Former Western Bulldogs captain Bob Murphy backs his old side to ‘trampoline’ back up the ladder

FORMER Western Bulldogs captain Bob Murphy says there is one thing that intrigues him more than anything else about his old side this year and has backed Tom Liberatore to return to form.

FORMER Western Bulldogs captain Bob Murphy says he is “intrigued” to see how his former club structures its forward line this season and has backed a “fitter” Tom Liberatore to return to career-best form.

While acknowledging the Bulldogs had many issues in an emotionally challenging 2017, Murphy admitted the lack of a key forward target had been a weak link in the chain.

One of the Grand Final heroes of 2016, Tom Boyd played only 11 games due to injury and illness while a knee complaint and suspension restricted fellow key forward Jack Redpath to just nine games.

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The club has since recruited 199cm forward Josh Schache from Brisbane and is also experimenting with playing captain Easton Wood — who has kicked just 18 goals from 125 career games — in attack.

“We had a few things going on last year but everyone wants the big key forward as the target and we never quite settled with it,” Murphy said.

“That’s probably the most intriguing thing as a spectator at the moment, just how the forward line sets up with that combination (Boyd and Schache). There’s Jack Redpath as well who at his best is probably ahead of those guys and now with Easton Wood spending a bit of time forward I’m kind of just intrigued to see where the cards fall.”

Murphy, who will host Bob on Fox Footy this year and feature on AFL 360, said he was enjoying retirement and was bullish his old side could climb back up the ladder this year after finishing 10th in 2017.

Former Western Bulldogs player Bob Murphy will host his own show on Fox Footy. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Along with the new forward line, a key cog in that rebound will be Liberatore, who was one of a number of Dogs down on form last season.

“I’ve only seen a little bit of him but he just looks really fit, Tom,” Murphy said.

“I know that doesn’t mean everything but he’s a star. His best is some of the very best so I really hope he gets back to his best and it will be exciting for the Dogs if he does.”

Murphy denied last year was a wasted season for his old side and said there was plenty of reason for optimism with a “reasonable argument” to compare the Bulldogs of 2016 to Hawthorn of 2008, both teams considered to have won premierships before their time.

“We were a really, really young premiership side and it probably did come a bit sooner than everyone expected,” he said.

“The core of the team is still there. I just think last year, as difficult as it was, they’re the kind of years that you do learn a lot. Sometimes the bruises of a difficult year can trampoline you to much bigger and better things and I expect big things from the Dogs this year.”

FOX FOOTY’S 2018 LINE-UP

35 hours live a week

10 entertainment shows

5 new shows

8 pre and post match shows

5 female hosted shows