2019 Team Preview – Bulldogs

Written by Schwarzwalder on January 21 2019

(Written & Created By B-Harvs)

 

WESTERN BULLDOGS

RD12 BYE

Defenders*

*Feeling Lucky: *There are not a lot of players in the Bulldogs backline
that you would lock and load with confidence, however, there are a few
players worth considering if you are feeling lucky and want a solid point
of difference starter. The bulldogs love generating a lot of play off of
half back and *Jason Johannisen ($465,600)*, with his damaging speed, can be one of the best in the competition if he gets back to his 2016 Norm
Smith winning form, averaging 94 points that year. Johannisen is
potentially a top 10 defender and is extremely well-priced, showing some
good signs towards the back end of the year when breaking tags with scores
of 139, 113 and 156 and a season average of 85.8.

*Bailey Williams ($441,600)* has been doing some training with the midfield group this pre-season and is a smart user of the footy. He looks like a potential  break out contender should he remain injury free, missing 9 games in 2018.
He averaged 81.4 with a high of 139, which should rise this year with
midfield minutes and an uninterrupted pre-season. It also looks as if he
has shaken the niggling foot injury that caused him to miss 7 games in the
back half of the season.

*Hayden Crozier ($428,900)* showed some great signs towards the back end of the year, averaging 97.4 after the round 12 bye with a high of 137. He takes a lot of great pack marks (good for 5
marks per game) and loves playing freely off of half back with 4.2 rebound
fifties per game. Look for Luke Beveridge to expand on this style of play
in his second season with the dogs.

*Midfielders*

*Lock and Load:* He enters 2019 as the 3rd most expensive player in
supercoach but for good reason. Averaging 127.1, *Jackson Macrae ($689,700)*
was the second highest scoring midfielder and 4th highest scoring player
overall in 2018. His season included five scores of 150+. He is elite at
finding the ball and boasts an impressive average of 32.79 disposals a game
which was the 2nd highest behind Tom Mitchell for the 2018 season. 24.3 of
those disposals were effective, good for 3rd best in the comp. He also
averaged 5.3 tackles a game and 4.3 inside fifties. All signs are there for
him to average a possible 125+ season for the second year running and very
likely to be a top 8 mid by the end of the season. The downside is his high
starting price tag and the depth of the bulldogs midfield with the return
of Libba, players like Bont, Dunkley, McLean, Williams and the new draftees
rotating through the midfield in a unique Beveridge coached system that
requires a big midfield rotation. In any case, he is a proven ball-winner
and tackle machine that should see through those challenges, as he did last
season.

*Feeling Lucky:* *Marcus Bontempelli ($577,800)* will start the season as
a bit of a point-of-difference player after a relatively quiet 2018
supercoach season. The Bont gets the hard ball, likes to drift forward and
hit the scoreboard (spending 33% forward last season) and is one of the
best users of the footy in the competition. He has averaged 4.53 inside
fiftes and is good for 1.16 goals a game. He had a big finish to the
supercoach season finishing with a consistent 98, 100, 134, 124 and 106,
including a four goal quarter against St Kilda in round 20 and a 35
disposal 2 goal effort against North in round 21. His final average being
104, good for 22nd overall and 12th amongst Mids. However, he had a
disappointing low of 47 and two scores in the mid sixties, which frustrated
his owners. Otherwise he consistently hovered around a 105-110 average. He
is a risky pick if he doesn’t prove to be a top 8 midfielder by seasons
end, but with his consistent finish to 2018, his injuries seeming to be
over and a full pre-season, the Bont could be ready for a huge scoring
season.

*Money Maker*: *Riley West ($117,300)* is the son of Bulldogs legend Scott
West and has shown great ball winning skills and pressure, averaging 22
disposals (11 contested), 5 clearances and 4 tackles a game throughout the
2018 championships. He should definitely feature at some point throughout
the 2019 season, however it will be worth watching his progress in the JLT
to see if that will be at the start of the season before selecting in your
side. *Bailey Smith ($180,300)* was the Bulldogs first pick in the draft at
No. 7 and is the exact type of player that the Bulldogs love. A tough in
and under midfielder that is punishing with his skills when pushing
forward. Averaging 25 disposals and 125 supercoach points a game in the
national championships in 2018, he was second only to number 1 pick Sam
Walsh in disposals. He will likely be used during the season with Beveridge
loving the use of a versatile midfield/forward group. Monitor JLT in the
lead up to round one.

*Rucks*

There is not a whole lot of supercoach relevance in the ruck department for
the Bulldogs. *Tom Boyd ($364,200) *is a risky choice but could be due for
a solid year as Luke Beveridge has been playing him in the ruck for
majority of games and swinging him down forward for versatility. If he
clunks more contested marks and straightens up his goal kicking when moved
forward, he could generate a lot more points when combining that with
points earned in the ruck. He may be a good cheap starting option for those
wanting to save cash from the more expensive rucks, building up to an
upgrade to a top ruck around the byes. Moni is a rookie ruck that
the bulldogs may look to deploy throughout the year for versatility. It
could be a bit early in his development however and with the Sunday
friendly fixture of the Bulldogs, he could be a good zero scoring Captains
loophole.

*Forwards*

*Lock and Load:* With a blistering finish to the 2018 season, *Josh Dunkley
($516,300)* finished with 6 straight tonnes including a 147, 132 and 157
and averaged a very impressive 111.3 after his round 12 bye. His final six
game average was a huge 127. Building on his tank in the pre-season he
should be a lock to continue this form and have a big scoring supercoach
2019 season. He’s also a very consistent tackler with 6 per game, good for
18th in the comp. *Toby McLean ($514,000)* proved great value for those
willing to take the risk starting him last season. He had 8 of 11 tonnes
until the byes, averaging 106.7 to round 12. Over the season he ranked 17th
in tackles with 5.7 a game, had 24 disposals a game and finished with a
94.7 average for the season, due to a drop off after the byes. The main
risk in starting with McLean is with the surge of Dunkley late in the
season, as his scoring was adversely affected due to an apparent role
change. Luke Beveridge is also known to rotate players in and out of the
midfield and forward line, with both of these players seeming to swap that
role after the bye. Watch for both players that they avoid the forward
pocket as they could prove damaging to your side. In any case, both are
proven scorers that could both potentially be top 10 forwards by seasons
end.

*Money Maker:*   *Ben Cavara ($117 300) * was one of the feel good stories of the draft. The 22 year old was picked at number 45 and has shown
perseverance throughout his career at VFL level, booting 66 goals in the
past two seasons earning back to back team of the year selections. A tough
in and under player and goal sneak, Cavara should be on every supercoach
watchlist in the lead up to round one.

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16 thoughts on “2019 Team Preview – Bulldogs”

  1. Solid write up, thank you 🙂

    I’ve got Dunkley in my current side sitting next to danger, heeney and smith.
    Macrae is hard to pick, he had replaced titch for now. I’m just wondering if i should dip down to a coniglio insted and pocket the change. Or if i can use that change well enough. Macrae is great on the outside, but his inside work was awesome last year, he seemed to get clearance after clearance firing out an effective handball with someone hanging off his back making it contested and racking up supercoach points. I think he is likely to repeat 2018.

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  2. Great article but made my head spin with words jumping to a new line mid sentence. Anyone else got this problem or just my phone having issues?

    Like the look of Bailey Williams but think there’s too much value in defence this year to crack into many teams. Hopefully he plays a lockdown tagger centre half bench role until the byes then Mr Magnets does his thing and see him go Josh Dunkley-esque in the second half of the season.

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  3. Nice write up!

    For me I’m thinking McCrae and Dunkley are certain starters, don’t see how they can take dunks out of that midfield after what he showed. But I’ve been wrong before.
    Thoughts on English?

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    1. He might get time, and it is important to note that all of the Bulldogs ruckmen this year are Fwd/Rucks (although not shown with DPP). Trengrove (FWD only), Boyd, English and Sweet (both RUCK only) are the names who will play significant Ruck time, and I expect Boyd to share Ruck duties with one of them early. If Naughton proves himself to be more of a permanent forward after spending significant game time there late last season, we may only have one Ruckman to choose from. My expectations is to see Boyd as the main Ruck and Trengrove as the backup early in the season and then as the others development occurs, there will be a bit of fiddling later in the season, possibly as early as R8

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      1. Boyd is still hampered by back issues that caused him to miss games last year. English is looking like a very attractive r2 option, kids got huge potiential and not much competition for his spot.

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  4. Good work Shwarz.
    If not for the byes I’d be starting with more Doggies players than I have now.. Their mid-strength is underrated IMO… post bye I expect to have 3 premo’s and the odd rookie along the way (West, Young, Cavarra) . … and I’m feeling lucky … Bont was my 2nd pick for SC2019 and hasn’t been up for replacement once in my many iterations.. He will be a definite starter for me.
    The Doggies have 2nd most number of last-day-of-the-round games, especially so for the 2nd half of the season .. so Sweet will likely be my loophole RUC.

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  5. Great job b-harvs. I like Dunkley but am swaying towards Wingard, Heeney and Danger because Bevo keeps changing his mind on who his midfielders are.

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    1. Cheers Thommo! I agree, Dunkley is a player in and out of my side at the moment based on the way Bevo structured in the first half of last year. If he looks to be playing in the Mid straight up however, he is an instant lock for me!

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  6. Beautifully done B-harvs! I have Macrae and Cavarra right now, with absolutely no confidence in either.

    Can someone please swipe Bevo’s whiteboard before Round 1? Cheers.

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  7. Great job B-Harvs.

    Macrae – 99% certain
    Cavarra – 100% (presuming he plays Rd1)

    Dunkley and Bailey Smith will be watched closely through JLT for mine.

    I think the Bont and Hunter could go nuts this year too. WBD have a very SC-friendly game.
    Thanks again. Excellent write-up.

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    1. Cheers allsaints! Doggies are a very SC friendly team with the rebound 50’s and in and outside mid game. I could have Bont, Macrae and Dunkley all in my final starting side at this stage!
      I’m big wraps on Bont being ready for a huge breakout year

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  8. Nice Stuff!

    Hayden Crozier was definitely ear-marked when he switched to that new defensive role last year. He seemed steady back there. Will have to see the JLT to see if he continues back there. Hopefully he avoids the magnetic grip of his leader.

    Team Reviews have been excellent so far!

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