Western Bulldogs have the potential to be as dominant as Hawthorn, Alastair Lynch writes

I DON’t understand the Hawks hate but I fully understand the Bulldogs love. They’s the AFL feel good story and have the potential to be like the Hawks, Alastair Lynch writes.

COULD the Bulldogs be the next Hawthorn?

I don’t quite get the hate for the Hawks. They have been the most successful side of the past twenty years because they make the right decisions on and off the field.

But I fully understand the love for the Bulldogs.

They are the feel good story of the AFL.

And I believe they have the potential to be like the Hawks.

Peter Gordon is one of the more passionate and dynamic presidents in the competition, if he can manoeuvre the Dogs into a more commercially attractive stadium deal out of the AFL’s bid to buy Etihad Stadium, the Sons of the West can be an AFL superpower.

The football side is already reaping the benefits of some very astute drafting and some key appointments off field.

Marcus Bontempelli is already a star of the competition. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

In recent years the Bulldogs have changed captain, coach and CEO and lost their Brownlow medallist.

They were prepared to make tough decisions and it has paid off.

It is a lesson for the Brisbane Lions who not only must get the football manager and coach appointments right, they also need to address their leadership.

The selection of Luke Beveridge as senior coach could be considered among the most left field decisions in footy since the Hawks chose the unfashionable Alastair Clarkson in 2005.

But in his second season, one that has been ravaged by injury — Bob Murphy, Lin Jong, Mitch Wallis, Jack Redpath and Marcus Adams are all sidelined- he has steered his side to a preliminary final.

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Bevo has transformed Liam Picken from a tagger, to a ball winner and now a dangerous forward 50 target. Matthew Boyd was just about done as a midfielder, now he is an All-Australian halfback.

The Bulldogs have some of the best leadership in the AFL.

Murphy is a widely admired captain and Easton Wood is doing a superb job in his absence.

Jake Stringer is a dynamic forward. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

And Marcus Bontempelli is the next megastar of the AFL. He was Anthony Koutoufides like the way he imposed himself on the game against Hawthorn and, like Kouta, he has the physical attributes to play as a centre half forward.

The image of the Bulldogs these days is far sexier than the snarling Western suburbs battlers of yesteryear that featured junkyard dogs like Tony Liberatore and Jose Romero.

Beveridge’s men are a shinier version again of the side that made three preliminary finals under Rodney Eade.

But there is plenty of substance to go with their style. They are a superb contested footy side. But after they win the ball they fire off a series of rapid handballs until they get outside and from there they cut sides open.

Their run and ball use is as good as any side in the competition.

In that regard they are very similar to GWS, who along with Adelaide are the other feel good story of the year.