VETERAN Western Bulldog Chris Grant is upbeat about the future of his club, but he can’tsay how long he’ll be part of that future.

Grant, who missed Sunday’s 34-point loss to the Crows withlingering soreness to an injured knee, says the Bulldogs are working to a three-or four-year plan to genuinely be in contention for a premiership.

Grant revealed after the match that the longer-term plan hasbeen the focus of the Bulldogs over the second half of the season, more so thanfinals this year.

“We’ve probably not really focused on finals,”Grant said. “We all know that’s there, and the importance of it, but internallywe’re talking more about whether the 22 guys representing the team each weekendare doing what we need them to do to ultimately win a flag.

“You set up a plan for three or four years with the endresult a premiership, and it’s all about getting where you need to get toachieve that.

“A lot of people see us as going backwards this year, butit’s more been a bit of a tweak to how we were playing last year, to enable usto go forward to the ultimate end.

“It’s been a bit frustrating for our supporters – we allunderstand that – but we’re probably finding out a lot more about ourselvesthis year than last year [when the team captured the public imagination on itsrun to the finals].”

In the words of coach Rodney Eade, it’s been “the recession [theBulldogs] probably had to have.”

After Sunday’s game, Eade identified the development offirst- and second-year players such as Andrejs Everitt, Tom Williams, ShaunHiggins and Stephen Tiller as important steps for the club.

And Grant says the development of older players such as SamPower, 23, and Matthew Boyd, 24, is just as important in the long-term jigsaw.

Power has found a new role in recent weeks as ahard-checking “run-with” player, a role both Eade and Grant say the club hadidentified as a gap that needed filling at the Bulldogs.

Power performed the task admirably against the Crows,restricting champion onballer Simon Goodwin to just four touches in the firsthalf.

“He did a terrific job,” Grant said. “I think that’s anindication of how a player can adapt and deal with a situation he’s notaccustomed to. In the last month that’s been just another step in the rightdirection for him.

“We are trying to identify areas of our game where we haveto improve, and that’s probably one … and he’s leading the way.”

Boyd had his breakthrough year last year, averaging 23possessions over the second half of the season. He’s stepped that up again in2007, and had 31 touches against the Crows.

“Players like Boydy had to lift again this year,” Grantsaid. “We had to find out more about him; we had to find out whether he cansustain it for a whole season, and whether he can be part of it for the longterm. And he has shown that he can.”

Grant says he will be back next week against Hawthorn forgame number 341, after throwing off the effects of a minor knee injurysustained last week which he almost overcame in time to play on Sunday.

“On Friday I was a really good chance of playing,"Grant said. "It was always going to be a matter of how I pulled up on Saturday,and I pulled up just a little bit ginger. I’ll definitely play next week.”

But what about beyond the next two matches to that three- orfour-year plan? Will Grant be still around when the Bulldogs reach that ultimategoal?

“I wouldn’t contemplate even thinking about that," heresponded. "If I entered that into the equation it would stuff me right upso … it’s one week at a time.”