Aaron Naughton
First season = key defender. Second season = key forward.
Aaron Naughton’s move forward late in the pre-season worked wonders for the Bulldogs, with the 19-year-old becoming one of the game’s rising stars.
He led the AFL for contested marks in the home-and-away season, playing every game and finishing 2nd in the Bulldogs’ goal-kicking tally with 32 majors.
A four-year contract extension in April means Naughton is locked away until 2024.
By the numbers
AFL Games: 23
Goals: 32
Disposals (av): 10.9
Marks (av): 5.7
Tackles (av): 1.8
Best game
It’s impossible to go past Naughton’s match-defining performance against Richmond in round seven.
He plucked 14 marks – nine of them contested, seven inside forward 50 – and converted five majors to be best afield as the Bulldogs recorded a strong win against the 2019 premiers.
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Josh Schache
Josh Schache’s season was broken up into three parts.
He started the year strongly at AFL level, before spending two months in the VFL and returning to play 10 of the last 11 games in the senior side.
Schache went goalless in just three of his 14 AFL matches, booting five hauls of three or more majors. He established himself as a strong option inside 50 alongside the likes of Aaron Naughton, Sam Lloyd and Bailey Dale as the Bulldogs’ forwards found peak form at the back-end of the year.
By the numbers
AFL Games: 14
Goals: 24
Disposals (av): 10.1
Marks (av): 2.6
Tackles (av): 1.8
Best game
Schache’s ability to convert under extreme pressure was evident in round two against Hawthorn.
The young forward took centre stage, slotting four goals to go with 15 disposals and five marks, as the Bulldogs produced a final-term comeback for the ages to overcome the Hawks.
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Billy Gowers
Billy Gowers’ season was split between the senior side and Footscray, playing 10 matches at AFL level and eight in the VFL.
He was a forward-line regular in the first half of the year, contributing 13 goals from 10 matches, including a strong start.
But he didn’t feature again after round 11’s loss to the Eagles in Perth, before kicking 11 goals from his last seven games in Footscray’s run to September.
By the numbers
AFL Games: 10
Goals: 13
Disposals (av): 8.9
Marks (av): 3
Tackles (av): 1.3
Best game
Gowers started the season with a bang, kicking five goals in his first two outings.
With the Bulldogs’ new forward set-up on show against Sydney – and the Thor guernsey – Gowers chipped in with two majors from 11 disposals to help put together a winning total against the Swans at Marvel Stadium.
