The Western Bulldogs endured a rollercoaster season in 2022, managing to feature in the September action, but suffering a heartbreaking comeback defeat to Fremantle.
The Dogs featured in plenty of the off-season chatter, with Josh Dunkley finally getting his wish to depart the kennel, joining Zaine Cordy, Lachie Hunter and Josh Schache as they headed for the exit.
It wasn't all grim for the Dogs, welcoming Rory Lobb and Liam Jones as valuable inclusions, bolstering their list as they make another push for the top eight come finals time.
Heading into season 2023, with plenty of expectations placed on the club, we have named five burning questions hanging over the heads of the Bulldogs this year.
4. Will fitness be a concern in 2023?
The Bulldogs' final match of 2022 left plenty of questions to be answered, one of the biggest being how they managed to give up a 41-point lead in such a crucial match. After just sneaking into finals, the Dogs' performance in the elimination final left plenty to be desired, seemingly having no gas in the tank to fight back against the Dockers.
Even recent departure Dunkley seemed to hint at something amiss in the Bulldogs' fitness program, recently stating in a social media video on Brisbane's pre-season preparation that he had never done that much running at the Dogs.
Ahead of Round 1, the Bulldogs have opted to play just one practice match, facing North Melbourne on March 4, while all other teams (bar the Giants) have scheduled two.
