WESTERN Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has identified a pair of players in particular who he believes can help elevate his team in 2022.<\/p>\n
For last season\u2019s runners-up to again contend this campaign, a lot will depend on the form of explosive key forward Aaron Naughton.<\/p>\n
Beveridge is acutely aware that Naughton will be doing everything he can to impact every possible contest around him, but who will be there to help out?<\/p>\n
The 2016 premiership coach believes midfielder Josh Dunkley, who will spend some time forward, is only \u201cscratching the surface\u201d in what he can do for the side.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur taller mids will spend some periods forward,\u201d he said on SEN Breakfast<\/em>. \u201cObviously Marcus [Bontempelli] can compete in the air.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Dunks\u2019 is only really scratching the surface with his capabilities, but he\u2019s really important to us in that midfield area.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we\u2019ve got to strike a balance.\u201d<\/p>\n Another player whose form will allow the Dogs to have a say this season is Mitch Hannan.<\/p>\n The former Demon was below his best in a recent narrow pre-season loss to Brisbane, but Beveridge is holding hope that he can deliver after a fairly promising debut season with his second club.<\/p>\n \u201cMitch Hannan is one of those,\u201d Beveridge said. \u201cHe didn\u2019t have his best game the other night, but he\u2019s a very capable ground and air player.<\/p>\n \u201cHe can play like a key forward. He\u2019s one who\u2019s got some experience now. He\u2019s lightning quick and by and large he\u2019s a good finisher.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we\u2019re hoping that Mitch can take his game to the next level.\u201d<\/p>\n The attacking options don\u2019t end there.<\/p>\n Top draft pick Jamarra Ugle-Hagan is eagerly waiting in the wings and will provide a viable alternative down the track while ruckman Tim English can also be of assistance.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the reason why Jamarra is emerging and the next aspect for him is to be totally ready to run four quarters of an AFL game and compete more often than not,\u201d Beveridge said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s got a huge appetite for it, it\u2019s just being in the right spots at the right times. So hopefully as the season evolves, Jamarra can come to the fore and play some important minutes down there.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want Tim to play in the ruck, but Tim will be forward here and there as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Beveridge said he was \u201cnot necessarily\u201d satisfied with his side\u2019s pre-season performances against Essendon and the Lions, but feels things will soon click after a shorter pre-season than usual.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll get there and we\u2019ll be pretty healthy, but we won\u2019t have established the chemistry we would have liked,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I don\u2019t think anyone will have anyway so we\u2019re not any different to any other team.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m feeling like we\u2019re in a pretty good position, that we\u2019re ok. We\u2019re not as healthy as we have been in other years from an injury point of view.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m really content with the amount of opportunities we\u2019re creating for ourselves. We had over 130 forward 50 entries on our behalf in the two games.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s some quality that was lacking and hopefully that chemistry can emerge pretty quickly as we start the season proper.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n