

Player Ratings - Round Two
The Western Bulldogs maintained their perfect start to the season with a narrow six-point win against Adelaide on Friday Night. Despite leading for most of the match, the Bulldogs were headed late in the final term as the Crows piled on five goals in 13 minutes, before steadying late to record their first victory against the Crows at Adelaide Oval. 4. Marcus Bontempelli The eye test said that he didn’t have a massive influence on the match; certainly not compared to his feats


Player Ratings - Round One
The Western Bulldogs continued their impressive start to the season with a comprehensive 81-point win over the GWS Giants on Saturday. After taking a 17-point lead into quarter time, the Bulldogs never looked back, extending their lead at every break as they went 2-0 for the first time since 2021. 4. Marcus Bontempelli Did as he pleased in a dominant first half, picking up 18 disposals and kicking three brilliant goals in a showing that almost matched what he managed in the e


What Will He Bring: Will Lewis
Just as the Western Bulldogs fans had finalised memorising the playing list for the 2026 seasons and the changes that had been made over the summer, a February curveball was thrown when it was announced that James Harmes had suddenly announced his retirement from the game. Already on leave due to personal issues, Harmes’ retirement opened a spot on the Bulldogs’ list to add a new player via the Supplemental Selection Period. While several players tried up for that final spot,


Player Ratings - Opening Round
As a new season begins, the Player Ratings return for 2026! The process remains the same as it has in previous seasons: after each game, we go through the 23 Bulldogs that performed at the weekend and rate their score out of 10. Last year, Ed Richards claimed his maiden TSB Player of the Year Award. Can he retain his title? Or will someone else rise up to claim top spot? 4. Marcus Bontempelli So used we are to seeing the skipper conduct the Bulldog orchestra through the mid


A History - No.26
With the new year – and the next Bulldogs century upon us – the team at The Salty Bulldog have been inspired to ring in the new year with something a little different, and given that we begin our next century in the year 2026, a history lesson on the No.26 felt most appropriate. On face value, the No.26 won’t immediately strike fans as an iconic number in Bulldogs history. However, once we dug a little deeper, it turns out that it has enjoyed a quite storied journey over the


What Will He Bring: Connor Budarick
Last month, the Western Bulldogs warded off rival interest and acquired the services of talented former Gold Coast Suns defender, Connor Budarick. The 24-year-old’s move to the Kennel came with pick 70 in exchange for Pick 37 in this year’s AFL National Draft, and will provide a much-needed boost to the Bulldogs’ defensive stocks. Finding a capable replacement for club stalwart Taylor Duryea has been a need for quite some time, so Budarick’s recruitment is a timely one, seein


What Will He Bring: Will Darcy
After selecting Louis Emmett with the second pick of Night Two of the AFL Draft, the Bulldogs had to wait until the very last pick of the night until they were on the clock again, with their next turn arriving at Pick 60. At this point in the draft, several clubs had already concluded their business and were passing on picks as a result, allowing the Bulldogs to climb up the order by default. With room to draft just one more player onto the list, the Bulldogs drafted Father-S


What Will He Bring: Louis Emmett
While the Western Bulldogs had to wait a long time for their first selection of Night One of the 2025 AFL Draft, they barely had to wait for their turn on Night Two, going into the night armed with the second pick of the night and the 27th overall. The pick arrived at the Bulldogs as part of the pick swap with the Gold Coast Suns at the start of the night, effectively upgrading it from Pick 33 in exchange for sliding one pick higher up in the order. The reports leading into t


