WESTERN Bulldogs captain Brad Johnson believes his side's red-hot form has come as a result of the group "maturing" together over the past few years.
The Dogs have enjoyed a light run with injuries this year, and Johnson says a stable list has also contributed to the side's leap to the top half of the table.
"The core group has played together all year and that certainly helps," he said after the 54-point win over Port Adelaide at TIO Stadium in Darwin.
"We're a group that has matured with each other and there haven't been too many changes over the last few years.
"We're seeing the rewards of that. We know the way each other plays really well and that obviously helps."
With just a handful of players missing, including Scott West, Shaun Higgins and Tom Williams, there's a sense of optimism around Whitten Oval. And Johnson believes the Dogs' use of a heat chamber in the lead-up to the Darwin match will benefit the side in the final eight rounds of the season.
"It's been a great start," Johnson said. "If we keep playing our role and playing the way Rocket (coach Rodney Eade) wants us to, we know we've got the game plan in place to make us win more than we lose. We're proving that at the moment.
"Without a doubt, that heat chamber certainly helps, and doing something like that will also keep us in good stead for the next couple of weeks, just having that little bit extra."
Johnson said the Bulldogs have buried the ghosts from last season's fade-out, and are focusing on the fact they'll play finals for just the third time this decade.
"We've had our years where we didn't play finals for a long time, one year in six or seven, so you probably more think of that than anything else," he said.
"There was a period in the 90s where I was able to just miss finals one year, and some of these guys haven't even played a final.
"That's a good drive for the group, to start to get these guys experienced in that sort of stuff.
"We've totally forgotten about last year; that's well in the distance. We're more focussed on the moment."
