After an incredible season where the Western Bulldogs seemed to be firing on all cylinders, 2021 ended in disappointing fashion as Melbourne blew them out by 74 points in the grand final.
Luke Beveridge's men were resilient in their pursuit of the grandest prize in football, having played in every week of the finals, they appeared destined to replicate their fairytale 2016 premiership run.
Given their star core and injection of young talent, the Dogs seem destined to contend for a premiership in 2022 and beyond. Provided that their best form can be sustained throughout the entirety of the season, something that cost them in late 2021 as they went on a three-game losing streak prior to finals, which cost them a spot in the top four.
If the Footscray-based side can continue to integrate their vast array of diverse playmakers throughout key positions, their status as a fast break matchup nightmare will only be exacerbated by the fact that they will be fueled by their recent shortcomings.
With all this in mind, let's check out who can crack the Dogs star-studded best 22.
INS: Luke Cleary, Sam Darcy, Arthur Jones, Robbie McComb, Tim O'Brien (Hawthorn Hawks), Charlie Parker
OUTS: Ben Cavarra (delisted), Will Hayes (delisted), Lin Jong (retired), Patrick Lipinski (Collingwood Magpies), Easton Wood (retired), Lewis Young (Carlton Blues)
The retirement of Easton Wood leaves the Doggies vulnerable down back, as their most experienced one-on-one defender leaves the team down a lock-down specialist.
While the likes of Alex Keath and Zaine Cordy can continue to sure up the backline from a purely defensive perspective, the Dogs will be exposed in aerial contests as the majority of their current backline operate as modern medium half-backs that are tasked with intercepting and distributing.
Cue the arrivals of utility Tim English, highly touted draftee Sam Darcy and high-flying ex-Hawk Tim O'Brien.
English boasts an elite running capacity for a man of his stature, in addition to a sticky set of mits. With a pre-season spent down back, he can quickly transition into a part-time defender who can sure up his side's current vulnerabilities.
Similarly, Darcy has the natural tools to slot into a similar position given his athletic prowess and innate ability to read to the play. There isn't a rush to bring him into the side immediately, but the Dogs would be better off to get some games into their youngster.
O'Brien had proven to be a valuable asset in defence with Hawthorn and will be hoping to see similar success in his tenure at Whitten Oval, while fellow forward-turned-defender Josh Schache will also be eyeing an increase in minutes.
Then there's All-Australian duo Caleb Daniel and Bailey Dale who offer great attack from defence for Luke Beveridge's side, while Taylor Duryea and Bailey Williams will also be constant features for the Dogs down back.
The Bulldogs have so many elite midfielders at their disposal that they need to scatter them around the ground just to ensure they get games.
Their midfield is the closest thing the AFL has to the Avengers.
Marcus Bontempelli and Jack Macrae are the two standouts given their propensity to dominate in the clearances, tackle, rack-up touches and hit the scoreboard. While you can nullify one of the two's impact by tagging, this usually comes at the cost of the other doing unspeakable damage with all the extra time and space.
Tom Liberatore, Adam Treloar and Bailey Smith then make up their trio of hard nuts given the ferocious nature in which all three attack the footy. This is without mentioning both the elite footballing smarts and propensity to hit the scoreboard in key moments which they all possess.
Then rotating through the middle the Dogs also have Lachie Hunter and Josh Dunkley, who also float across the half-forward line and act as lethal distributors when in attack.
Pick your poison here.
Both Aaron Naughton and Josh Bruce are a hard ask for any defence to shut out given the pair's ability to clunk contested marks and lose their direct opponent on the lead. Cue a pinpoint delivery from Dunkley or Hunter and it's all over, provided the pair have their kicking boots on.
The likes of Ed Richards should fit into this side through pure effort plays, which will, in turn, free up the aforementioned Hunter or Dunkley to roam around and evoke further chaos for the opposition defence.
Cue the emergence of the crafty Cody Weightman, a playmaker who is lethal when the ball's on the deck. This is all without mentioning Weightman's ability to slot a snag from any angle.
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan will no doubt be tasked with suiting up more at AFL level this coming season after a less than ideal beginning to the former Pick 1's career. In his limited outings, he displayed a craftiness for his size that separates him from his contemporaries while also highlighting that he is a reliable option around the big sticks.
Sam Darcy may also be a presence in attack as the Bulldogs look to how they can best deploy their top draftee, while medium-sized duo Laitham Vandermeer and Anthony Scott continue to make their case in Beveridge's forward third.
FB: Zaine Cordy, Alex Keath, Taylor Duryea
HB: Caleb Daniel, Tim English, Bailey Dale
C: Bailey Smith, Tom Liberatore, Adam Treloar
HF: Lachie Hunter, Aaron Naughton, Josh Dunkley
FF: Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Josh Bruce, Cody Weightman
FOL: Stefan Martin, Marcus Bontempelli, Jack Macrae
I/C: Bailey Williams, Ryan Gardner, Josh Schache, Ed Richards
EMERG: Tim O'Brien, Laitham Vandermeer, Anthony Scott, Sam Darcy