The Western Bulldogs finished 2025 with 14 wins and a whopping percentage of over 137 - both of which were records for a non-finals playing side.
On paper, the Dogs boast one of the most complete lists in the competition: a forward line spearheaded by Sam Darcy and Aaron Naughton, a midfield featuring Marcus Bontempelli, Tom Liberatore and Ed Richards, and a backline sparked by the line-breaking Bailey Dale.
Yet, despite being a dangerous side chock-full of star power at the top, the Dogs' depth, defensive capabilities and consistency were a step below the top eight and ultimately saw them miss September despite averaging over 16 goals per game, becoming the first club to achieve that scoring feat since Adelaide in 2016.
So, what should Dogs fans expect from the playing group in 2026? Here's the best 23 that might run out in the tricolours this season…
Defenders
The defensive unit is the biggest point of intrigue for the Bulldogs this year, particularly after a largely unsuccessful off-season recruitment period.
The Bulldogs had the best scoring profile from defensive 50 in 2025, thanks to the elite dash off half-back from the likes of Bailey Dale, Lachie Bramble and Bailey Williams, who will all be locks to feature prominently in 2026.
However, the Bulldogs struggled to limit their opposition's attacking prowess due to their weak key defender stocks, hence their attempt to bolster that area in the off-season.
The Footscray-based outfit targeted, and then failed, to land Jack Silvagni, and couldn't lure Callum Wilkie out of Moorabbin, which means another year of a rotation of Rory Lobb, Nick Coffield and James O'Donnell is destined to occur. They'll need significant improvement from the latter two to cover this weakness consistently.
However, the Bulldogs did secure Connor Budarick from Gold Coast, who is set to return to the back half of the ground after struggling to cement himself in Damien Hardwick's senior side as a forward option. Back in the area he is most comfortable in suggests he could shape up as a sneakily elite addition.
Youngster Jedd Busslinger will likely begin the new season on the outer at Whitten Oval, but the crafty interceptor and solid ball-user will be looking to break in for a few more senior opportunities after proving to be a class above his peers at VFL level.
