Captain Easton Wood says the unbridled energy of youth is driving the Western Bulldogs as they push for a spot in September this weekend.
The Dogs can lock in their first finals campaign since 2016 if they beat Adelaide on Sunday in Ballarat – which Wood and his side are well aware of.
While their body of work this season has been patchy, over the past month the Bulldogs have smashed Fremantle, Essendon and GWS and kicked more than 100 points in each of those wins.
At 29, Wood is effectively a veteran in a team with a core of players, led by superstar midfielder Marcus Bontempelli, still in their early 20s.
"I think with the youth, there's that really unbridled energy that comes with that group," Wood told reporters on Tuesday.
"There's a real excitement about what we're doing together and what we can be capable of achieving.
"Certainly we're just hoping to put our best foot forward this weekend and whatever happens after that, we'll take care of it (then)."
BONT, DUNKS IN TEAM OF THE WEEK
Comparisons to 2016, when Luke Beveridge's men came from nowhere to finish seventh and win four finals to capture the flag, have been irresistible.
Wood isn't buying into those parallels but said the on-field unity and selflessness couldn't be stronger.
"There's lots of little things that teammates are doing to help bring each other into the game; knock-ons or blocks, little stuff that doesn't really get noticed on the stat sheet but goes a long way towards helping us score or retain possession," he said.
"It's really special when you have that feeling of playing for each other."
Adelaide have limped to just one win from their past five games but Wood noted they had everything to play for given they could yet pinch the final top-eight spot.
He believes there's no danger in his young teammates daring to dream of what could be.
"I think that 'anything can happen' mindset has been consistent among the group for a long time," Wood said.
"That open-ended kind of question is something that Bevo's really good at, something that has been a consistent part of his coaching since he started."
