Two years ago the Western Bulldogs finished on the bottom of the rebel VFLW ladder with a 0-14 record and a horrid percentage of just over 16.

The club needed to start from scratch after falling from the 2019 Grand Final to rock bottom in 2022.

That is exactly what has happened with key people such as head of football Chris Grant, then AFLW list manager Michael Sandry, ex-AFLW coach Nathan Burke, former women’s football operations manager Sean Pollard and VFLW coach Rhys Cahir starting a rapid rebuild that saw them win three games in 2023 and lose five others by less than a goal.

It brought an 11th-place finish last season but the building blocks were in place.

The Bulldogs began the 2024 season with losses in three of their first five matches, after going down to defeats Sunday’s rebel VFLW Grand Final opponent North Melbourne, eventual minor premier Williamstown and the Sydney Swans.

But despite those losses, they had announced themselves as the real deal by knocking off Essendon in Round 4, a team that had beaten them 98-0 in 2022.

Six-consecutive victories followed from Round 6 to 11, before a defeat to Darebin provided a wake-up call on the eve of the finals.

The Bulldogs hit back with wins over Casey Demons and the Kangaroos in the final two round to seal a top-two spot, and while they lost again to Williamstown in the qualifying final they responded in style to eliminate reigning premier Port Melbourne in the first semi before thumping the Seagulls by 44 points in Sunday's preliminary final.

“We basically started again. What we achieved last year was great and we kept building on that foundation,” coach Rhys Cahir said at the rebel VFLW Grand Final launch at ETU Stadium.

“It’s a credit to the girls. They’re the ones who have taken on board what we’re trying to coach and implement during games and they’re all pushing themselves to get to that highest level.

“The standards have been brilliant from them so it is pretty pleasing to see we’ve come so far so fast.”

Cahir said Sunday’s preliminary final victory over Williamstown provided great confidence heading into the premiership decider.

“(It) was obviously a great win by the group and showed them that we’re more than capable of playing our best footy against the best sides, so there is a lot of confidence coming out of that.

“We probably started after the Darebin game that we had to learn from our losses, not just from our wins.

“I thought we played okay footy in the first final, but on Sunday we took away what they wanted to do but also played our brand of footy.

“It was pleasing to show they could do it and were capable of adjusting and playing their best footy after a loss.”

Just like their grand final opponent, the Bulldogs also recruited well in the off-season in a bid to climb the ladder.

They added Essendon VFLW premiership co-captain Mia-Rae Clifford and vice-captain Courtney Ugle, alongside fellow flag winner Tamsin Crook.

Others to join included Collingwood grand finalist Tannah Hurst, Carlton stars Millie Klingbeil and Imogen Milford, Southern Saints goalsneak Renee Saulitis and Geelong’s Emily Ramsay, plus the biggest signing in gun young ruck Keeley Hardingham, who has been a dominant force.

Hardingham’s battle with former AFLW tall Kate Reynolds will be a feature of the Grand Final, while key defender Caitlin Pickett will get the big job on North Melbourne’s star forward Nyakoat Dojiok, who finished third in the Rohenna Young Medal this year.

The Bulldogs will also call on the experience of former captain Mary Sandral, the only member of the 2019 Grand Final team who will be playing on Sunday, with Cahir saying the team had walked taller since she forced her way back into the team.

“Mary had a tough battle early on and had to work her way in and we are so pleased for her to get the opportunity and now be playing great footy,” he said.

“She has been the heart and soul of the footy club for a long time. Certainly we will lean on her experience from last time, but Mary is just very keen for us all to contribute and play our role and be part of it. She’s been fantastic for the group all year.”