The Western Bulldogs boast 'one of the strongest midfields in the comp' according to a club legend, however there remains one key area which will decide if they finish in the top four in 2020.
The Bulldogs haven't quite been able to recreate the form which saw them win the 2016 AFL premiership, but they still have plenty of pieces that can get them there again.
The Bulldogs had three stars - Dale Morris, Tom Boyd and Liam Picken - retire last year. Ahead of the 2020 season, they've been busy recruiting and have made the important additions of Josh Bruce from St Kilda and Alex Keath from Adelaide, as well as drafting Cody Weightman (pick No.15), Louis Butler (pick No.53), and Riley Garcia (pick No.63).
Nine AFL analyst and former Bulldogs player Nathan Brown identified the team's 'Achilles heel' which will determine whether 2020 is a successful year: their defence. Keath will play a vital role.
"This is where the Bulldogs are either going to be really good or they're going to fall away, because this is their Achilles heel, their defensive end," Brown said.
"I like the inclusion of Keath. I think he's a very good player and probably Adelaide's best defender in a pretty ordinary season last year.
"When you look back at when the Bulldogs got beaten poorly, Jack Darling kicked six, Charlie Kernow kicked seven ... I just worry that tall forwards sometimes are going to get a hold of them, so that's why Alex Keath is in there.
"If they can hold those tall forwards they'll be OK, but I still think that's the problem for the Dogs."
Brown said coming up against prolific attacking teams with accomplished forwards will present the greatest challenge for the Bulldogs. He believes that if they don't get their defence in order this year, it will hold them back from finishing in the top four.
"The best clubs that will finish in that top four, like Richmond and West Coast, these guys have got genuine big, tall forwards. If they can do a number on them and hold those tall forwards, they're going to be a real strength," Brown said.
In the Bulldogs' favour though is a stacked midfield, featuring skipper Marcus Bontempelli, Jack Macrae and Josh Dunkley. Brown said a reshuffle there and a few new faces should help them fire on all cylinders and make for a more dynamic goal-scoring threat.
"One of the strongest midfields in the comp," Brown said.
"You look at Dunkely, what a performance that was last year to go from a tagger to somebody who can get the ball 30-40 times and also kick some goals.
"Then you've got Jack McCrae, who three, four years ago didn't man-up a lot, wasn't a great skills expert, but now you have a look at him, he's the No.1 goal assist player at the Western Bulldogs and that allows Bontempelli to play half-forward/full forward and then roll through the midfield.
"You've got Lachie Hunter, [Patrick] Lipinski to roll through there ... that is a really strong midfield and to be able to have Bont [Bontempelli] not playing there 100 per cent of the time I think is a great asset."
Brown rated small forward Lipinski as one of the biggest improvers in the side and warned that 205cm ruckman Tim English is on the verge of a breakout season.
"English has put on some size, he's fitter," he said.
"He got pushed around a fair bit last year, but I think Tim English will make a big stride this season and the year after that, I think he'll explode."
One of the most intriguing stories to watch in 2020 will be how the Bulldogs' big forwards perform and work together.
All eyes will be on Aaron Naughton, Josh Schache and former Saints star Josh Bruce. The game-changer might just be the latter, according to Brown.
"I reckon it's one of the handiest pick-ups any side has," Brown said.
"What I do love about Josh Bruce that makes him a great inclusion - he can kick four-to-six goals in a game, but he's also a player that can play a role. He can jet up towards the centre wing, he can create space behind him, he's the ultimate team man, which leads me to think that Naughton is going to have a big year.
"Naughton is a freak, he's going to be a superstar, but he still needs a workhorse like Josh Bruce. He'll leave nothing in the tank, Josh Bruce.
"Certainly the Bruce-Naughton combination is a ripper."
But will that leave Schache the odd man out?
"With the inclusion of Josh Bruce and Naughton developing, I think Schache is the one that might get left out," Brown explained.
"He's a raw talent, but can he week after week, game after game serve up what he needs to? Sometimes, from my point of view, he might be a good runner but he looks a bit lazy.
"If he can get through that part and start impacting games more, maybe he'll become a better player but for me, he's the one under pressure."
Brown said the "hype" around the Bulldogs is warranted and though he predicts they will make finals footy, he isn't so sure they can deliver in every area they need to in order to be a flag contender once again.
"I think they're going to go OK, the Dogs, but they've got to start the year well," he said.
"I think they finish fifth, sixth or seventh. I can't see them finishing top four, but I definitely have them playing finals. "
from WWOS http://wwos.nine.com.au/afl/afl-2020-season-preview-western-bulldogs-josh-bruce-alex-keath-marcus-bontempelli/4f56e0e6-29b7-4e48-9c24-0825cee94af8
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