1. Eyes to the sky
Luke Beveridge said recently that he’s still open as to who takes the centre bounce against the Dockers in round 1. Tom Campbell has battled injuries in the past 18 months but has been a pre-season standout. Veteran Will Minson will get his chance after a strong showing in last year’s elimination final, and the versatile tall Jordan Roughead will also be looked at closely.
Throw Tom Boyd, Jack Redpath and rookie Luke Goetz into the mix and the Bulldogs have an intriguing battle on their hands.
2. The future
With a front row seat to The Bont and The Package Show, it’s an exciting time to be a Western Bulldogs fan. At 192cm and 85kgs, Bontempelli is the leader of the new breed of oversized midfielder and at just 20 years of age, he is the youngest player in the competition to be rated as elite by Champion Data.
As for Jake Stringer… 56 goals, a maiden All-Australian Guernsey and an unrivalled highlights package at 21? The sky is the limit for these young Bulldog stars and it’s worth tuning into just to see what they do next.
3. The skipper
There’s not much left to say about Robert Murphy’s 2015 season. A career year, an All-Australian Guernsey and captaincy — he led his beloved Dogs back to finals after five years in the wilderness.
Murphy was always going to have a special place in the heart of the Bulldog faithful after 17 years’ service, but after last season he may have secured himself a place amongst the true greats of the Club. At the twilight of his career, it’s worth savouring every game Bob plays from here on in because you’re watching something special.
4. They’re back
There’s been a lot of fanfare around Tom Liberatore’s blistering return to football after a year out of the game, and rightly so, Libba’s a star and his comeback will bolster an already impressive young midfield. But he’s not the only one returning from time out that will have an impact on the make-up of the team. Koby Stevens was in blistering form before a bruised lung and foot fracture ended his season in round 15, and we all know what Jordan Roughead can do when healthy.
Don’t underestimate how big a deal it is to have these guys back in the squad.
5. New faces
Bulldogs fans will get the chance to a couple of offseason pick-ups against opposition for the first time tonight, as free agent signing Matthew Suckling and former Brisbane Lions captain are expected to suit up for the first time. Suckling’s arrival has come with the great promise, his raking left boot a solid addition to any team. As for where he’ll play, that may be where it gets interesting. According to Champion Data, the 27-year-old spent 40% of his time if defence last season and 43% as a forward.
The word out of the kennel is that it’s still up in the air where the Hawthorn premiership player settles, but tonight will give us a glimpse of where that may be.
