Hinkley: The Bulldogs are an “absolute lock” for top four

Following a superb late win against the Adelaide Crows, Ken Hinkley believes that the Western Bulldogs are an “absolute lock” to finish in the top four.

The Crows didn't make it easy for the Dogs, booting five in a row in the final term to reclaim the lead late in the contest. However, a Bailey Williams goal and a magical finish from Oskar Baker saw the unbeaten Bulldogs claw back victory in the dying moments at Adelaide Oval.

Sitting at 3-0 before the bye with wins against three of 2025's finalists, the season couldn't have started better for Luke Beveridge's men.

“They’re plus eight on the competition,” Gerard Whateley said on SEN Crunch Time.

“Teams aren’t going to go and beat Brisbane at the Gabba, and Adelaide in Adelaide.

“The start looked pretty ferocious for them, but they are at 12 points, and I just reckon on the scoreboard at the end, teams who have that double are going to be lucky to squeak out with four, let alone eight.”

“Lock them in for top four,” Hinkley stated.

“Lock them in! They’re going to go to Essendon after a 17-day break – another frustration that we share.

“They go into Essendon, where they will start really short favourites, and then come to Gather Round to play Hawthorn.

“If they get through Hawthorn at 5-0, they are an absolute lock with what they’ve got going on.”

Former Premiership coach Adam Simpson made note of the improvement the side has seen from their depth players, releasing the over-reliance on the club’s stars.

“The discussion early in the pre-season was that their top six is as good as anyone’s but can that on its own win you enough games,” Simpson said.

“I think this middle group is really starting to evolve – the C-Graders and B-Graders, or whatever you want to call them.

“Then they’ve got their bottom six, which are predominantly role players who every now and then might bob up and do something out of the ordinary.

“But the mid-tier; Rhylee West, James O’Donnell, Rory Lobb, Buku Khamis, Oskar Baker, Lachie Bramble’s making his way in that division. It seems to be that they are making their mark a little bit more than they have in the past.

“It’s not Marcus Bontempelli or bust. That’s the evolution that we’re seeing of the Bulldogs that makes them harder to play against.”

Hinkley: “Ryley Sanders is another one of those players.

“Lachie Jaques, the young fella who got smashed by Callum Ah Chee – he got back up and got involved in the next goal they scored.

“They’ve lifted their depth profile, no doubt about that. They won 14 games last season, that would, in any other season, get you top six!”