When Jack Macrae first arrived at the Kennel, a career inside the contest might not have initially been envisioned.

A creative, outside midfielder from the Oakleigh Chargers, Macrae brought flair and football smarts that would complement that burgeoning clearance crew of picks that included Tom Liberatore, Mitch Wallis and Clay Smith.

But standing 191 centimetres tall, Macrae also represented the new breed of big-bodied midfielders that was emerging across the competition.

A prolific ball winner, Macrae had the tools to work closer to the contest than his junior career had allowed, all he needed was the opportunity.

And it was the absence of Liberatore through injury last season that provided an opportunity for the 21-year-old to hone his craft at the coalface.

Joined by the likes of Marcus Bontempelli (192cm) and Koby Stevens (189cm), the addition of Macrae gave the Bulldogs a different look around the stoppages.

Throw in the likes of top-draft pick Josh Dunkley (189cm) and there is an imposing size and depth developing in the Club’s midfield ranks.

With the return of Liberatore, and the introduction of an interchange cap, Macrae’s midfield workload may change, but it’s a role that he is keen to continue to explore in 2016.

“I played inside mid last year for pretty much the entire season, which was pretty new to me,” Macrae told foxfooty.com.au.

“I’ve also been working on my forward craft and becoming a more dangerous player up forward, especially with the interchange cap coming down.

“I’d love to play inside-mid and wing predominantly, but if I have to play half-back then I’ll gladly slot in there as well.

“I want to be a more dynamic and versatile player.”

While versatility is important on an individual level, from a team perspective, it is equally paramount.

“We want to continue to be exciting and show flair but by the same token you can’t win that way all the time and play that way 24/7,” he said.

“Finding that balance of when to go quick and when to go slow is important.

“Teams will start to prepare for us better so Bevo (Luke Beveridge) is big on having an A, B, C and D plan.

“We are not reliant on a few players and that is the great strength of ours.

“We recognise within the club who plays the sacrificial role and it’s not necessarily about who gets the touches or kicks the goals.”