“They’re firing on all cylinders”: Are the Bulldogs now clearly the team to beat?

The Western Bulldogs are the team to beat in 2024, according to Dan Hannebery.

The Bulldogs have hit peak form in the last month, smashing Melbourne by 51, beating Sydney at the SCG by 39, beating Geelong at GMHBA Stadium by 47 and beating Carlton without Liam Jones, Adam Treloar and Aaron Naughton.

Hannebery is confident they have surpassed Sydney as the best team in the competition.

“Tripling down, I think the Bulldogs are the best team in it. I said they were playing top four footy about six weeks ago, then they had that shocking loss to Port Adelaide and let me down a little bit,” Hannebery told SEN’s Crunch Time.

“I’ve gone back to Round 9 and other than their losses to Brisbane and Port, every other game, they probably should have beaten Sydney, every other game they’ve been outstanding.

“They’re playing such a high calibre of footy. We know the list they’ve got. They’re firing on all cylinders.

“Adam Treloar and Marcus Bontempelli are both having outstanding years alongside Tom Liberatore and Ed Richards.

“Their backline with Liam Jones back looks impenetrable at times and then forward half is so dangerous.

“They’ve got the full list of quality and they’re humming. It’s super impressive and they’ve done it against quality opposition.

“They made Melbourne looked second rate even though they’re sort of around that mark. I think the Dogs and Brisbane are two best teams in it and you’d back the Dogs to win a final in Melbourne.

“I reckon they’re the best team in it.”

The Dogs have comfortably handled a very difficult stretch of the fixture to see themselves a game outside of the top four.

They face the Crows in Adelaide on Sunday afternoon before finishing the season with North Melbourne and GWS.