The Western Bulldogs are coming off an impressive 2021 campaign that was soured by a late fade-out in last year's Grand Final to Melbourne.Â
The Doggies sat in the top two for most of the season before losing the last three games of the regular season to finish outside of the top four.Â
The side rallied in the finals to win three weeks in a row to earn a spot in the Grand Final, before their demise to Melbourne in the big dance.Â
Star players in Marcus Bontempelli and Jack Macrae had quality seasons, whilst the continual emergence of Bailey Smith, especially in finals, has been one that has impressed in the past season.Â
Luke Beveridge has a strong, star-studded lineup at his disposal that is expected to be premiership contenders once again, and will look to kick off their 2022 campaign with a redeeming win over rivals Melbourne at the MCG tonight.Â
With their premiership window still wide open, can the Doggies pounce on the opportunity? Only time will tell.Â
Ins: Sam Darcy [National Draft], Tim O'Brien [Hawthorn], Charlie Parker [Rookie Draft], Robbie McComb [Rookie Draft], Luke Cleary [National Draft], Arthur Jones [National Draft]
Outs: Easton Wood [retired], Patrick Lipinski [Collingwood], Lewis Young [Carlton], Lin Jong [retired], Will Hayes [delisted], Ben Cavarra [delisted]
Breakout Player
Aaron Naughton has already become one of the better forwards in the game, but he still has another level to go to, which he could achieve in 2022.
Naughton's forward prowess and contested marking ability is amongst the best in the competition, which could be a scary sight if he continues to improve, given he's only 22 years old.
The 195cm key forward kicked 47 goals across 25 games last season, and with fellow key forward Josh Bruce out for the first portion of the season, the Dogs will rely heavily on Naughton's production down forward, giving him a perfect opportunity to break out even further into Coleman Medal territory.
If Naughton can become more accurate in front of goal, as he kicked 40 behinds last year, then don't be surprised if he claims his first Coleman Medal come season's end.
