When Alex Rance missed the Richmond Tigers' 2019 premiership triumph, coach Damien Hardwick infamously likened his return to having "the number one draft pick".
The Bulldogs find themselves in a similar place. A healthy Sam Darcy has looked every bit the generational unicorn his boyhood club had him earmarked as, and when he returns from his latest setback, he will lift his team's floor and its ceiling, drastically.
Who then are some pieces the club can bring in to maximise the window in which Sam Darcy and living legend Marcus Bontempelli ply their trades together?
Those two, and the stellar auxiliary pieces around them (Ed Richards, Aaron Naughton, and the like) have the midfield and the front half as well stocked as any side in the competition. It's the backline that has needed work, and that still rings true now.
Who are some targets firmly in the sights of Luke Beveridge, Sam Power and co? And who are some that should be? Take a look!
Jordon Butts
Another potential piece of key position cover down back is Adelaide's Jordon Butts.
The Crows have potentially the deepest stocks at the tall defender position, with Nick Murray, Mark Keane, Jordon Butts and James Borlase vying for position each week. They have a bevy of general defenders with aerial prowess too, with the likes of Mitch Hinge, Josh Worrell and Max Michalanney rounding out the room.
It'd be folly for the Crows to cling to all of them, and it's unlikely they can afford to, especially as some of the younger brigade continue to emerge.
Butts may end up on the outer as the squeeze takes hold, and the Western Bulldogs are primed to swoop on the 26-year-old unrestricted free agent, who would cost them nothing in draft capital.
