Draw assessment
A mixed bag for the Dogs but mostly positive. They play just three of last year's finalists (Geelong, St Kilda and Sydney) twice, and remain in Victoria in seven of last eight rounds. However, they face six interstate trips, including four crammed into the opening 10 rounds (against Adelaide, Greater Western Sydney, Gold Coast, Sydney Swans), but fortunately none in successive rounds. They will play seven night games, including Friday night clashes with heavyweights Collingwood and Geelong in rounds six and nine respectively, the latter after back-to-back six-day turnarounds. They have a bye in round 11 before hosting Port Adelaide in their second and final twilight match.
 
Pivotal match
Can't go past the Bulldogs' season-opener at Etihad Stadium against the West Coast Eagles, who are a slick unit but will have their depth severely tested, especially in attack without Mark LeCras, Mark Nicoski and potentially Josh Kennedy - their three top goalkickers last year with 147 majors between them. The visitors might be slightly vulnerable and the Dogs, rejuvenated by coach Brendan McCartney's vigorous program, could be capable of causing an upset.

Injury list
Apart from another mishap for unlucky defender Tom Williams, who has undergone another shoulder reconstruction, and barring any further concerns, the Bulldogs' list should only become healthier with stars Adam Cooney and Brian Lake moving well after modified pre-seasons, Justin Sherman and Nathan Djerrkura back from hand injuries, Lindsay Gilbee expected to be available for the VFL next week and Dale Morris also a chance of a VFL return in the next month. Star midfielder Ryan Griffen has a fractured finger but the club's medical staff remain confident he will play in round one.

Track specialist
The Bulldogs' most experienced players - the likes of skipper Matthew Boyd and Daniel Cross - have continued to set the training and fitness standards, but 21-year-old key forward Liam Jones has impressed at Whitten Oval this pre-season with his improved contested marking, which was already solid last year when he finished among the top handful in the AFL in that category.

Dream Team special
Injury restricted Ryan Hargrave to just five AFL appearances last year - his worst output since making his debut back in 2002 - but the dashing defender appears to be back in a big way. The 30-year-old's performance in the NAB Cup win over Carlton at Etihad Stadium was probably one of the best he has produced for the club. Hargrave appears to have recaptured the form that earned him a place in the All-Australian squad of 40 in 2010.

Draftee watch
First-round draft pick Clay Smith has excited everyone at the Bulldogs and perhaps no one more so than coach McCartney, who says the left-footed midfielder plays the game the way it should be played: in a tough, uncompromising, self-sacrificial fashion. It's too much to expect the 18-year-old from Gippsland to play well every week, but in a few years' time he just might. It also wouldn’t surprise if mature-age draftee Tory Dickson, a deadly shot at goal, slotted multiple majors each week, while rookie ruckman Tom Campbell, 20, could be a revelation if given an opportunity as he showed when he kicked 3.3 in the NAB Cup clash with North Melbourne.

Needs a big year
Jarrad Grant's best is very good - he creates space, runs to the right spots, outsmarts opponents with slick movements, conjures goals for teammates and slots them himself. And the 22-year-old, who last year produced a disappointing encore to a promising 2010, will need to perform somewhere near his best on a regular basis this season if he is to remain in the mix at Whitten Oval.

Best and fairest tip
Hard to go past Boyd but Griffen has been in scintillating form and appears set for a career-best season. An injury-free Lake could also spring back into contention. Dark horses include the electrifying Luke Dahlhaus and Tom Liberatore, and the latter's hardness, nous and vision might eventually see him regarded as at least the equal of his father as a player.

The Bulldogs will have a good year if…
…they can develop a multi-pronged attack following the loss of spearhead Barry Hall; if they establish a solid ruck combination comprising Will Minson and any of Jordan Roughead, Ayce Cordy or even rookie Campbell; if returning stars Brian Lake and Adam Cooney can recapture something of their best form; and if they can execute the game plan of coach McCartney, who knows what it takes to achieve success after being immersed in the Geelong system.

The big issues
Will Jones make further inroads towards developing into the power forward the Bulldogs hope he can become? The Dogs don’t want to be too reliant on any individual, but their cause would certainly be helped if Jones can manage 40-plus goals while being singled out for double and triple-teaming by opposition defences.

Can Minson, in his prime at 26 years of age, carry the ruck division as required with such young back-up support? And which of the young talls will emerge as Minson's regular ruck partner?

Will Shaun Higgins bridge the gap between potential and performance to finally become the A-grade player he has long promised to become? At last he's injury-free and even he admits there will be no excuses this season.

Best 22
F: Dale Morris, Brian Lake, Lindsay Gilbee
HB: Bob Murphy, Lukas Markovic, Ryan Hargrave
C: Tom Liberatore, Ryan Griffen, Luke Dahlhaus
HF: Shaun Higgins, Liam Jones, Adam Cooney
F: Daniel Giansiracusa, Ayce Cordy, Justin Sherman
Foll: Will Minson, Matthew Boyd, Daniel Cross
I/C: Liam Picken, Clay Smith, Jordan Roughead
Sub: Christian Howard

AFL.com.au predicted ladder finish: 14th

Ryan Hargrave is a $232,700 defender Toyota AFL Dream Team. Register your team here

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL