It’s been the talk of the footy world for a couple of weeks now.

How will the Bulldogs cover the loss of star running backs Robert Murphy, Jason Johannisen and now Matthew Suckling? 

As all eyes turn to the Dogs and North Melbourne ahead of tonight’s top of the table clash at Etihad Stadium, the questions are being asked again, and being Friday night, they’re being asked with a little more fervour.   

But if you’re trawling the Footy Record looking for one-for-one replacements you haven’t been paying attention. 

Bulldogs captain Easton Wood, speaking to the Herald Sun, says that the Dogs’ mantra is versatility, and if one goes down, another steps in. 

No questions asked.

“It is about the system, not the individuals, “Wood said.

“As devastating as it is to lose Bob, JJ, and Matty Suckling ... the next person coming in knows exactly what he needs to do.

“One of our strengths is that we don’t rely on one person doing the same job each week.”

Need proof? Shift your eyes up the ground and take a look at the Bulldogs midfield statistics. 

The most any player has spent in the midfield this season is Lachie Hunter at 65.3% of game time.

Next comes Mitch Wallis at 62.2%, Marcus Bontempelli at 61.3% and Liam Picken at 58.3%.  You have to go down three more spots to find contested ball king Tom Liberatore at just 53.8%.

As talented as the Kangaroos’ on-ball brigade is, it’s a much smaller group that does the heavy lifting, with Sam Gibson, David Swallow are both above 98% and Ben Cunnington sitting at 87%.  

Gone are the days where a coach would select six midfielders and a couple of talls; the modern game demands versatility. 

Luke Beveridge has picked at least 16 players to face North Melbourne tonight that will not only run through the middle but can and will play just about anywhere.

Including half-back and wherever else the coach needs.