THE WESTERN Bulldogs are becoming this season's anomaly. 

Across this season, the Dogs have been in front of their opposition only 38 per cent of game time.

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That ranks the club 13th in the competition for time in front, with only Fremantle (37 per cent), Carlton (33), Melbourne (32), St Kilda (30) and Gold Coast (24) leading for fewer minutes this season.

But the Dogs are on a roll and on the verge of a return to the finals, where Luke Beveridge's men are capable of causing some damage. They have won six of their past eight games and can lock in a finals spot win a win over Adelaide on Sunday.

Six in a row for the Bulldogs! #AFLGiantsDogs pic.twitter.com/JVOzWk01yv

— AFL (@AFL) August 18, 2019

The Bulldogs and Essendon are the obvious outliers in the time in front statistics, supplied by Champion Data.

Both are now inside the top eight, but the Bombers are 11th in the AFL for time in front (40 per cent), with a run of come-from-behind wins over North Melbourne, Adelaide, Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney.

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There is little surprise at the top of the ladder, with the five clubs jostling for top-four finishes – Geelong, Collingwood, West Coast, Richmond and Brisbane – all perched in the top five for time in front.

Hawthorn and Adelaide, who are also battling for a finals position, are the only clubs ranked inside the top-eight for time in front who are currently outside of that spot on the ladder.

Time in front has been a consistent gauge of likely September success. The average time in front percentage from the past five premiers in their home and away campaigns has been 59.4 per cent.

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Last year, West Coast ranked second overall at 59 per cent, while Richmond was in front 60 per cent of game time in 2017 (also ranked second).

The Bulldogs were also a little further back in their 2016 breakthrough premiership, when they led 52 per cent of the time (sixth overall that year).

Time in front ladder