The Bulldogs are putting together one of the great runs toward the premiership we've seen in recent years, once again defying the odds to finish outside the top-four and yet finding themselves in the Grand Final.
Like every premiership pursuit, the eventual champions will need to heavily rely on their depth at the tail-end of the season, with this year no different.
Injuries are the unfortunate side of our game, as highlighted in the Dogs' drought-breaking victory in the 2016 season decider, with captain Bob Murphy unable to line-up for his beloved club in their biggest game this century.
Its seems as though there will be further selection difficulties for the Bulldogs five years later, with Luke Beveridge now having two weeks to finalise his 22-man side for the Bulldogs Grand Final clash against Melbourne on September 25.
Saturday night's win over Port Adelaide saw a whole team effort steer the Whitten Oval club to their second Grand Final in six seasons, however the dominant performance does highlight some headaches for Beveridge and the Bulldogs.
The holes left by injured first-string duo Alex Keath and Cody Weightman were almost effortlessly plugged in the Dogs' preliminary final, with Beveridge able to shuffle the magnets and allow Zaine Cordy and Anthony Scott to come into the squad, with the latter taking on medical sub duties as Jason Johannisen was elevated to a starting role.
Johannisen was prolific against the Power, while Cordy was able to further add stability to the Bulldogs' backline - which never looked like leaking easy scores.
Scott was brought into the game after the Dogs put livewire forward Laitham Vandermeer on ice, with the 2021 SSP recruit having an immediate impact.
Vandermeer is now set to face a race against the clock to be fit for the Perth Grand Final in 13 days time, and will join the likes of Weightman and Keath in needing to prove their fitness ahead of the season's concluding fixture.
Should his recovery continue on a positive trajectory, Weightman won't face too many hurdles in walking back into the Dogs' team for the Grand Final, while Keath has been tipped as a sure inclusion should no further setbacks occur.
The two inclusions are sure to leave Beveridge with a headache at the most important selection meeting of his career since 2016, with Vandermeer, Scott and Cordy among those from Saturday's win that will need to prove their worth in the coming weeks.
Add in Johannisen's yo-yo nature come the Dogs' selection and the uncertainty surrounding Ryan Gardner and Roarke Smith and it shows there is no simple answer for the Dogs' lineup.
Veteran ruckman Stefan Martin further proved his importance to the Bulldogs' side, with the former Lion also keeping out defender-turned-ruckman Lewis Young.
Forward Mitch Hannan's three-goal outing looks to have ensured his spot to take on his former club at Optus Stadium, while Josh Schache had another impressive performance on the weekend to suggest his name will be safe for the Grand Final.
That's number three for Mitch Hannan!#AFLFinals pic.twitter.com/14l9kOmJOR
— AFL (@AFL) September 11, 2021
So what changes will Beveridge make from the side that ended Port Adelaide's season by the tune of 71 points?
Should Vandermeer remain sidelined, a straight swap for Weightman is the obvious answer, but the flip-side will leave Beveridge scratching his head.
Vandermeer has been key to the Dogs' ball movement from midfield to attack, while Scott's impact was on show in his short cameo against Port.
Despite potentially reaching full fitness, Vandermeer is likely to fight with the likes of Scott, vice-captain Mitch Wallis, speedster Ed Richards and Young for the medical sub duties.
What remains for Keath's inclusion is another issue, with a quiet night on Saturday for Cordy likely to see another tough call made by the Bulldogs.
Add in any concern for Gardner's job security and the Dogs' defensive unit from Saturday will need to continue to impress when they return to the training track this week.
Predicted Western Bulldogs Grand Final team:
B: Easton Wood, Alex Keath, Bailey Williams
HB: Caleb Daniel, Ryan Gardner, Bailey Dale
C: Bailey Smith, Josh Dunkley, Lachie Hunter
HF: Mitch Hannan, Aaron Naughton, Adam Treloar
F: Josh Schache, Tim English, Cody Weightman
R: Stef Martin, Jack Macrae, Marcus Bontempelli
Int: Jason Johannisen, Tom Liberatore, Taylor Duryea, Roarke Smith
Emer: Anthony Scott (medical sub), Zaine Cordy, Mitch Wallis, Ed Richards
