Six Bulldogs Who Need A Big 2022

There's no denying that 2021 was a highly successful season for the Western Bulldogs.

Despite falling short at the final hurdle, seeing the club qualify for its second Grand Final in six seasons is a clear indication that the club are in the midst of one of its most successful eras, and spirits are understandably high as they look set to challenge yet again in 2022.

However, the on-field success that the club has enjoyed this year does not translate to every player, and there will be some individuals with a point to prove heading into the new year. Let's take a look at some of the Bulldogs who are most in need of a massive 2022.

6. Jason Johannisen

It's hard to justify a player who played all bar one game last year as someone who is in need of a big 2022.

But the reality is that he's already been shuffled out of his preferred position across the half back flank, and has tried to reinvent himself as a half-forward over the past 12 months. His form had tapered away to the point where he had been demoted on the eve of the finals, being named as the Medical Sub for the first two finals.

To his credit, Johannisen did play pivotal roles in both the Semi Final and Preliminary Final victories and earned his spot back in the senior side, but with a season average of 10 disposals per game and only 15 goals in 25 games as a forward, his output needs to improve in 2022.

Jason Johaninsen had an encouraging finals series, but still needs to do more across the 2022 season. Source: Getty Images

5. Jamarra Ugle-Hagan

It sounds incredibly harsh to be critical of a player entering their second season, and suggesting that they need to have a big year.

And that would be true if the criticism was related to how they performed in their first year. But that's not the case with Ugle-Hagan.

The need for him to have a big year comes as a result of the vacancy left in the club's forward line through the injury to Josh Bruce. The club's leading goalkicker last season with 48 goals, Bruce will be absent from the senior lineup for at least the first part of the year, and will be sorely missed.

While the expectation isn't for Ugle-Hagan to come in and boot close to 50 goals in 2022, the absence of a reigning leading goalkicker will always be heavily felt, and he needs to fill that void as best he can. Aaron Naughton is an immensely talented young player, but he can't be expected to shoulder the burden all on his own up forward. Tim English will help out where he can, but his main responsibilities lay elsewhere, while Sam Darcy has only just walked through the doors.

Ugle-Hagan has suffered multiple disruptions over the past two seasons, with COVID and injuries both impacting his ability to gain continuity. But the signs are good so far this off-season, teaming up with Marcus Bontempelli to improve himself as a player, and making a concerted effort to return to pre-season fitter and stronger. It won't be easy for him to replace Bruce, but it's a good start.

There will be a big void left by the absence of Josh Bruce, and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan needs to do his best to fill that gap. Source: Getty Images

4. Mitch Hannan

One of the many recent players to graduate to the AFL from Footscray's VFL program, Hannan was targeted specifically by the Bulldogs after the 2020 season, being brought across from Melbourne for a future third-round pick.

It was clear that the Bulldogs thought Hannan was capable of playing a very specific role in their forward line, but things just did not work out for him in his first year at the club.

To begin with, Hannan missed the entire pre-season due a persistent groin injury, so he already started well behind the eight-ball before the season even got underway. After building match fitness across two VFL games, he was brought in for the Round 7 match against Richmond, managing a meagre 0.1 from nine disposals. It was a performance that set the tone for the rest of the season.

Hannan played 17 games across the year and only missed three matches once he broke into the side, which goes to show the faith that the club had in him to persist with him despite regular sub-par performances. There were encouraging displays littered throughout the year, most notably in the finals' victories over Essendon and Port Adelaide.

But his year is a terrific example of the importance of completing a full pre-season. Compare his campaign to Aaron Naughton, who booted 47 goals off the back of his first full pre-season since he arrived at the club. It may not grab the headlines, but the hard yards in the summer do make a major difference. While Hannan can't be blamed for injuries, he needs a big summer to set him up for a big year, because another year like 2021 may start to see the club lose patience with him.

Despite playing a lot of football in 2021, Mitch Hannan needs to increase his productivity in 2022. Source: Getty Images

3. Hayden Crozier

At the start of the year, Crozier was in every Bulldogs' fans best 22. There wasn't even a thought to it; he was just in there.

By the end of the season, Crozier was miles away from the Bulldogs best 22, with equally little thought given about it.

It was such a strange campaign, but it wasn't all his own fault. He missed the start of the season with an AC joint injury, and was then strangely "managed" out of the side after two games, only to be named as a Medical Sub and ultimately be called upon to play against Port Adelaide in Round 9.

He then suffered further injuries throughout the year, picking up a leg injury and a concussion in the second half of the year, playing just once after Round 14. As we've mentioned previously, injuries can't be helped, but for someone who started the year as such an important part of the Bulldogs' defensive lineup, it was odd that Crozier wasn't being played in the second half of the year, even when he was fully fit.

He has developed a sound reputation across his time at the Bulldogs as a rebouding intercept defender, so he does have the runs on the board, and he is contracted until the end of 2023, but it's not exactly a backline that he can just walk back into. With Bailey Williams and Caleb Daniel continuing to improve, combined with the emergence of Bailey Dale, a big year will be needed for Crozier to break back into the senior side.

Despite battling untimely injuries throughout 2021, breaking back into the Bulldogs defence will be no easy feat for Hayden Crozier in 2022. Source: Getty Images

2. Rhylee West

As far as father-sons go, Mitch Wallis is normally the main Bulldog talked about when it comes to being on the outer of the senior side. But Rhylee West is the one youngster who is in desperate need of a breakout year.

At 20 years of age, he is still a very young prospect, but the signs heading into the off-seasons are not good. West started just one game in 2021. He was an activated Medical Sub just once, and an unused Medical Sub in two other matches. All up, he recorded 0.2 from nine disposals in four officially-recognised matches. It doesn't make for great reading.

What would be most frustrating for him was that his VFL form was very encouraging. Across a COVID-disrupted campaign, he averaged 23.7 disposals and 5.2 tackles across seven games, while also contributing 13.5 on the scoreboard. So it's not as though he is struggling for form, he's just struggling for opportunity.

Admittedly, it's a tough midfield to crack into, but opportunities will present for him in 2022, he just needs to take them, because another season ending in just a handful of games and his future at the club may just start to be questioned.

Having played just 10 games in his first three years, Rhylee West will be desperate for a breakout year in 2022. Source: Getty Images

1. Tim English

Arguably one of the more polarising players among the fanbase, it's time for Tim English to make the jump.

On The Salty Bulldog podcast this year, I've often referred to looking back through a player's career and being able to pinpoint exactly where the "spike" comes from; the moment where they graduate from being a solid player to a star. Tim English had a mini-spike in 2019 where he became the club's No.1 ruckman, and his numbers have plateaued since then. Now, at 24 years of age, he needs another spike.

English has long been touted as having the potential for being the club's No.1 for an extended period of time, but has often found himself wanting when it comes to the physical ruck contest, regularly being monstered out of the duel by most big men in the league.

Stefan Martin was brought in to help combat this, and while the pair were together in the side, English played some good football as a backup ruckman who could float forward to stretch the opposition defence. It worked to great effect, kicking nine goals in the first five rounds of the year, but as far as shouldering the ruck responsibility is concerned, English needs to learn to do it on his own at some stage, or risk being overtaken.

While Martin is on his last legs, Jordon Sweet is a promising young ruckman that the Bulldogs fought hard to keep, and will be pressing his case for more game time in 2022, while Sam Darcy's arrival adds further depth to the club's ruck stocks, and is arguably further advanced as a ruckman than English was in his debut year in 2017. For comparison, both Darcy and English currently weigh 93kg.

To be fair to English, he did suffer an early-season concussion which kept him out for a month, and it may have taken him some time to get back to his absolute best. But for Lewis Young to be trusted as the club's No.1 ruck option at the expense of English during the finals series was telling, and it is a sign of just far away English is from being the powerhouse ruckman that has been foretold for the past several years. And with the West Australian coming out of contract at the end of 2022, the time is now for The Big Chilli to spice things up.

Tim English has threatened to establish himself as one of the league’s best ruckman for many years - 2022 is the year it needs to happen. Source: Getty Images