THE STRONG pre-season form of Travis Cloke and Stewart Crameri has the Western Bulldogs confident they have finally addressed their long-time Achilles heel – aerial strength in attack.
Tom Boyd's coming-of-age 2016 finals series aside, the Bulldogs have lacked a dominant key forward since Barry Hall's retirement at the end of 2011.
The Dogs found enough bite in attack last year despite their lack of height, with mid-sized and small forwards such as Jake Stringer, Tory Dickson, Clay Smith, Zaine Cordy, Josh Dunkley and Toby McLean largely powering their premiership forward line.
However, midfielder Lachie Hunter is confident the Bulldogs' flag defence will be bolstered by the addition of former Magpie Cloke and Crameri's return from a season-long WADA suspension.
"In the forward line, we've kind of lacked those big talls. Obviously Tommy had a really good finals series but during the year we kind of lacked that big option down forward, so to get Stewie and Clokey in will really strengthen the forward line," Hunter said.
"It's obviously just all positive. I can't see how we can go backwards with those additions and Tommy coming of age.
"It will take the pressure off Tom with Stewie and Trav coming in and hopefully people like Jakey Stringer can step up as well with the pressure off."
Hunter said Cloke, secured by the Bulldogs in last year's NAB AFL Trade Period for pick No.76, had made a strong start to his first pre-season at the Whitten Oval, impressing with his outstanding endurance and his contested work during match simulation.
"Just in match play and things like that you just notice there's such a big strong option to kick to, which we haven’t really had a great deal of," he said.
"He just doesn't really get out-marked even if there are two or three on him. It's just good to have someone to kick to."
Crameri crossed to the Bulldogs from Essendon at the end of 2013, kicking 69 goals in 40 games before being forced to sit out last season as one of the 34 past and present Bombers who participated in the club's ill-fated 2012 supplements regime.
Hunter expects Crameri will seamlessly return to the Bulldogs' senior team in 2017.
"No doubt it would have been a tough year but he's come back really fit. I went for a few runs with him before we got back and he took care of me pretty well," Hunter says.
"He was flying and ready to go, so that was a good sign for him. I'm assuming he'll slot straight back in."
Hunter, 22, enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2016, finally establishing himself in the Bulldogs' best 22 in his fourth year at the Whitten Oval.
Playing all 26 games, Hunter became a consistently damaging midfielder, racking up more possessions (719 at an average of 27.7 a game) than any other Bulldog and finishing second at the club for inside 50s and equal-third for goal assists. His outstanding year was rewarded with a third-place finish in the club's best and fairest award.
Hunter is determined to build on his 2016 form this season. His quest has been aided by an injury-free start to the pre-season, while he says his skills on his non-preferred right side can improve.
And having tasted premiership success, Hunter only wants more.
"It was such a good feeling and such a good couple of months – not only for us but for the club – that I just can't see why anyone wouldn't want to do it again," he says.
"And we'll be doing everything we can to back it up."
