BEVO’S BOYS MUST IMPROVE

It all really came down to a surprise loss to the West Coast Eagles last year, otherwise the Western Bulldogs would have played finals. Most agree they didn’t deserve to make the eight given how they played when it mattered, so the Dogs simply must climb the ladder. Luke Beveridge’s team still has a nice sprinkling of stars across the lines and, really, should be a top-six team. Had they won that Eagles game, they would have finished sixth. Everyone inside and outside Whitten Oval knows that missing the finals is simply not good enough. Which brings us to the next question…

WHAT DOES ‘BEVO’ NEED TO ACHIEVE THIS YEAR?

Already the best coach in Bulldogs history, Beveridge is the coach on the hottest seat entering 2024. Barring some unforeseen circumstances, he must make finals to carry on as coach. Maybe he will need to go even further and win a final or make the top four. Beveridge survived a summer of questions as the football department was reworked around him. We all remember the miracles he can conjure, having claimed the glorious 2016 flag and the run to the 2021 grand final, yet he still hasn’t finished a home-and-away season in the top four. If the Dogs start slow, the hot seat will be blistering.

DO THEY KEEP ALL THE OUTOF-CONTRACT STARS?

Tom Liberatore should have no issues landing a new contract – and he isn’t interested in playing elsewhere. Eyes across the industry are trained on three others needing new deals: Bailey Smith, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Tim English. English might be the most fascinating, as an AllAustralian who will draw great interest from West Coast. Footy heads are all in on the silky UgleHagan, who just oozes star quality. And then there is Smith, who is in the background after injuring his knee. It’s a busy few months ahead for list boss Sam Power.

DO ‘BONT’ AND THE KID CLAIM BOTH MEDALS?

Marcus Bontempelli attracted 29 votes in the Brownlow Medal last year and it wasn’t enough, and snagged 33 votes in 2021 and that also left him short. The field is deep this year, but he will be a worthy winner if he can finally get over the line. And he might not be the only winner, with Ryley Sanders a short-price for the Rising Star award. He will have to fend off the likes of Roo duo Colby McKercher and George Wardlaw, plus the Eagles’ Harley Reid, but Sanders is a genuine ball magnet who will start in the middle from word go.