LAST year the Bulldogs failed to win any of their last seven games and finished a dismal and disappointing 13th on the ladder. This season they have lost only one of 11 and sit comfortably aloft on the ladder with the likes of Geelong and Hawthorn.

No team scores as much as the Doggies do. In fact, it could be said Rodney Eade's Western Bulldogs are an eight-goal better side than the 2007 version. The stats tell us they kick five more goals a game than they did last year, and the opposition averages three goals fewer. Quite amazing. Why, then, is it so?

For more than a decade the Dogs had an unhealthy reliance on five footballers. Chris Grant, Rohan Smith, Luke Darcy, Scott West and Brad Johnson carried the team's fortunes on their shoulders.

Not now. Grant, Smith and Darcy are gone, West has played only four games and Johnson no longer has to be in his team's best three in order for it to win. It took a while, but a hard core of nine players aged in their mid-20s and with about 100 games each to their credit has emerged to be the foundation of this team.

And there is a nice spread of older and younger players that complement the core. The rock solids are names such as Matthew Boyd, Daniel Cross, Mitch Hahn, Ryan Hargrave, Dale Morris, Daniel Giansiracusa, Lindsay Gilbee, Brian Lake and Robert Murphy. They are now ready, willing and able to bear the brunt of what's required week by week to get the team over the line.

Specific imports have helped, too. For years, an undersized but brave Johnson had to carry the forward line. Now Jason Akermanis and Scott Welsh share the load. Murphy has settled at half-forward and is playing career-best football.

All four are on track to kick 40-plus goals for the season, with Giansiracusa, Hahn and Adam Cooney hot on their heels.

Ben Hudson has been great value in the ruck. The former Crow is a reasonable tap ruckman, but excels around the ground where his mobility, repeat efforts, courage and handball provide countless chances for his teammates.

Will Minson is giving fine support, too, averaging 11 hitouts and disposals a game. Last season Will looked lost, playing only six senior games. This year he is a contributing regular.

Having a settled line-up is also invaluable. The Bulldogs have 16 players who have played every game. Compare that with Essendon's three. It means that the players' confidence in each other grows. They know each other's moves, their strengths and weaknesses, and adjust accordingly. Being predictable to each other in all circumstances is a great asset for a team to have, and the Bulldogs have it.

The coach, after a harrowing end to 2007, now looks fresh and focused. He can now do what he does best and that is coach rather than be expected to sit in on club, not team meetings, that other people can handle.

And he has a spanking new training facility out at Whitten Oval to prepare his players in. Rather than being the poor relations of the AFL, all out west can now walk tall and take pride in the kennel.

The implementation of a new leadership program devised by Ray McLean, and the appointment of two new full-time development coaches, means that Eade can now provide for his players what the well-resourced Collingwood and interstate clubs have been doing for years with their charges. It all helps.

But the bottom line is that the game plan is working. Eade encourages his men to take the game on. They play on quickly, use plenty of share-with handballs and short kicks. And they will run, bounce and carry the lines. Last week against the Saints, the Dogs had 40 running bounces to their opponents' 15.

A priority over summer was to toughen up. Most players gained weight and strength, and with that confidence. This year, they rank first for hard-ball gets, third for contested possessions and fifth for clearance. That's impressive.

But best of all for the Bulldog faithful, the best is yet to come. Cooney at 22 and Ryan Griffen, 21, are already very accomplished players and could well be superstars. Tom Williams, 21, and Andrejs Everitt, 19, look set to be class acts in defence over the next decade and Shaun Higgins, 20, will be a gun up forward.

And there is more. Jarrod Harbrow, 19, and Josh Hill, 19, are quick and gifted. So, yes, the Bulldogs' window of opportunity is getting bigger and bigger.

It was Charlie Sutton who 54 years ago captain-coached the Bulldogs to their last (and only) flag. Charlie could well see another some time soon.