For our first article in 2018 on our new webpage, I wanted to do something special, something to ring in what I can only describe as a new era for Bulldogs Centre.
Which is why starting today I will give my take on the top 25 Western Bulldogs players from the past 25 years. Meaning they had to have played from 1993 up until the present day.
It wasn't easy to make a list of 25 as they're have been quite a number of good players that have made their way onto the playing list that couldn't get a spot here, but I've felt that these 25 men have been huge contributors to the club over the past 25 years and don't worry, I'll highlight those that were very very stiff not to get mentioned here when I do the final five on Friday. So on to today, in the first of three parts, I'll name players 25-16, on Wednesday, there will be players named 15-6 and then the top five on Friday. 25. Nathan Brown Played At The Western Bulldogs From 1997-2003 Career Games: 219 (137 At the Bulldogs) Career Goals: 349 (206 At The Bulldogs) He was a top-10 pick in the 1996 AFL Draft and although Nathan Brown's career might've finished up in yellow and black, he was considered a very vital piece in the Western Bulldogs forward line, particularly in the early 2000s, when he kicked 57 and 56 goals in the 2002 and 2003 seasons respectively. These were times in which the Bulldogs struggled as a unit. In seven seasons as a member of the Western Bulldogs, Brown was a two-time All-Australian (2001 and 2002) and represented Australia in the International Rules Series three times (2000, 2002-03). 24. Jack Macrae Played At The Western Bulldogs From 2013-Present
Career Games: 99
Career Goals: 21
Jack Macrae has been in the AFL for five seasons and he has already been a very consistent contributor across his 99 games of league Footy. His debut season aside, Macrae has averaged26-27 disposals in his past four seasons and played a pivotal role in the Bulldogs' finals campaign in 2016, kicking the go-ahead goal to put the dogs ahead by five points late in the Preliminary Final against GWS. The week before that, he had a monstrous 39 disposals in their Semi Final win over Hawthorn. He finished second in the club best and fairest in just his second season and finished third in the best and fairest last season. At 23 years of age, there's no reason why he can't get better.
23. Easton Wood
Played At The Western Bulldogs From 2008-Present
Career Games: 125
Career Goals: 18
When Easton Wood was drafted with the 43rd overall pick back in the 2007 AFL Draft, not many people would've guessed that this athletic prospect would become a premiership captain, an All-Australian and a Charles Sutton Medallist, but he went and did all of that. After injuries played a part in the beginning of his league career, Wood emerged under Luke Beveridge and became an intercept-marking specialist., with his career-best season in 2015 highlighted by many goal-saving intercept marks and his 2016 highlighted by leading the Bulldogs to a drought-breaking premiership. Appointed full-time captain in season 2018, Wood has a huge job ahead to get the Bulldogs back to the promised land.
22. Jason Johannisen
Played At The Western Bulldogs From 2011-Present
Career Games: 84
Career Goals: 28
Very hard to leave the only Norm Smith Medallist that the club has ever had off of this list. Johannisen has been one of many success stories that has come out of the Whitten Oval, having been drafted via the Rookie Draft as a project player. After winning a premiership with Footscray in 2014, Johannisen broke out in 2015, playing 20 games and averaging nearly 20 disposals a game to take home the club's most improved award, before playing a key role in the Dogs' 2016 premiership, recording 33 disposals and seven marks to win the Norm Smith Medal as the best player on the ground in the Grand Final.
21. Ryan Hargrave
Played At The Western Bulldogs From 2000-2012
Career Games: 203
Career Goals: 37
Taken with the 67th pick in the 1999 AFL Draft, Ryan Hargrave proved to be to be one of the the Doggies' better finds throughout the 2000s as he found himself playing a vital role in the team's backline. Hargrave won the club's best first year player award in 2002 and from there, found himself as a mainstay for the remainder of his career, including the four finals' campaigns that the Bulldogs had under Rodney Eade in 2006 and 2008-10. His ability to play on both tall and small defenders were always noted and his ability to win his own ball grew as he got more experience into him. For me, a very underrated defender.
20. Matthew Croft
Played At The Western Bulldogs From 1990-2004
Career Games: 186
Career Goals: 72
A fringe player for the most part of the 90s, Matthew Croft began to emerge as a player in 1997, playing 20 games as the Bulldogs were agonisingly close to reaching the Grand Final. Although drafted as a forward, Croft spent the good part of his career as the full-back of the Bulldogs. As he endured both good seasons and the bad, Croft did his job with minimum fuss. In his final year, Croft could only play three games in the 2004 season, and in his retirement game against North Melbourne, Croft went forward and produced the game of his life, kicking five goals as the Dogs sent him and Simon Garlick out on a high note.
19. Ryan Griffen
Played At The Western Bulldogs From 2005-2014
Career Games: 241 (202 At the Bulldogs)
Career Goals: 146 (130 At the Bulldogs)
Despite his exit from Whitten Oval being far from harmonious, Ryan Griffen has been a very valued player at the Bulldogs throughout the 21st century. A top-three draft pick in the 2004 AFL Draft, Griffen was more known as an outside midfielder at the beginning of his career, but through time, he became more and more of a complete midfielder, being able to play both as an inside mid or outside, which culminated in a career-year in 2013, which saw him earn his one and only All-Australian selection as well as his second Charles Sutton Medal. Little did we know that the following year, after one season as captain, Griffen shocked the Dogs and the AFL world by requesting a trade to GWS, which unquestionably left a sour taste in the mouths of many a Bulldog supporter, but as we all know, it started something significantly special.
18. Leon Cameron
Played At The Western Bulldogs From 1990-1999
Career Games: 256 (172 At the Bulldogs)
Career Goals: 108 (68 At the Bulldogs)
The current coach of the Greater Western Sydney Giants was regarded as a good defender back in the day. As a Bulldog, he made his debut as a 17-year old and was able to utilise his pace and get his hands on the ball and at times, was often swung forward for good results. In 1993, when he was 21 years old, he took home his only club best and fairest award with the Doggies, which underlined his talent and value to the side - in that season, he had averaged over 23 touches a game across 19 games. Throughout the 90s, he was a valued member of the Bulldogs before he was offloaded to Richmond ahead of the 2000 AFL season, where he would play a further 84 games before calling it quits.
17. Liam Picken
Played At The Western Bulldogs From 2009-Present
Career Games: 198
Career Goals: 87
Another find from the rookie list, Liam Picken is just another of many success stories to come from the Western Bulldogs, making his debut early in the 2009 season, Picken played mostly as a tagger, negating key midfielders like Brent Harvey, Brett Deledio and Gary Ablett. When Luke Beveridge took over at the end of 2014, he opened up Picken's game to another level as he became more of an attacking player, and by 2017, he was averaging over a goal per game. His performance in the Dogs' 2016 Grand Final triumph against will go down in Bulldogs history, kicking three goals , including two final quarter goals that would prove to be the decisive moments in the game. He was the Bulldogs' best player in the 2016 Finals, kicking eight goals and averaging over 23 disposals and six marks per game.
16. Lindsay Gilbee
Played At The Western Bulldogs From 2000-2012
Career Games: 206
Career Goals: 119
Throughout the Rodney Eade days, Lindsay Gilbee was one man I always enjoyed watching as whenever he had the ball in his hands, you almost knew instantly he was going to do something good with it, if he was lurking outside the 50 whilst someone else was having a shot, most times he got his hands on the ball there, it went through half-goalpost height. After a struggle in his first four seasons, he flourished when Eade took over and even made the All-Australian team in 2006. His raking right foot was a staple on his game and was integral part on their defence during the Dogs' finals years of 2008-10.
Stay tuned on Bulldogs Centre as on Wednesday as we present to you players named in the 15-6 spots.