Your 2023 Western Bulldogs season preview is here, just in time for the start of the new AFL season! Everything you need to know about the Bulldogs is here, all in the one article – aren't you lucky. We’ve got information about squad changes, rankings and stats from last year, key matches to look for, as well as none other than ex-AFL star Heath Shaw’s opinion on how the Bulldogs will go this season.
Let’s get cracking shall we!
Recruitment Report
Let’s take a little look at the new signings for the Bulldogs, along with all the players they’ve parted ways with:
Ins: Oskar Baker, Jedd Busslinger, Charlie Clarke, Harvey Gallagher, Liam Jones and Rory Lobb
Outs: Louis Butler, Zaine Cordy, Josh Dunkley, Lachie Hunter, Stefan Martin, Charlie Parker, Josh Schache and Mitch Wallis
2022 Rankings
Where did the Bulldogs rank for disposals in the AFL last season? Or what about clangers? All the key rankings for the Bulldogs are below:
Kicks: 8th
Handballs: 4th
Disposals: 6th
Marks: 8th
Hit-outs: 15th
Frees For: 8th
Frees Against: 18th
Goals: 7th
Behinds: 6th
2022 Stats
Who had the most goals for the Bulldogs? Who had the most marks? All these stats and more can be found below:
Most Disposals: Jackson Macrae - 705
Most Tackles: Josh Dunkley - 140
Most Clearances: Thomas Liberatore - 159
Most Marks: Josh Dunkley - 142
Most Goals: Aaron Naughton - 51
3 Key Matches To Watch
These are the key matches you can’t miss if you’re a Bulldogs fan (up to Round 15):
Match 1: Round 1, vs Demons, at MCG (Sat, Mar 18, 7:25pm)
Match 2: Round 8, vs Giants, at Manuka Oval (Sat, May 6, 7:25pm)
Match 3: Round 12, vs Cats, at Marvel Stadium (Sat, Jun 3, 7:25pm)
2023 AFL Season Expectations
The most interesting team to read for 2023 season is the Bulldogs. They have recruited to have a tilt at a Premiership and stacked the forward line with walls galore. The tall timber combination of Lobb, Naughton, Ugle, Hagan and potentially Darcy will stretch most backlines, but can they work together that’s the key.
Beveridge is known for throwing the team around a bit and no doubt pre-season will be used for that to full affect. Losing Dunkley can be covered, and the addition of Jones and Lobb make for extra stability down the spine.
Predicted Finish: Top 6
