This is a team that lost five of their last six games last season and finished 14th. A tumultuous off-season saw the sacking of their coach and chief executive, plus the departures of their captain, a Brownlow medallist and two more long-timers, a collective loss of more than 800 games experience. Luke Beveridge is doing a good job of inspiring his players this season. Credit:Getty Images Their replacement coach, untried at senior level, took on the job only in mid-November. Then, on the eve of the season, the Bulldogs lost their recently crowned best-and-fairest winner for the year with a serious knee injury. That's the sort of backdrop that could cruel a hot flag favourite's chances, let alone those of a team popularly tipped for the bottom four. The Bulldogs have defied it all. But as unlikely a story as it seems, the exploits of Luke Beveridge's team are beginning to shape as far more than just a novelty. In fact, there's a fair argument that were they to hang on to fourth spot, an entire premiership race could be a lot more competitive as a result.

As of Sunday, you could still get $31 on the Bulldogs for this year's premiership. Sydney, relegated to fifth spot on percentage after the weekend, is still paying $9. Richmond, now seventh after their loss to Adelaide, are $17. Does that look right? Not to me. The Dogs are going to have to fight hard to hang on to the double chance, with games against West Coast in Perth and North Melbourne the most challenging of their last four assignments. But should they stay where they are now, why couldn't they push Fremantle, West Coast and Hawthorn every bit as hard, if not harder, than the Swans, Tigers, or for that matter, North Melbourne? Richmond, admittedly, have some bigger scalps, having beaten Fremantle and Hawthorn. But the Tigers couldn't match West Coast even on the MCG. And last Friday night's loss in Adelaide showed, not for the first time, their reliance on the star quality of Brett Deledio. The others? Sydney, looking increasingly like a one-trick pony, have lost three out of four games to the top three to date this season, and the Roos two out of three. The Dogs, similarly, have just one win from three against the top trio. They did, however, knock over the Eagles, and came within 13 points of upsetting Fremantle.

More to the point, though, what brand of football might be best served to match either the offensive firepower of Hawthorn and West Coast, or the defensive steel of the Dockers? Beveridge's team dares to win. Their football against Port Adelaide on Saturday was a joy to watch, tough in the clinches, but full of dash and flair on the break. It's the sort of game that may well stand a better chance of taking it up to the likes of the Hawks and Eagles. Fremantle? Well, Richmond did nearly out-grind the Dockers a fortnight ago, but as the Tigers found to their cost, a low-scoring scrap can still leave the door ajar for the opposition. When the Tigers did beat them first time around, it was off the back of an eight-goal opening term, their most attacking 30 minutes of football all season. What is also becoming increasingly apparent about the Western Bulldogs is the major ace up the sleeve Beveridge holds in terms of his side's flexibility and evenness of talent across the list. On Saturday, it was a spread of talent able to help overcome the absence of three key players in skipper Bob Murphy, vice-captain Jordan Roughead and important running defender Jason Johannisen.

In the past fortnight, both Lachie Hunter and Shane Biggs, after playing negligible parts of what had gone before, have been able to come into the line-up and not only hold their own, but end up in the Dogs' best handful of players. Against the Power, Joel Hamling in just his sixth senior game, and Sam Darley, in his first of the season, acquitted themselves similarly. And what price would you have given when the Bulldogs acquired the signature of highly rated spearhead Tom Boyd that he wouldn't be able to break into the best 22 right now? Boyd might be waiting another week, too, after Jake Stringer, Jack Redpath, Stewart Crameri and Tory Dickson combined for 14 goals against Port. That's a range of scoring options more in keeping with the acknowledged heavyweights of the competition than the company with whom the Bulldogs have been bracketed. So good is this unfolding story it's no surprise there's an army of neutral supporters willing this exciting team on. But as romantic as a feel-good tome about the "little guy" taking it up to the top end of the town always is, the Western Bulldogs' 2015 tale looks more and more capable of providing some real September substance to go with what is already a very entertaining read.

And while I'm at it... Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has been pretty patient all season with a patently under-performing team. On Saturday, it finally ran out. And with good reason. It's hard to think of too many other teams of modern times who have failed to live up to expectations as comprehensively as the Power have in 2015. Barely a pundit in the land didn't have the excitement machine of last year either winning the premiership or at least playing off for one. But with four rounds to go, Port are three games shy of the eight in 12th spot. And could well finish lower yet. Hinkley rightly fumed about his players' lack of application, not befitting a side with any remaining finals hopes on the line, but one almost willing their opponent to finish them off.

What made this defeat more unpalatable was Port were able to dominate a good team so thoroughly for 15 minutes they kicked the first three goals of the match and then lined up for a 25-point lead. This wasn't a team that hadn't come to play. It was one that came to play until the merest hint of pressure was applied. That's an even bigger indictment. Port won just 56 possessions for the entire second quarter, and ended the day with 129 less than the Bulldogs. By midway through the final term, no Power player had any more than 16 disposals. At the same moment, the Dogs had 13. No wonder they were outscored 19 goals to six after the first quarter of an hour of play. But apart from isolated moments like that blistering opening against Hawthorn back in round four, Port Adelaide haven't looked anything like a team in premiership contention. It's perhaps time to ask instead whether that finals mauling of Richmond and tremendous comeback on the road against Fremantle last September were a mirage amid a sea of mediocrity. Include even those landmark victories and you still have a bottom line from the mid-point of last season of just 14 wins from 32 games, or a winning percentage of only 43.8.

Port will conduct their own review into what has gone so spectacularly wrong. Their much-heralded fitness program will warrant a look, perhaps some list frailties pored over, holes appearing in both defence and attack. Perhaps, though, the answer isn't all that complicated. For Saturday's blistering start combined with the spectacular capitulation that followed, had all the hallmarks of a team that has gulped way too much of its own bathwater way too early. The last word THE GESTURE Geelong's last decade near the top of the AFL ladder has generally gone hand-in-hand with as impressive an approach off the field. That mantle was maintained in style on Saturday evening by both the club and their fans in the treatment accorded to Adam Goodes' return to the game. The Cats' show of unity with their Sydney opponents as both entered the field together was a great touch, and the supporters at Simonds Stadium suitably respectful of Goodes' position. And the guard of honour formed by players, off icials and staff alike at the conclusion to celebrate Joel Selwood's 200th game topped it off beautifully. Well played all concerned.

THE STAYERS Let's not forget Geelong in an on-field sense, either. The 32-point victory over the Swans was probably rivalled only by an earlier win over Collingwood for quality shown by the Cats this season. It also happened to be their fourth on end, and sixth from their last eight games. Hawthorn next Saturday is as tough as it gets, and Geelong's last game against Adelaide might well determine the final spot in the eight, but if the Cats do get to a ninth consecutive finals series, it certainly won't be without earning it. Like that old paint ad said, they just keep on keeping on. THE TROUBLE West Coast lost few friends in Saturday night's loss to Hawthorn, the Eagles right in touch until the final few minutes and even regaining the lead into a handy breeze when it looked like the Hawks were set to run away. That won't be much consolation, however, given a potential 10-point gap to third spot is now just two, and that the Eagles will be without Jeremy McGovern and most likely a suspended Mark LeCras for next week's derby against Fremantle. The few remaining sceptics might now be convinced West Coast is worthy. But the premiership equation just got a lot harder. THE UNLOVED

And what of the Dockers? Surely there haven't been too many teams top of the ladder for as long as this mob have yet still with as few fanciers of their flag prospects. Sure, Fremantle's blistering earlyseason form hasn't been seen for some time now. But the wins keep coming, Sunday's eclipse of St Kilda as eff icient as all their other recent victories, the gap between Ross Lyon's side and the rest now a yawning 10 points and a 16-2 record the sort of stat that would ordinarily inspire unbackable premiership favouritism. You can't help but feel that if Freo bowls over West Coast next week, a few pundits might start jumping back on the bandwagon.