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!
Matt Rowell
Power brokers at the Suns believed the Western Bulldogs were their Brownlow Medallist's preferred destination, should he have left the club of his drafting at the end of his last contract.
He signed a two-year extension tiding him over until free agency, but the rapport built with coach Luke Beveridge is still simmering away, and still a factor, should Rowell wish to return to his home state.
There appears to be unrest at Carrara, and unrest at football clubs usually breeds an exodus, with Rowell's shiny new teammate, Christian Petracca, a perfect example of this. Rowell's own form has taken a dip, and a fresh start could be on the cards.
Whether it's this year or next, don't rule out yet another cog being added to one of the AFL's finest midfields.
