur, the Dogs have plenty of talented and experience troops ready to step up. Mitch Wallis, Ed Richards and Hayden Crozier would likely be first team starters at other clubs while Mitch Hannan, Ryhlee West and Roarke Smith can also play a role if needed.
CBA prediction
2021 CBA leaders (by average):
- Jordan Sweet
- Jack Macrae
- Marcus Bontempelli
- Stefan Martin
- Tom Liberatore
- Tim English
The Oracle’s 2022 CBA prediction:
- Jack Macrae
- Marcus Bontempelli
- Stefan Martin
- Tom Liberatore
- Tim English
- Adam Treloar
Kick-in prediction
2021 kick-in leaders:
- Bailey Dale
- Caleb Daniel
- Taylor Duryea
The Oracle’s 2022 kick-in prediction:
- Bailey Dale
- Caleb Daniel
- Taylor Duryea
